All-Ireland Club SFC final: Corofin subdue Kilcoo after extra-time to secure three-in-a-row

Corofin dashed Kilcoo's All-Ireland Club Football title hopes in extra-time to earn a record third straight title as an extraordinary game petered out.

The holders led 0-7 to 0-4 late in normal time but referee Conor Lane played 11 minutes of injury-time when only five had been called.

This ended with Paul Devlin's levelling free which had been moved forward.

However, Corofin hit an unanswered 1-4 in the first 10-minute period as they went on to win 1-12 to 0-7.

This included Conor Cunningham's goal which moved them them 1-11 to 0-7 ahead with Jason Leonard adding the only further score as Kilcoo were held scoreless in extra-time.

The GAA's disciplinary authorities are sure to look at ugly scenes at the end of normal time as players from both sides squared up to each other in the tunnel.

The disturbance appeared to be started by Corofin captain Michael Lundy shoving an opponent as they made their way off.

Kilcoo had been reduced to 14 men five minutes into the second half after Dylan Ward picked up a second yellow card following an earlier caution which had appeared harsh.

As Corofin were incensed by the referee's decision to play more than double the amount of injury-time, Michael Farragher was sent off for a cynical challenge as he conceded the free eventually pointed by Devlin after referee Lane moved the ball forward some 20 metres to around 35 metres out.

After the frantic end to normal time, Kilcoo seemed to have the psychological advantage but Corofin had other ideas as they recovered from a previously nervous display to show their class in extra-time.

Both side had looked stage struck in the opening half-hour of action in front of a healthy crowd of 25,930.

Kilcoo keeper Martin McCourt made the first of two brilliant first-half saves in the third minute to deny Lundy as the first score didn't come until 10 minutes later as Devlin pointed a free.

After Devlin doubled Kilcoo's advantage in the 16th minute, Ryan McEvoy cut inside the Corofin defence for the right flank to create himself a goal chance but his fisted effort flew wide of the far post.

Corofin's laboured build-up was giving the tenacious Kilcoo tacklers time to get into position and it took a long-range point from midfielder Ronan Steede to get the champions on the scoreboard on 24 minutes.

After Kilcoo missed further point-scoring chances, Cathal Silke levelled in the 28th minute before Devlin restored the Ulster champions' lead with a fine effort from play in injury-time.

However, the match appeared to slip away from Kilcoo in the third quarter as Dylan Wall's levelling point was soon followed by Ward's second yellow card after his tackle on the same player.

Within a minute of Ward's departure, Gary Sice had tagged on two Corofin frees before Leonard's placed-ball score put the champions three ahead with 13 minutes of normal time left.

However, Conor Laverty's score, after a Eugene Branagan goal attempt had been blocked, got Kilcoo scoring again in the 52nd minute.

Wing-back Daryl Branagan, one of the five Branagan brothers in the Kilcoo side, finally showed his renowned attacking flair as he strode upfield to cut Corofin's lead to the minimum in the 54th minute.

Corofin's retreat into their own territory continued to give their 14-men opposition the initiative but Devlin, from a 40-metre free, Laverty and Eugene Branagan, after a protracted build-up, were off target as the Galway men held their advantage.

However, referee Lane incredibly played the 11 minutes of injury-time as he seemingly punished Corofin for a series of cynical fouls by adding on more time.

There was an audible gasp from the crowd as Lane moved the ball forward to make Devlin's finally equalising chance a more more realistic prospect and the Kilcoo free-taker held his nerve to split the posts.

Given the controversial finish, it was little surprise that tempers became flared in the tunnel and we may hear more about that in the days and weeks that follow.

Corofin could have been forgiven for being shell-shocked at the turn of events but they regrouped magnificent in the first period of extra-time.

The outstanding Steede's point four minutes was quickly followed by three further scores before centre half-back Cunningham scrambled in a goal after Lundy's shot for a point had come back off the left-hand post.

Kilcoo tried manfully to fight back as they created a trio of goal chances in the second period of extra-time but could not beat Bernard Power as the match drew to its inevitable conclusion.