Pádraig Pearses overcome Corofin to reach Connacht semi final

Pádraig Pearses (Roscommon) 2-10 Corofin (Galway) 0-10

For the second year in succession, Corofin's Connacht Club Championship ambitions have run aground against Roscommon opposition.

Last year they made a slow start against St. Brigid’s, got a goal either side of half-time but couldn’t match the eventual provincial champions over the final 20 minutes, eventually losing out by 1-13 to 2-05.

Arguably today’s defeat to Pádraig Pearses was even more comprehensive. The first half was little short of breathtaking, as the south Roscommon side produced utterly devastating football both in attack and in defence.

The second half was all about game management, and even when Corofin rattled off four points in a row in the closing stages, it still felt as if Pearses were just making sure that they maintained the philosophy of "bend, but don’t break".

Then Liam Silke hoisted over a skyscraper to make it 1-10 to 0-10, and on the next play Declan Kenny picked up the break from the kickout, sent an immaculate pass over the top of the Corofin defence through to substitute Jack Nevin, and Nevin duly knocked the ball ahead on the deck before tapping it into an empty net, with Bernard Power stranded at midfield.

It remains to be seen if Pearses will take over from Corofin as the favourites for the Andy Merrigan Cup race, but on the strength of this performance, they have to be in the mix.

For the first five minutes, it was all going to plan for the five-time All-Ireland champions. Darragh Silke and Dylan Canny kicked the first two points, and they controlled the game.

Then Jack Tumulty ran hard at the Corofin defence, drew a free which Eoin Colleran converted, and Pearses never looked back.

In defence, they were ravenous and yet immaculately