Page 12 - INTO THE WEST - March-April 2018

AIB ALL-IRELAND CLUB FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
CSice delights in another precious victory
But he was still thrilled to put one over a big gun at headquarters on All-ireland final day.
By DARAGH SMALL
Media West Ireland nemo rangers are the most successful team in
OrOFin forward Gary Sice says the drive for another All-ireland after 2015 helped the north Galway men to produce something special on
their third All-ireland club title against nemo rangers at Croke Park.
club football having won the Andy Merrigan Cup on seven occasions.
the pitch.
The 33-year-old scored 1-4 as Corofin romped to
Corofin have won eight Connacht titles but it’s 16 in Munster for Cork’s nemo rangers, and Sice says that made victory all the sweeter.
Their previous wins came in 1998 and three years ago when they were also far too good for Slaughtneil on St Patrick’s day.
“We all know what nemo are. They are a superpower and that is not being anyway smart or condescending,
they are,” said Sice.
But Sice knows the potential of the squad of play- ers that Corofin have at their disposal and says a brilliant underage structure helped them get back top of the pile.
“it’s just nice to get an All- ireland against those guys and to recognise they we beat one of the top dogs.
“it was a goal. We had talked about it after 2015, that this group was good enough,” said Sice.
“That performance could
have happened in Tullamore only the way things went, it was just one of those days.
“We knew was coming up talent wise. We had a lot of young lads on the field today. Myself and Kieran Fitzgerald are the elder statesmen.
“The pitch wasn’t great that day and for 14 men to be chasing around that day for an hour it was hard.
“We knew we had a great group there and we just had to keep them all together. They went out there and they did justice to themselves there today.
“But we showed fair old perseverance and thick- ness and kept going. We were very controlled that day which we had to be but it
stood to us.
“We have been very lucky in our club. Our under- age coaches have done a fantastic job. The boys went out there today and performed which is good.”
“We are just trying to improve ourselves all the time. it was nice to get another gear up today and it was a good gear up.”
it’s now two club All-irelands, five Connacht titles and ten county championships for Sice, who contin- ues to excel at club level, after he retired for inter- county set-up.
TARGET: Gary Sice scores his goal against Nemo Rangers in the All-Ireland club final. Photo: Eoin Noonan / SPORTSFILE.
Corofin enjoy American break and match
By JOHN FALLON Media West Ireland
NEW York prepared for what they hoped would be a first ever win in the Connacht senior football champi- onship by taking on All-Ireland club champi- ons Corofin in a challenge match in the Big Apple.
New York had gone close to shocking Galway and Roscommon in recent years in the championship and invited the recently crowned All-Ireland club champions to come to New York as a warm up for their epic Connacht championship clash with Leitrim.
The Galway club, who recently won their third All-Ireland club title, used the trip as a fundraising event and also to celebrate their recent national crown and their success of 2015.
“We will be bringing the players from 2015 as well,” said Corofin club chairman Michael Ryder. “It will be a unique trip and a reward for the 2015 squad and the current side and we will also have a couple of fundraising events around it.”
One of those was in Jake’s Saloon in New
York which is owned by Galway native Jimmy Glynn, where a function took place on Friday, April 27, the day after the game.
The Corofin travelling party of 47 flew out on Thursday 26 April and the match against New York will take place that evening in Gaelic Park.
There are several connections between New York GAA and the Corofin club with current Galway star Michael Lundy a key organiser in the trip, having played in the championship for the Exiles a couple of years ago.
New York will be hoping for their first championship scalp when they take on Leitrim at Gaelic Park on May 6 and are using this game against Corofin in an effort to fine-tune their preparations.
“We are all looking forward to it and hope to give New York a good game. We are train- ing for it and want to represent ourselves well.
“It will be great to meet up with Corofin and Galway people out there as well, of course, as all the people who keep the GAA alive in New York and the United States.
“It promises to be a memorable trip,” added Ryder.
LEAP: Corofin defender Kieran Molloy rises high to claim the ball against Nemo Rangers at
Croke Park.
Page 12 – INTO THE WEST
Photo: Eoin Noonan / SPORTSFILE