Ruairi Canavan of Errigal Ciaran celebrates after the Tyrone County Senior Club Football Championship final match between Errigal Ciarán and Trillick at O'Neills Healy Park in Omagh, Tyrone. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Tyrone SFC Final
ERRIGAL CIARAN 0-12 TRILLICK 1-8
By Francie Mooney at O'Neil's Healy Park
Errigal Ciaran are back at the pinnacle of Tyrone football, champions once again following a narrow victory over holders Trillick at O’Neills Healy Park.
Ruairi Canavan’s six points haul made all the difference, sending the O’Neill Cup back to Dunmoyle for the second time in three years.
It was a hammer blow for a Trillick side intent on becoming the first to retain the trophy in almost two decades. No club has successfully defended the Tyrone title since Carrickmore completed back-to-back triumphs in 2005.
The rescheduled decider went ahead following last Sunday’s postponement due to Storm Ashley, but the Tyrone title-holders now have just a week to prepare for an Ulster Club SFC preliminary round tie against Donegal’s St Eunan’s, who will have the luxury of a three-week run-in.
Wind-assisted Trillick were fastest to get to the pace of the game, easing into a two points lead with scores from Lee Brennan and Mattie Donnelly.
And their well organised defensive effort frustrated their opponents, until Darragh Canavan dispelled all doubts about the health of his damaged shoulder with a tidy score to get Errigal off the mark in the eleventh minute.
Younger brother Ruairi brought the sides level from a free, and there was nothing to separate the sides in a closely fought opening quarter, with Brennan and Peter Og McCartan, with a long range effort, treading points.
The Canavan brothers were a constant threat, their movement and vision stretching the Reds; defence, and with Joe Oguz emerging as a key figure in the central third, they began to dominate possession.
Errigal were beginning to show their class, Ruairi Canavan’s cheeky dummy matched by the finish, and as half-time approached, Ben McDonnell edged them two ahead.
Mattie Donnelly drove the Trillick response with strong running and effective support play, heavily involved in scores for James Garrity and Brennan to bring the sides level.
But a trademark Darragh Canavan point sent the Dunmoyle men in with a narrow 0-7 to 0-6 advantage.
Errigal were gradually building themselves into a position of control, with Peter Harte, Oguz, Ben McDonnell and Niall Kelly leading waves of attack.
Trillick were putting out fires, struggling to contain an opponent attacking from all angles, and a run of four points on the spin, two of them from Ruairi Canavan, opened out a four points lead b y the 40th minute.
Assured in defence as well, they forced a string of turnovers as the holders looked increasingly vulnerable.
But the game took another twist at the beginning of the final quarter. After Mattie Donnelly had pulled back an inspirational point, Stevie O’Donnell sent Ciaran Daly in for an angled finish to the net, and the sides were level.
With ten minutes left on the clock, Ruairi Canavan regained the lead for the challengers, and their defensive discipline and game management saw them through, with the help of vital turnovers from Eoin Kelly and Joe Oguz.
Errigal Ciaran scorers: R Canavan 0-6 (3f), D Canavan 0-2, O Robinson, P Harte (f), B McDonnell, P Og McCartan 0-1 each.
Trillick scorers: C Daly 1-0, L Brennan 0-3 (3f), M Donnelly, R Gray 0-2 each, J Garrity 0-1.
Errigal Ciaran: D McAnenly; Cormac Quinn, A McCrory, Ciaran Quinn; T Colhoun, N Kelly, P Og McCartan; B McDonnell, J Oguz; C McGinley, P Harte, P McGirr; D Canavan, O Robinson, R Canavan. Subs: T Canavan for McGinley (39), M Kavanagh for Colhoun (h-t), E Kelly for McCartan (55), P Traynor for McGirr (57)
Trillick: J Maguire; Stevie O’Donnell, P McCaughey, D Gallagher; C Garrity, R Brennan, Seanie O’Donnell; R Donnelly, L Gray; C Daly, M Donnelly, R Gray; D Donnelly, L Brennan, J Garrity. Subs: M Gallagher for R Gray (46), D Tunney for Stevie O’Donnell (59)
Referee: S Hurson (Galbally).
