*Gearoid Cahill gets a shot away for Corofin. Photograph: Ruthie Griffin.
COROFIN staged a dramatic comeback scoring two injury time goals to force extra time where they battled over the line against Bodyke claiming their place in the semi-finals of the Clare premier intermediate hurling championship (PIHC).
Corofin 3-27
Bodyke 4-17
(after extra time)
Venue: Dr Daly Park, Tulla
A dramatic fifteen point turnaround saw Corofin go from trailing by six points in additional time to emerge as seven point winners over Bodyke. The victory keeps their hopes of bouncing back to the senior grade at the first time of asking following their relegation last September.
Ironically it was the greater fitness of St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield that caught Corofin in extra time that led to their exit from the Clare SFC a month ago but this time they had the superior legs to do the business against Bodyke who never recovered from the shock of conceding two injury time goals.
Bodyke scored just twice in extra time while Dave Hannan’s Corofin dug even deeper to prolong their season and advance to the last four.
Extra time also saw a big turning point when referee Kevin Corry awarded a penalty to Bodyke in the closing stages of the first half. Seánie Doyle was deemed to be fouled by the official but when he consulted with his umpires, he changed his mind and a throw-in was the next act.
By far the better team in the opening half, Bodyke were well worth their four point advantage. They blitzed into a strong start with Ian Murray goaling after forty five seconds, Seánie Doyle providing the assist.
With six minutes played, Corofin went in front for the first time. A Gearoid Cahill effort dropped short, his younger brother read the break off Bodyke sweeper Cian Minogue before dispatching to the net.
Points were traded on two occasions before Bodyke fired 1-1 without reply, the goal coming from Fionn Slattery on twelve points. Corofin responded with five unanswered scores to level matters for the second time and then regain the lead.
Seeing out the half with six points on the trot saw Bodyke hold a 2-10 1-9 interval advantage.
There was much more activity in the Corofin attack on the restart, they outscored Bodyke 0-6 0-2 within thirteen minutes to level matters. Then Seánie Doyle struck for Bodyke’s third goal immediately after.
Goal number four put Bodyke in the driving seat when Paddy Fitzgerald finished to the net with fifty eight minutes gone, latching onto a ball broken by Ian Murray.
Seánie Doyle extended their lead to six points in additional time but they were rocked when Gearoid Kelly converted a penalty on sixty two minutes and then Gearoid Cahill forced extra time, winning an excellent delivery from Damien O’Loughlin and driving the sliotar to the net.
Kevin Keane stood up with two points in the opening period of extra time while Gearoid Kelly chipped over a free, a stunned Bodyke failed to score in the first half.
Seánie Doyle reduced the arrears to two points as the second half of extra time commenced but Corofin’s leaders stood tall, Conor Leen landing two excellent points from distance with Diarmuid Cahill also firing over two white flags.
Without question this is a game Bodyke let slip through their fingers and the defeat will leave a sting for some time. They were in the relegation final last season and were within inches of making a first semi-final in over two decades, instead their ability to see out the game proved to be their undoing. Thomas Wiley, Seánie Doyle, Ian Murray and Tiernan Slattery did well for the Colin Molloy managed outfit.
Winning in this manner will serve as a massive lift for Corofin and their chances of promotion have become stronger. They welcomed Conor Leen back to the fold for this encounter and his influence was particularly strong in extra time, over the course of the eighty minutes they had prominent displays from Damien O’Loughlin, James Organ and the Cahill brothers Gearoid and Diarmuid.
Gallery of photographs by Ruthie Griffin.
Scorers Corofin: G Kelly (1-10 8f), D Cahill (1-4), G Cahill (1-3), J Organ (0-3), S Kirby (0-2), K Keane (0-2), C Leen (0-2), E Davoren (0-1).
Scorers Bodyke: S Doyle (1-8 4f), I Murray (1-2), P Fitzgerald (1-2), F Slattery (1-2), S Wiley (0-2), C McKenna (0-1).
Corofin
1: Liam Corbett
3: Fionn Clancy
19: Cian O’Loughlin
4: Marc O’Loughlin
7: Eoin Davoren
6: Conor Leen
18: Evan Doolin
2: Damien O’Loughlin
9: Gearoid Kelly
10: Kevin Keane
8: Gearoid Cahill
15: Gearoid Hanrahan
13: Seannan Kirby
12: James Organ
11: Diarmuid Cahill
Subs:
14: Micheál Duffy for Hanrahan (45)
23: David Corbett for Kirby (53)
17: Cian Doolin for C O’Loughlin (60+1)
24: John Rees for E Doolin (FT)
Seannan Kirby for Organ (69)
Bodyke:
1: Cormac Doyle
2: Seán Óg Kilkenny
3: Éanna Doyle
4: Thomas Wiley
6: Cian Minogue
5: Kevin Drost
9: Tiernan Slattery
7: Seán Wiley
8: Cathal Doyle
14: Seán Browne
13: Seánie Doyle
11: Fionn Slattery
17: Cathal McKenna
12: Ian Murray
15: Patrick Fitzgerald
Subs:
10: Michael O’Brien for Browne (53)
26: Oisin Slattery for McKenna (60)
24: Cormac Treacy for F Slattery (76)
Referee: Kevin Corry (Sixmilebridge)
