Trillick oust holders Errigal

Tyrone Senior Football Championship semi-final

Trillick....1-13

Errigal Ciaran....1-11

THE curse of the champions struck again on Sunday evening as Ulster title-holders Errigal Ciaran were knocked out of the Tyrone SFC in a semi-final defeat to Trillick.

It’s 20 years since any club succeeded in retaining the O’Neill Cup in the Red Hand county, Carrickmore the last to put titles back to back in 2004 and 2005.

Beaten All-Ireland finalists Errigal have now joined champions Cuala in failing to make it out of their own county championship.

In a repeat of last year’s Tyrone decider, Trillick turned the tables on their fierce rivals with a two points win at O’Neills Healy Park on Omagh.

They’ll meet either Carrickmore or Loughmacrory in the final, with the parish rivals having drawn at Plunkett Park. They’ll lock horns again in the replay on Friday evening under the Omagh floodlights.

Trillick’s defensive masterclass was the rock upon which the dethroning of the champions was plotted and executed.

They frustrated a star-studded attack with organisation, commitment and intensity, resisting waves of attack from the Dunmoyle men to create a platform for a deserved success.

The champions led by two points going into the final quarter, but it was the Reds who found strength and direction in the closing stages to pick off the points that brought them to a sixth county final in the last decade.

Simon Garrity’s movement and vision caused problems right from the off, and he picked up a ball punched clear by goalkeeper Cathal McAnenly, to send Mattie Donnelly in for the opening point.

Ben McDonnell crafted an equaliser for Tommy Canavan, but the Trillick defence was solid and effective in closing down the threats in the Errigal attack, with a rotational policy seeing different players assigned to shadow Darragh Canavan.

Rory Brennan and Michael Gallagher were particularly effective at the back for the Reds, and it was Brennan who charged through a huge gap down the middle of the Healy Park pitch to pick off a point, before Garrity wriggled free of a couple of defenders to provide the assist for Donnelly’s second.

Darragh Canavan darted through for a brilliant individual score, bit that was cancelled out by Seanie O’Donnell’s solo score at the other end as he used his pace to break free of his marker.

Peter Harte closed the gap, before Errigal struck for a brilliant tenth minute goal. it was Darragh Canavan whose vision and passing range created the magic, picking out his younger brother with a majestic pass, and Ruairi did the rest with a clinical angled finish to the bottom corner of the net.

Tommy Canavan was the creator for Ruairi to cut inside his marker to add a point, edging his side three clear, but they only manged to add one more to that 13th minute score in the remainder of the half.

Trillick closed down the main avenues of attack as they frustrated the champions’ star-studded forward unit, and struck a number of vital blows themselves.

Simon Garrity was taken down as he cut in to head for goal, and James Garrity stepped up to slot the penalty to the net past Darragh McAnenly.

They followed up with points from Simon Garrity, Lee Brennan and James Garrity, with Rory Brennan a key motivator with his piecing runs from deep.

Soon they had turned a three points deficit into a three points lead, and it could have been more, had Seanie O’Donnell not flashed an angled shot just wide after being sent through by Simon Garrity.

When Errigal did get forward, they came up against a determined set of defenders, with Michael Gallagher getting in a couple of vital challenges to avert the danger, and all the Dunmoyle men could manage in the second quarter was a Peter Og McCartan point.

Trillick rounded off the half with a Ciaran Daly point to go in at the break with a 1-8 to 1-5 lead, but they faced a troubled, angry and re-energised Errigal Ciaran after the restart.

Darragh Canavan skipped through for a point, and with Ben McDonnell plucking balls from the sky at midfield, the Ulster champions powered forward, narrowing the gap further with a Tiarnan Colhoun effort.

Darragh Canavan set up a score for cousin Tommy and the scores were level by the 38th minute, and with Trillick under mounting pressure, the outlook for them took another turn for the worse when Michael Gallagher was shown a black card for hauling down Darragh Canavan.

Ruairi Canavan converted the resultant free to edge Errigal ahead, but soon the sides were level for the fourth time when Simon Garrity’s lay-off sent Mattie Donnelly in to score.

Errigal had the momentum, however, and a superb Odhran Robinson point was followed by another from Darragh Canavan as they pushed two clear going into the final quarter.

However, they failed to muster a single score from there to the finish as the Trillick defence reorganised to snuff out all threats.

Simon Garrity and Liam Gray hit the target to bring the side level by the 52nd minute, and the arrival of Richie Donnelly off the bench helped them push for home.

They forced a series of turnovers to frustrate their opponents, with Daire Gallagher and Daley Tunney combining to halt the marauding Joe Oguz.

They gained energy from those moments, and when Mattie Donnelly, Nathan Farry and Ciaran Daly combined, Daire Gallagher was on the end of the move to pop over the lead point in the 60th minute.

Errigal were unable to find a response, and Trillick clinched a memorable victory with a stoppage time point from James Garrity.

Trillick scorers: James Garrity 1-2 (1-0 pen), Mattie Donnelly 0-3, Simon Garrity 0-2, Seanie O’Donnell, Ciaran Daly, Rory Brennan, Lee Brennan (free), Daire Gallagher, Liam Gray 0-1 each.

Errigal Ciaran scorers: Ruairi Canavan 1-2 (0-1 free), Darragh Canavan 0-3, Tommy Canavan 0-2, Peter Og McCartan, Tiarnan Colhoun, Odhran Robinson, Peter Harte 0-1 each.

Trillick: Joe Maguire; Daire Gallagher, Peter McCaughey, Stephen O’Donnell; Colm Garrity, Rory Brennan, Michael Gallagher; Liam Gray, Ciaran Daly; Seanie O’Donnell, Mattie Donnelly, Charlie Donnelly; James Garrity, Lee Brennan, Simon Garrity.

Subs: Mark Kavanagh for T Canavan, Shea McDermott for McDonnell, Padraig McGirr for Kelly.

Errigal Ciaran: Darragh McAnenly; Ciaran Quinn, Aidan McCrory, Peter Og McCartan; Tiernan Colhoun, Niall Kelly, Cormac Quinn; Ben McDonnell, Joe Oguz; Odhran Robinson, Peter Harte, Ciaran McGinley; Tommy Canavan, Darragh Canavan, Ruairi Canavan.

Subs: Daley Tunney for Stephen O’Donnell, Nathan Farry for C Donnelly, Richie Donnelly for S Garrity.

Referee: Sean Hurson (Galbally).