Corofin a home from home for Mayo man Rochford
March 12, 2015
Corofin's manager Stephen Rochford. INPHO
Stephen Rochford says there's a number of similarities between his native Crossmolina and Corofin, the club he will lead into next Tuesday's All-Ireland Club SFC final at Croke Park.
Rochford lined out at corner-back when Crossmolina became the first Mayo club to claim All-Ireland honours back in 2001 and 14 years later he is patrolling the sidelines for the Galway kingpins and attempting to plot the downfall of Slaughtneil of Derry.
"The thing that mirrors Crossmolina is that it's a rural area with football the number one passion," he outlined to The Herald.
"It's two parishes of Belclare and Corofin married together. But they're just fanatics about their football.
"I mean, you go there on a Tuesday night mid-summer and you'd find it hard to get parking in Belclare. There's U10s, there's ladies going on, U14s are coming out training the same time you're going."
After missing out on the Mayo U-21 job in 2012, Rochford hooked up with Corofin and it has very much been a case of so far so good for the Galway club's first outside manager.
"I'm married and living in Ballinrobe in south Mayo. I actually applied for the Mayo U21 job back in October 2012, and it was probably a bit public that I didn't get that job.
"At the same time, about two weeks later, I got a phone call off Corofin; met them; and the rest is history."
Rochford is busy preparing his players for a titanic battle against the Ulster champions on St Patrick's Day.
"They have a number of big name players - Chrissy McKaigue, Patsy Bradley, Paul Bradley - similar to Vincent's. They probably play a little bit more defensive from the point of view they get the numbers back and then they break very quickly.
"I was in Portlaoise for the semi-final (against Austin Stacks). I was hugely impressed by their appetite for work, unwillingness to bow.
"As a Mayo person, I've seen Kieran Donaghy stick the knife in - and they weren't rattled by it. They played against the breeze; they didn't shoot a wide until five minutes to go in the game. That's a serious stat."
Tweet
