Corofin set to show no mercy to Leitrim champions in provincial club clash
IN the context of Corofin’s 35 point winning margin over Aughawillan last year at Carrick-on-Shannon, a case could be made for reporting restrictions to be put in place for the visit of Mohill to Tuam Stadium on Sunday next (2.30pm) for the Connacht first round clash with the Galway champions.
This time last year, Corofin were 1/200 for their clash with the Leitrim champions and those odds are replicated on Sunday for the visit of a Mohill side that won their county final replay against Glencar/Manorhamilton earlier this month in the most dramatic of circumstances.
Corofin were at their most ruthless and hungriest a year ago as they set about taking the first steps in their goal of winning a second All-Ireland club title – when the final whistle sounded, the scoreline of 7-20 to 0-6 didn’t really need any legend attached.
So far this year, while Corofin haven’t been racking up the massive scores of 2014, they seem to be coming into a nice run of form with their best display of the year undoubtedly delivered in the 3-13 to 0-12 county final defeat of Mountbellew/Moylough.
The task in front of Mohill manager, Padraig Davis, is an awesome one – it really is akin to a lone foot soldier facing down a tank division – and in cold objectivity, his main task will be in trying to keep his side competitive for as long as possible.
They will set up defensively and like all Leitrim sides they will lack nothing by way of tenacity but it will surely take a remarkable effort if they can stay within a dozen points of Corofin.
Their 1-4 to 0-6 county final replay success over Glencar-Manorhamilton was, by all accounts, no thing of beauty as they relied on an injury time Ronan Kennedy goal to edge in front at the death.
Significantly their two outstanding players on the day were defenders Ronan Gallagher and Michael McGuinness but their resilience will be tested to the limit against one of the slickest forward divisions in the country.
Who to leave out will again be one of the big dilemmas for the Corofin management as they prepare for their first defence of the Connacht title, although midfielder Greg Higgins is ruled out with a groin strain that kept him out of the county final.
Gary Sice also came off towards the end of the county final with a slight hamstring problem but should be okay for Sunday while after that, they report a pretty clean bill of health.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.