Liam Silke’s late goal smooths Corofin’s passage to club decider

Galway club had to play almost all the match with 14 men against Moorefield

Corofin (Galway) 1-6 Moorefield (Kildare) 0-6

Galway champions Corofin advanced to the AIB All-Ireland club football showdown against either Slaughtneil or Nemo Rangers after playing most of this semi-final in Tullamore with 14 men.

Martin Farragher was sent off after just a minute when referee Derek O'Mahoney dished out a red card after the full forward had tangled with Moorefield's Liam Healy.

Corofin were incensed by the decision as the 2015 All-Ireland club champions were forced to play almost the entire game without the influential Farragher.

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The hero for Corofin was Liam Silke, who missed out on playing in the Sigerson Cup final for UCD, when he struck the decisive goal a minute from time to secure a deserved victory at O'Connor Park.

Corofin required all their experience to wear down the Kildare champions after the sides were deadlocked at 0-2 each at the end of a poor opening half.

It took 14 minutes for the opening score of the game when Corofin's Jason Leonard pointed from the left.

That score was cancelled a minute later when David Whyte replied for the Kildare champions, but both teams were guilty of some bad misses.

A free from Gary Sice edged Corofin back in front nine minutes from the break before Eanna O'Connor responded for Moorefield with a close-range free.

Corofin had a golden opportunity just before the break but Michael Lundy's low effort went just wide of the right post after he was set up by Ian Burke.

Corofin made a great start to the second half with Sice adding a free before a superb run by Dylan Wall set up Ian Burke for a fine point.

And they pushed 0-5 to 0-2 clear in the 36th minute when Ronan Steede went forward to score.

Moorefield lost Adam Tyrrell to a black card after 45 minutes but they closed the gap when O'Connor landed a free three minutes later.

Points from Aaron Mullins and the impressive James Murray levelled the game going into the final 10 minutes, before another Sice free edged Corofin 0-6 to 0-5 in front.

Cian O’Connor then tied the match four minutes from time but the decisive score came when Silke found the net after a good passing movement to send Corofin into the All-Ireland final on St Patrick’s Day.

COROFIN: B Power; L Silke (1-0), K Fitzgerald, C Silke; Michael Farragher, D Wall, K Molloy; D Burke, R Steede (0-1); M Lundy, G Sice (0-3, all frees), J Leonard (0-1); C Brady, Martin Farragher, I Burke (0-1).

Subs: B O'Donovan for Brady (51 mins), C Cunningham for Michael Farragher, D McHugh for Wall (both 59), D Silke for Leonard (60 mins).

MOOREFIELD: T Kinsella; L Callaghan, L Healy, M Dempsey; J Murray (0-1), K Murnaghan, S Healy; D Whyte (0-1), A Masterson; C O'Connor (0-1), E Heavey, A Durney; N Hurley-Lynch, R Sweeney, E O'Connor (0-2, both frees).

Subs: A Tyrrell for Durney (36 mins), I Meehan for Heavey (41), M Murray for Hurley-Lynch (45), A Mullins (0-1) for Tyrrell (b/c) (both 45), A Sweeney for Whyte (59).

Referee: Derek O'Mahoney (Tipperary).