Corofin footballer Gary Sice pictured at the launch of the AIB Club Championships.
By Cian O'Connell
In the closing stages of a dramatic match Gary Sice remained ice cool at Tuam Stadium.
AIB All Ireland club champions Corofin trailed by two points against Tuam Stars when Suce rifled over a remarkable effort from play.
Suddenly the gap was trimmed to one, but Tuam doubled the advantage again when Jamie Murphy rifled over a similarly gorgeous score.
Now Corofin were under serious duress, the locals sensed a famous win was imminent, but Sice had the guile to land two high pressure frees.
"The adrenaline is up, you just go and do it," Sice says. "There’s no thinking about it, I’d say if you did, you’d just freeze on the spot.
"Mike Farragher won the free, that was the most important thing than kicking it. It was a huge win from the ball he got, I had the easy job at the end of it."
How difficult is it to simply park the implications of the last gasp kick?
"We’re around a while," Sice replies. "We knew with the time that was left there was a little bit of work to do and we settled into it.
"The lads settled into it well and that last ball was a big one, but look, it’s all forgotten about now, we’ve a lot of work to do to get ourselves ready for the next day."
Gary Sice kicked the equalising free for Corofin against Tuam Stars in the Galway SFC Final last Sunday.
Corofin and Tuam's enduring rivalry means another eagerly anticipated replay is scheduled for November 3.
"Ah it’s great," Sice says. "We would have grown up with these guys in school, around the town and that.
"It’s not like we don’t know them, we know them nearly too well. Sometimes that affects the game, often like you’d rather play someone from down the country because you don’t know them and it just turns into a game of football.
"There’s a lot more to it, you’re going to be meeting these lads for the next 12 months, but I suppose that’s what makes it all the more entertaining."
Sice remains an integral part of the Corofin set-up and his drive and desire for success remains.
"I’ve got good people around me," Sice explains. "Mike Comer is our S and C coach with Corofin and he’s looked after me very well.
"David Hanley and his team of physios - I’ve been working with them for the last 10 years and they’ve showed me a huge amount of things and educated me along the way.
"On that side of things, I’ve been very lucky. What else do you want to do? It’s what I’ve wanted to to for a long, long time. You’re not just going to sit on a couch at home. But them guys have been huge in it."
Sice's part in the Corofin shouldn't be underestimated either. Last Sunday provided the perfect example of Sice's ability when the need was greatest.
