PREVIEW: Errigal Ciaran v Cuala: On the cusp of history

All-Ireland Club SFC Final
Errigal Ciaran v Cuala
Sunday, Croke Park, 3.40pm

By Michael McMullan

HISTORY will be made on Sunday and there will be a new name etched on the base of the Andy Merrigan Cup.

Errigal Ciaran and Cuala are new kids on the block, playing in a first ever senior final. And it’s a first for Tyrone.

Con O’Callaghan was on the Cuala hurling team, winner of back-to-back All-Ireland titles but it’s a different size of a ball this time.

Errigal Ciaran are the only Tyrone club to have won an Ulster title, with Nemo Rangers twice stopping their path to club football’s biggest day.

Aside from the conclusion of the school and college seasons, Sunday marks the end of football as we know it.

Jim Gavin and the FRC have rolled out a new version which they hope will take root.

That’s why Sunday is fitting, with the potential of a shootout. Brothers Niall and Con O’Callaghan have bagged a combined 2-45 across Cuala’s seven knock-out games.

It’s much the same with Errigal. Ruairi and Darragh Canavan’s collective score – in 10 games – amounts to 1-68.

While that’s where the respective cutting edge comes from, you don’t get to an All-Ireland final without having substance.

Peter Harte and Mick Fitzsimons are experienced players who have walked the walk for their counties.

Harte kicked 1-2 to sink Killyclogher. It takes a second watch of their win over Clann Éireann to see how he made them tick.

He’s a man to take a ball off an under-pressure defender to get Errigal moving up. Then there is the pass he pinged to Peter Óg McCartan to get Errigal out of jail against Crokes.

With Dublin’s midfield duo stepping aside, Cuala’s Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne is someone the county will look to.

Ben McDonnell, Odhrán Robinson and Joe Oguz have been the tried and tested trio across the middle for Errigal.

McDonnell will be remembered for his three points to push St Eunan’s out the exit door, but he can grind with the best and has often been a man to break up attacks.

When you see Ciaran Quinn or Niall Kelly ferrying a ball from defence, there is the knowledge that McDonnell can mind the house.

That’s what Dr Crokes couldn’t do. They couldn’t find that balance between playing the piano and carrying it.

Errigal do that so well. So many teams have nearly beat them. But they haven’t.

This time last year, Ciaran McGinley was playing thirds football but is now as important a link as any. Having Darragh and Ruairi Canavan is one thing, but they need the ball and McGinley has ploughed a very important furrow as their link.

The same can be said about Tommy Canavan. The Cuala analysis this week won’t have missed his early assists as they broke Cuala down.

The game will be decided on the scoring returns of the two sets of brothers – Ruairi and Darragh Canavan versus Niall and Con O’Callaghan. That’s not rocket science. Luke Keating will also take watching in the Cuala front line.

How it all materialises depends on how the other many mini battles all over the pitch take shape. That’s what they are. The one percenters that add up to either Errigal or Cuala being
able to play the game on their own terms.

The Kilcoo players must’ve been tearing their hair out watching Dr Crokes playing without any defined sweeper against the Errigal deadly duo.

Niall Branagan kept Ruairi to one pot shot he pulled wide. Ceilum Doherty did hold Darragh to a point but there was still the 1-2 he assisted.

It was Kilcoo’s collective that closed many of the doors but – whether it is a myth of not – Croke Park will allow more freedom.

Cuala play similar to Kilcoo. Pack their defence, hunt an isolated player in traffic, get the ball, hit the turbo boost and get it to Con. Charlie McMorrow and Cillian Dunne are strong runners. Fitzsimons got forward for two points in the Dublin final.

It’s hard to see Errigal deviating from their formation. Two up. Three men across the middle. Peter Harte and Ben McDonnell dropping with Niall Kelly sitting in the ‘D’.

If McDonnell is asked to mark like he did against Cargin, does it leave an opening for Padraig McGirr to start?

Cormac Quinn will likely be assigned to Con O’Callaghan. He was handed the biggest jobs so far – Shane O’Donnell, Tomás McCann, Conor Turbitt and Tony Brosnan. The key men. Against Kilcoo it was more rotational.

Do they go for Ben McDonnell’s positional sense or Tiarnan Colhoun’s pace on Niall O’Callaghan? That’s the big question.

Cuala will have their own headaches. McMorrow and Fitzsimons will be likely asked to pour water on the Ruairi and Darragh Canavan fire. Or do they trust Danny Conroy on one of them with McMorrow given a license to hurt the other way.

It’s easier said than done but if Cuala can even douse the flames, it will be a major gain.

That’s why the sum of the other 13 players in white or red have so much importance. You can’t play a piano at Carnegie Hall if you have nobody to carry it there.

Whoever can manage both on Sunday will write themselves into the history books. The bookies can hardly separate them.

Errigal’s average championship winning margin has been 1-13 to 1-10. Cuala’s concession has been the same.

Take the 4-21 they put on Fingallians in the group stages and their average ‘for’ drops from 1-15 to 1-14.

Numbers from the past don’t kick the ball over the bar.

But, what it does suggest is that whatever stage Sunday breaks into a shootout, it will be a white-knuckle ride all the way to Paddy Neilan’s final whistle.

THE ROAD TO CROKER

Tyrone
Errigal Ciaran 0-13 Pomeroy 2-4
Errigal Ciaran 2-9 Clonoe 2-9
Errigal Ciaran 0-14 Clonoe 0-11
Errigal Ciaran 1-12 Killyclogher 2-8
Errigal Ciaran 0-12 Trillick 1-8

Ulster
Errigal Ciaran 0-12 St Eunan’s 0-10Errigal Ciaran 0-17 Cargin 0-9
Errigal Ciaran 0-14 Clann Eireann 0-12
Errigal Ciaran 1-8 Kilcoo 0-10

All-Ireland
Errigal Ciaran 2-18 Dr Crokes 1-18 AET

TOP SCORERS

Here are the top scorers on Errigal Ciaran’s 10-game journey to club football’s biggest day

Ruairi Canavan 0-47 (24f, 1 45, 1m), Darragh Canavan 1-21, Joe Oguz 2-7, Odhrán Robinson 2-6 (1m), Peter Harte 1-8 (1f)