Inside Track with John McIntyre

WE’D better start getting used to it again – Corofin ruling the roost in Galway club football. In retaining the Frank Fox Cup in desperate conditions at Tuam Stadium on Sunday, Kevin Johnson’s charges underlined their capacity to continually get the job done on the big occasions.

For the second consecutive year, Maigh Cuilinn were their final victims and though there was nothing between the teams in the opening 20 minutes, once Corofin took advantage of a calamitous oppostion defensive mix-up, there was a sense of inevitability about the outcome in front of a modest crowd.

In capturing their 23rd Galway title, those minutes before half-time swung a competitive tussle decisively in Corofin’s favour. They led by 1-6 to 0-4 at the break and though Maigh Cuilinn would have the advantage of the elements on the resumption, you just knew the champions were not going to be caught.

Corofin’s capacity to always fire on County Final day is legendary. There’s no point any opposition hoping that they won’t turn up. It just doesn’t happen and, once again, their ringcraft, game management and composure were plain to see in Tuam.

Maybe, the final might have turned out differently only for Maigh Cuillin goalkeeper Andrew Power’s no-look pass across his own 14-yards line presented Jack McCabe with a 27th minute goal, but you could be clutching at straws too. In contrast, Corofin don’t push the self-destruct button.

With Darragh Silke tagging on a brace of cracking points before the break, suddenly Corofin were in command against a Maigh Cuilinn team which only managed a solitary point from play – a fisted Peter Cooke effort – in the opening 48 minutes. Regardless of the conditions, that paltry return simply doesn’t cut it at this level.

Owen Gallagher did manage two points before the end, but Maigh Cuilinn never really threatened to pull the game out of the fire, and they had suffered a demoralising moment when the normally reliable Dessie Conneely dragged a close-range free wide early in the half.

Pictured: Maigh Cuilinn’s Ger Davoren is surrounded by Kieran Molloy, Liam Silke and Michael Farragher of Corofin during Sunday’s Galway Senior Football Final at Tuam Stadium. Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy.