Salthill-Knocknacarra 1-17

Corofin 1-15

By Pádraic Ó Ciardha at Pearse Stadium

AS the crowds streamed out of Pearse Stadium last Saturday night, fireworks shot up from the Prom to provide a fitting backdrop to a memorable evening. The fireworks weren’t just confined to the beach as Salthill-Knocknacarra and Corofin served up a classic under lights with the local side getting through to the county final by the skin of their teeth.

Having failed to show up against the same opposition in last year’s semi-final, Salthill-Knocknacarra came roaring out of the blocks this time. Rob Finnerty’s early goal meant Finian Hanley’s side had eclipsed their 0-5 total from last year’s capitulation inside the first ten minutes of this one and they didn’t let up. The gap was an astonishing 13 points at half-time with Corofin putting in as poor a 30 minutes as they have in a long, long time.

You don’t win all that Corofin have by giving up when things are going against you, however, and the county champions came within inches of the comeback of all comebacks. Darragh Silke’s goal gave them a lifeline heading into the final 20 minutes and some great shooting from Jack McCabe and a superb midfield performance from Ciarán Brady meant Corofin had the gap down to one with five minutes to go.

There only looked like one winner at that point but Salthill-Knocknacarra deserve massive credit for digging out a late score. The Seasiders had barely seen the ball in the second half but they composed themselves in injury-time, putting a patient move together.

It looked as if Salthill were happy to wind down the clock but Daniel Hoare took advantage of the pressure on him in the corner to pop an excellent handpass over the top for Mark Mannion, who in turn found Evan Nolan to fist a crucial point over the bar.

That might have been the signal to those on the beach to light the fireworks but Corofin very nearly had them scrambling for the fuse. There was still a little over a minute left to work the two-pointer needed to level proceedings but Corofin nearly went one better when Mike Farragher, Dylan McHugh and Ian Burke combined on the right-hand side to open up the opposition.

Burke’s handpass across was just an inch too low for Liam Silke to catch but his volleyed effort was saved by Salthill-Knocknacarra ‘keeper Dónal O’Sullivan and though Silke was first to the rebound, his left-footed shot went to the left and wide to bring and end to a bizarre but thrilling contest.

Having been expected to make the breakthrough for so long, knocking out Corofin for a place in the county final would ideally have answered a lot of the questions that have been asked of Salthill-Knocknacarra over the last few years but the nature of the performance means they might be harder to judge than ever.

Pictured: Darragh Silke of Corofin is about to be challenged by Salthill-Knocknacarra’s Robert Walzer during Saturday’s Senior Football semi-final at Pearse Stadium. Photos: Joe O’Shaughnessy.