Gaelic Games

Tyrone SFC final: Errigal Ciarán’s attacking flair and defensive grit edge out Carrickmore

In frantic and tight finish, dogged determination at the back key to success for durable Errigal

In the Tyrone Senior Football Championship Final Errigal Ciarán supporters celebrate victory over Carrickmore. Photograph: Evan Logan
In the Tyrone Senior Football Championship Final Errigal Ciarán supporters celebrate victory over Carrickmore. Photograph: Evan Logan
Sun Oct 30 2022 - 19:32
Errigal Ciarán 2-11 Carrickmore 1-12

Errigal Ciarán found the perfect blend of attacking flair and defensive grit to return to the pinnacle of Tyrone football for the first time in a decade, fending off old rivals Carrickmore in a gripping final at Healy Park.

They saw a seven-point lead trimmed back to two before conjuring a brilliant goal to pull themselves clear, but still had to find some inspirational defensive interventions to survive a furious fightback from their neighbours.

“We probably had a poor first 20 and I thought the goal and a couple of points before half-time put a bit of a gloss on it,” said Errigal Ciarán joint manager Mark Harte. “If we had kept the goal out early in the second half we could have given ourselves a bit of a buffer but Errigal-Carrickmore games take on a life of their own.

“It was always going to go down to the wire and that’s what we planned for mentally. We had to go and win that game two or three times so, for a group of players whose mentality has been attacked, both outside the club and within because we’re our own worst critics as well. It was good to stand strong whenever the heat came on and to get over the line.”

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In a cagey opening quarter, both sides took a brief lead with Danny Fullerton and Ruairi Canavan trading early scores, before Peter Harte shot Errigal ahead for the first time.

Lorcan McBride, the regular full back forced to line out at midfield due to the loss of injured Jonny Munroe, slotted over a tidy score but teenager Canavan had the sides level with a brilliant level from wide on the right.

Tied at 0-3 each after 15 minutes, the second quarter belonged to Errigal Ciarán as the Canavan brothers began to work their magic, and the presence of sweeper Cormac Munroe was of little use to a defence struggling to contain the dynamic duo.

Ben McDonnell charged through to pick off a point, and Mark Kavanagh added another to give them a double scores lead 0-6 to 0-3.

Ruairi Canavan sent the older brother through with a goal chance but he opted to take his point, before Errigal hit the net in stoppage time.

Darragh Canavan and Peter Harte sliced open the Carrickmore defence and it was Pádraig McGirr who got on the end of the move to slide his shot low past Jack McCallan.

Errigal led by 1-8 to 0-4 at the break, but in an inspired start to the second half Lorcan McGarrity sent Martin Penrose through for a goal. And at the end of a 1-3 salvo Ruairi Slane narrowed the gap to two.

But Darragh Canavan’s magical flick sent Joe Oguz through for a wonderful goal as Errigal steadied the ship.

Still, they had to battle desperately for survival with Ciarán Quinn’s heroics at the back not enough to halt the Carrickmore charge, two Danny Fullerton frees and a Mark Donnelly score getting them to within two again.

Errigal’s dogged determination at the back was the key to success in the end, a series of turnovers by Quinn, Ben McDonnell and Tommy Canavan keeping them safe as they held on in a frantic finish.

Errigal Ciaran: D McAnenly; Cormac, N Kelly, D Morrow; Ciaran Quinn, B McDonnell (0-1), P Og McCartan; P O’Hanlon, P Harte (0-1), M Kavanagh (0-2), T Canavan (0-1, f), P McGirr (1-0); R Canavan (0-2), D Canavan (0-3, 1f), J Oguz (1-1). Subs: P Traynor for Morrow (33), E Kelly for O’Hanlon (45), C Corrigan for Kavanagh (52), C McGinley for McGirr (61)

Carrickmore: J McCallan; S Sweeney, J Donaghy, S Loughran; N Allison, R Donnelly, R Slane (0-01); L McBride (0-1), C Munroe; D Fullerton (0-6, 5f), A Fullerton, S Donnelly; L McGarrity (0-2, 1f, 1m), M Penrose (1-1), C Daly. Subs: B Conway for Loughran (h-t), R Loughran for Daly (h-t), M Donnelly (0-1) for S Donnelly (47), M Donaghy for A Fullerton (56), B McLaughlin for Slane (59)

Referee: S Campbell (Stewartstown).