1. Who’ll keep their great goalscoring run going?
This final pairs together two sides that have on great goalscoring runs at present. Ballintubber have struck 14 goals in their last three games – nine against Knockmore in the Mayo semi-final, two against Castlebar in the Mayo final and then three against St Brigid’s in the Connacht semi-final. Cillian O’Connor has smashed home five of those while his brother Padraig has bagged three.
Corofin have raised 16 green flags in the same time frame – four against Miltown in the Galway semi-final, five against St Michael’s in the Galway decider and then seven last time out against Leitrim’s Aughawilan. Michael Lundy is responsible for six while Ian Burke and Martin Farragher have struck three apiece.
If either side can keep a clean sheet tomorrow and limit the concession of goals, it will go a long way towards achieving victory.
2. Sideline battle – Rochford v Ford
The sideline battle sees two Mayo natives in opposition. Stephen Rochford was corner-back on the Crossmolina team that defeated Nemo Rangers in the 2001 All-Ireland club final. He’s well versed on Mayo football but is now steering the Corofin setup and will be eager to atone for their loss to Castlebar Mitchels in last year’s Connacht semi-final.
On the opposite side is ex Mayo player Peter Ford who is overseeing the fortunes of Ballintubber. A former Sligo and Galway boss, he’ll be familiar with the Corofin players having managed the likes of Kieran Fitzgerald and Gary Sice when he was the Tribesmen manager.
3. The Dillon-O’Connor attacking axis
Scan the Ballintubber team sheet and two names in their attack jump out. The wealth of inter county experience that Alan Dillon and Cillian O’Connor possess is clearly invaluable to their club side as they orchestrate matters. Dillon makes things happen in an attacking sense around the middle third, as evidenced by that sublime crossfield ball for Padraig O’Connor’s goal in the Mayo county final.
Cillian O’Connor then is their prime shooter close to goal, maintaining the Allstar winning standards he set for Mayo this summer when in action for Ballintubber on the club winter scene. He’s hit 5-9 in his last three games. The Dillon-O’Connor attacking axis will be a key factor on Sunday.
4. Connacht force Corofin want to get over the line
Corofin have been a powerful force in Connacht football for several years. They have featured on the provincial scene 13 times in the last 24 years and tomorrow is the ninth occasion in that time frame they have managed to reach a provincial decider. Victory arrived in 1991, 1995, 1997 – the precursor to the All Ireland crown – 2008 and 2009.
However they have suffered a few painful defeats that will fuel their drive to get over the line tomorrow. A last minute Karol Mannion goal enabled St Brigid’s to rock Corofin in 2006 while three years they lost to the Roscommon side by a point in a controversial showdown. Last year Castlebar overturned Corofin by a point in the provincial semi-final. Tomorrow is a chance to avenge past defeats.
5. Ballintubber’s rise to prominence
It’s only seven years since Ballintubber won the Mayo county intermediate title and that was the springboard for them to win their first ever senior crown in 2010. They retained the senior championship the following year and last month made it three senior county wins in five years.
It’s been a remarkable rise to prominence in Mayo and now they’ve gone one step further in Connacht. In 2010 and 2011 they lost their opening provincial assignments by a single point to Galway opponents Killererin and Corofin. Their recent win over St Brigid’s was their first success in the province and now they’re on the brink of a first Connacht senior title.
– First published 07.30, 22 Nov
