As the countdown continues to next Sunday's county football final replay between Tuam Stars and Corofin, we look back at the 10 previous post-war county finals to go to a replay. The last time Tuam Stars were involved in a replay was in 1962, a highly contentious affair with Dunmore MacHales that only came about when the referee blew the whistle prematurely in the drawn game! Corofin have been involved in four replays, including last year when they overcame Mountbellew Moylough in Pearse Stadium.
Galway County Senior Football Final Replays
1962: Tuam
Stars 1-5 Dunmore MacHales 0-6
A fisted goal early in the second half by Sean Purcell was the decisive score in a keenly contested replay between these two great rivals. There was huge controversy in the drawn game two months earlier when Mayo referee Mick Loftus prematurely blew the full-time whistle with the teams level at 2-4 to 1-7 but failed to restart the game as some of the Dunmore team, who were playing into a gale-force wind, left the field. In the second game, three John Keenan frees had Dunmore 0-4 to 0-2 ahead at the break but two Mick Reynolds frees and Purcell’s goal won the title back for the Stars.
1974:
Mountbellew 1-5 Corofin 0-7 (after extra time)
After the sides finished level at 1-6 apiece three weeks
previously, another nail-biter in Tuam Stadium was eventually settled by
Leitrim county player Tony Dolan who fisted over the winner three minutes from
the end of extra time for Mountbellew. The only goal came early in the second
half when Iomar Barrett sent Frank Rushe through for a tonic score to help
Mountbellew lead 1-2 to 0-2 but Corofin scored three points to take the game to
extra time and might have won the game but for a missed penalty.
1978:
Killererin 2-6 Milltown 0-11
This replay proved far more entertaining than the drab
1-4 apiece draw two weeks previously. Killererin did all the damage in the
first 22 minutes as goals from Seamus Burke, with a brilliant individual
effort, and Donal Gilligan helped the winners to a 2-4 to 0-1 lead. Led by the
brilliant Gay McManus, Milltown reduced the gap to six points by half time and
despite scoring seven more points in the second half in a personal tally of
0-10, Killererin clung on to win their second title in three years by the
narrowest of margins.
1979: Ballinasloe
0-9 Dunmore MacHales 0-8
Like the previous year, the drawn county final ended 1-4
each as Dunmore grabbed a late equaliser to force the replay. In the second
game, Ballinasloe looked in total control as they led 0-7 to 0-1 after twenty
minutes. Amazingly they would not score again for 35 minutes as Dunmore clawed
their way back into the game and eventually took the lead 0-8 to 0-7 thanks to
a Michael Gordon punched effort ten minutes from time. Ballinasloe regrouped
and kicked the last two points, including the winning free from Paul
McGettigan, to win their first title in 34 years.
1985: Annaghdown
1-8 Monivea Abbey 1-6
If ever there was a game of two halves, this was it. Both sides could only manage 0-6 each in the drawn encounter, but second time around a goal from the brilliant Mickey Burke helped a dominant Annaghdown into a 1-7 to 0-0 half time lead in Tuam Stadium. A storming second half from Monivea Abbey almost pulled off the most unlikely of comeback wins, with Tommy Devane the main scoring threat for Abbey with 1-4, but the losers will look back on a number of missed chances that might have taken this game to extra time. As it was, Annaghdown won their third-ever title.
1986: Mountbellew
1-5 Milltown 0-4
A county final replay played in December was never going
to be a classic, but it was Mountbellew who claimed a first title in 12 years
after Michael Gavin dispossessed Milltown goalie Padraig Coyne to score the
only goal late in the game to seal victory. After drawing 0-5 each the first
day, the replay in Pearse Stadium was a virtual carbon copy with Mountbellew
leading 0-5 to 0-4 late in the game until Gavin’s goal put the issue beyond
doubt. Winning captain Val Daly wished everyone a ‘Happy Christmas’ as he
accepted the Frank Fox Cup.
1991: Corofin 0-14
Salthill 0-6
A day often referenced as the turning point in Galway
club football, Corofin demolished the defending champions Salthill with a
powerhouse display at a windy Tuam Stadium. Many felt Corofin’s chance had gone
when they drew 2-6 to 0-12 a fortnight earlier, but the foundations were laid
in the opening half of this replay when midfielder Gerry Burke kicked 0-2 as
the winners led 0-5 to 0-3 despite playing into the strong wind. Nine second
half points from play, three from Michael Donnellan and Ger Hanly and two from
Eddie Steede set the seal on a famous Corofin win.
1999:
Killererin 1-12 An Cheathru Rua 1-8
Killererin won their first title in 21 years with a fully
deserved 4 point win over the champions of 2 years previous. Most of the
scoring came in the first half as Killererin led 1-9 to 1-5 at the break. An
early Pakie Mitchell goal for the winners was cancelled out by a spectacular
effort from Risteard O’hEadhra, but Killererin responded again and Padraig
Joyce proved the main scoring threat with 0-5 to his credit. An Cheathru Rua
did bring the gap back to a single point with 6 minutes to go but sub Tom
McHugh was the hero with two points as Killererin deservedly won.
2009: Corofin
0-11 Mountbellew Moylough 1-5
After a disappointing drawn encounter that finished 0-9
each, an early Cathal Kenny goal set Mountbellew Moylough on their way to a 1-2
to 0-0 lead but a red card to defender Mark Geraghty in the 17th
minute changed the complexion of the game as Corofin regained some ground to
trail 1-3 to 0-3 at the break. County minor Ronan Steede kicked 0-2 on his
half-time introduction, with Alan Burke levelling the game two minutes from
time and further scores from Aidan Donnellan, Joe Canney and Shane Monaghan
broke the Mountbellew Moylough resistance.
2018: Corofin
1-8 Mountbellew Moylough 0-5
After Micheal Lundy rescued Corofin with a last gasp
point in the 0-7 all drawn match, the winners made no mistake in completing the
6-in-a-row second time around in Pearse Stadium. Dylan Wall scored a 3rd
minute goal to set Corofin on their way and despite Michael Daly landing two
points for Mountbellew Moylough in reply, the winners led 1-4 to 0-4 at the
break. Man of the Match Gary Sice added two further points to his tally in the
second half as Mountbellew Moylough’s challenge faded, and injury time scores
from Colin Brady and Ronan Steede sealed county title No.20 for Corofin.
