Connacht SFC: Pádraig Pearses put themselves in the frame with convincing win over Corofin

The next few months will tell if Pádraig Pearses, who saw off five-time champions Corofin in Tuam Stadium on Sunday, will get to wear the All-Ireland crown for the first time in their history. But on the strength of this display, the prospect is alive and well.
Two scores separated the teams at the end, but that margin masked the Roscommon side’s superiority here. In the first half, they were devastating, stifling Corofin attacks with relentless tenacity and ferocity, while at the other end Paul Carey and Eoin Colleran were rampant. The second half was all about containment and they did that too, conceding just three points in the first 24 minutes before Corofin finally found a vein of form, rattling off four in a row.
As soon as a chink of light appeared for the home supporters, Pearses shut it out. Liam Silke’s skyscraping kick made it 1-10 to 0-10, but Declan Kenny won the subsequent kick-out and placed a perfect long ball over the top into the path of Jack Nevin, and the substitute easily ran the ball in as the furthest man forward to clinch their win.
Corofin’s Connacht ambitions ran aground against Roscommon opposition last year, too, when they met St Brigid’s in the provincial final, but this was even more one-sided than that game.
After conceding the first two points inside five minutes, Pearses produced scintillating football for the next 25. Carey shot 1-3, including a 12th-minute goal, and also played the unlikely part of defensive hero when he cleared a Brian Cogger shot off the line.
Colleran kicked three points while Niall Daly and Declan Kenny also chipped in with superb scores, while David Murray and Conor Daly were dominant in deeper roles.
Ahead 1-8 to 0-3 at half-time, Pearses didn’t score in the third quarter, but they continued to keep the Galway side under lock and key.
Corofin’s late surge briefly threatened to keep the favourites for the Andy Merrigan Cup in the race, but now the leading contenders have fallen, an unheralded dark horse might be every bit as much of a threat.
PÁDRAIG PEARSES: P Whelan; G Downey, N Carty, D Murray; D Kenny (0-1), C Keogh, C Harley (0-1); C Ryan, N Daly (0-1); C Daly, R Daly, A McGreal; E Colleran (0-3, 1f, 1m), P Carey (1-4, 2f, 1m), J Tumulty.
Subs: S Canning for McGreal (41 mins), M Richardson for Downey (51), J Nevin (1-0) for Tumulty (53), C Lohan for Harley (59), E Kelly for Colleran (60+2).
COROFIN: B Power; C Silke, D McHugh, L Silke (0-1); B Cogger, C Cunningham, K Molloy (0-2); P Egan, M Farragher; D Canny (0-4, 0-2f), T Gill, C Brady; D Silke (0-1), G Sice, J McCabe (0-1, m).
Subs: G Burke for C Silke (24), J Leonard for Gill (half-time), M Lundy (0-1) for Cunningham (half-time), M Farragher for Sice (43), R Coen for D Silke (53)
Referee: John Gilmartin (Sligo).