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Tyrone SFC Final: Trillick prevail over Errigal Ciaran

Lee Brennan, Trillick, and Peter Harte, Errigal Ciaran, during the Tyrone SFC Final at Healy Park.

Lee Brennan, Trillick, and Peter Harte, Errigal Ciaran, during the Tyrone SFC Final at Healy Park.

Tyrone Senior Football Championship Final

TRILLICK ST MACARTANS 0-12 ERRIGAL CIARAN 2-4

By Michael Devlin at Healy Park

Trillick St Macartans’ name is back on the O’Neill Cup as they overcame a disappointing Errigal Ciaran side at Healy park this afternoon to be crowned Tyrone county champions.

After a flying start, the game fell into a dire spectacle after the tenth minute. Trillick raced out of the blocks with three points in the first four minutes courtesy of Ryan Gray, Lee Brennan and Michael Gallagher.

Errigal were quick to respond, Peter Harte collecting a pass from Pauric McAnenly to slot over for a point, before keeper Joe Maguire was stripped of possession in front of his goal to gift the simplest of finishes for Odhran Robinson to make the score 0-3 to 1-1 after six minutes.

Trillick’s James Garrity latched onto a Mattie Donnelly pass to split the posts to level the scores moments later, but soon the frenetic pace of the opening stages fell away, and the game turned into a frustratingly defensive affair.

Lee Brennan’s long range free in the 21st minute was the only score for the remainder of the half as the heavily stacked defences of both teams stifled any sort of real attacking incision.

Trillick appeared to be commit more to their attack after the interval, and Mattie Donnelly fended off several tackles to land the first score of the half, before a Brennan free put them three up. Several poor wides though from the Reds prevented them from stretching their lead further.

Darragh Canavan, who didn’t start the game due to injury, was introduced in the 40th minute in an attempt to inject some life into Errigal’s dysfunctional attack, and it was youngster Cormac Quinn found room to eventually land their third score of the game with a neat point, their first since the sixth minute.

Trillick though were still in firm control, and Mattie Donnelly, now operating much closer to the Errigal goal, popped over his second point of the afternoon before Harte and Brennan traded frees to keep the gap at three points.

A well worked Trillick move, ending with a Damian Kelly point, took their tally to double figures before Liam Gray nearly bundled the ball into the goal, only for Damian McDermott to intervene. Lee Brennan pinged over the resulting ’45 as Trillick began to extend their lead as the game entered its final five minutes.

Errigal did begin to mount some pressure on the Trillick goal as the game entered stoppage time, with Harte floating over a 45 after his shot on goal was deflected across goal, but Trillick’s defence, anchored by the imperious Rory Brennan all afternoon, were resolute. Richard Donnelly’s point at the other end moments later was the icing on the cake for the St Macartans.

Errigal were awarded a late, late penalty, which Harte dispatched, but that final action of the game only served to flatter them on the scoreboard, and Trillick greeted the final whistle as deserved Tyrone champions for 2019.

Scorers for Trillick: Lee Brennan 0-5 (3f 1 ’45), Mattie Donnelly 0-2, Michael Gallagher 0-1, Ryan Gray 0-1, James Garrity 0-1, Damian Kelly 0-1, Richard Donnelly 0-1.

Scorers for Errigal Ciaran: Peter Harte 1-3 (1 Pen 1f 1 ’45), Odhran Robinson 1-0, Cormac Quinn 0-1.

TRILLICK: Joe Maguire; Stephen O’Donnell, Ruairi Kelly, Damian Kelly; Michael Gallagher, Daire Gallagher, Rory Brennan; Richard Donnelly, Gavan McCarron; Matthew Donnelly, Niall Donnelly, Ryan Gray; Liam Gray, Lee Brennan, James Garrity.

SUBS: Niall Gormley for N. Donnelly (59)

ERRIGAL CIARAN: Darragh McAnenly; Ciarán Quinn, Aidan McCrory, Cormac Quinn; Steafan Tierney, Niall Kelly, Peter O’Hanlon; Ben McDonnell, Eoin Kelly; Pauric McAnenly, Peter Harte, Ronan McRory; Odhran Robinson, Darren Canavan, Mark Kavanagh.

SUBS: Joe Oguz for O. Robinson (HT), Damian McDermott for Peter O’Hanlon (38), Darragh Canavan for Darren Canavan (40), Tommy Canavan for E. Kelly (45), Stephen McCrory for R. McCrory (52), Tiarnan Colhoun for S. Tierney (57).

Referee: Eamon McHugh