AIB Connacht Club SFC semi-finals
Corofin (Galway) 0-16 Ballina (Mayo) 0-12;
St Brigid’s (Roscommon) 1-7 Mohill (Leitrim) 0-8

COROFIN made it into their first provincial final since 2019 thanks to a four-point victory over Ballina Stephenites in Pearse Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Galway men kicked 14 points from play in challenging conditions at Salthill, leading 0-9 to 0-3 at half-time. Although Ballina came back into it when playing with the strong breeze in the second-half, they never managed to overhaul the half-time deficit.

Gary Sice and Jack McCabe kicked five points apiece in impressive performances for Corofin. 

Afterwards, veteran Sice told RTÉ it was “work-rate” that got his side through.

“It’s winter football now, winter football is different, it’s not as graceful or as nice,” the Galway man said.

“We knew with Pearse Stadium and the wind the way it was, it was going to come down to work-rate and to be fair to Ballina they’re superb on their kick-outs and we knew we had to fight hard.”

Corofin will play St Brigid’s in the provincial final after the Roscommon club battled past Leitrim’s Mohill in yesterday’s second semi-final at Dr Hyde Park. 

Ciarán Sugrue’s goal midway through the second half ultimately made the difference for Brigid’s as, although Mohill produced a late surge with points from Conor Quinn, Ronan Kennedy and Keith Beirne, they couldn’t overturn the deficit.