Corofin are again very strong in U-21 football

NORTH Board and County U-21 (A) football title-holders Corofin are again a powerful force, in defence of the two titles.

In the North semi-finals at Tuam Stadium last Saturday evening, Corofin crushed the hopes of a team on the rise in minor and U-21 football in recent years, Dunmore MacHales — it ended 3-20 to 1-9.

In the second semi-final, Mountbellew-Moylough full-back Paddy Keaveney was taken to hospital by ambulance after suffering a serious leg injury, two minutes into the second half of the game. There was a lengthy hold-up, after which the game was abandoned.

At the time, the score was Claregalway 1-6 Mountbellew-Moylough 0-5.

Kevin Brennan was Claregalway’s goal-scorer, with Barry Creaven and Mark Rohan also very good in attack.

Corofin had a huge lead at half-time against Dunmore, 1-15 to 0-4.

Full-forward Martin Farragher scored an early goal, and Corofin’s goal-scorers in the second half were Kieran Molloy and Ian Burke.

Matthew Redington, a county minor this year, was the MacHales’ main scoring threat. Their most productive spell came in the opening ten minutes of the second half, when they hit 1-3 without reply, including a goal by Thomas Gleeson.

That was as close as Dunmore came to their powerful opponents, 1-15 to 1-7, and then came a Corofin scoring burst: two goals and four points.

Corofin scorers: Ian Burke 1-5, Jason Leonard 0-6, Martin Farragher 1-3, Kieran Molloy 1-0, Dylan Wall 0-2, Seán Silke 0-2; Colin Brady and Colin Raftery 0-1 each.

Dunmore MacHales: Matthew Reddington 0-5; Ian Feerick 0-4; Thomas Gleeson 1-0.

Read more in this week's paper.