Errigal Ciaran: The road to the top

With one exception, Errigal Ciaran have edged one closely fought battle after another en route to their upcoming All-Ireland semi-final clash. Niall Gartland looks back.

Errigal Ciaran 0-13 Pomeroy 2-4

THE first round of the Tyrone Senior Championship seems a long time ago at this stage. Errigal booked their spot in the quarter-finals with a hard-earned victory over Pomeroy in early September, but they certainly didn’t have it all their own way. They proved vulnerable under the high ball and the concession of a late goal set up a grandstand finish. Ultimately, Errigal’s slightly greater firepower eased them over the line. It took a great effort from Ruairi Canavan from out near the sideline to ease them four points ahead, and ensure that Kieran McGeary’s late free wasn’t enough to earn a reprieve for the Plunkett’s.

Errigal Ciaran 2-9 Clonoe 2-9

ERRIGAL survived a massive scare against a fired up Clonoe side under lights at the last-eight juncture of Tyrone. Indeed, they could count themselves very fortunate to get out of dodge with their championship hopes still alive. It was hugely entertaining from a neutral perspecivet – Errigal found themselves with a 2-8 to 2-5 lead heading into the final ten minutes but Clonoe drove forward in waves, reducing the deficit and coming close on two separate occasions to scoring a third goal. In the end up, it was honours evens at full-time.

Errigal Ciaran 0-14 Clonoe 0-11

IN an eagerly anticipated replay encounter, the Canavan siblings played an instrumental role in guiding Errigal Ciaran through to the last four of the Senior Championship, amassing eleven points between them as their side finally put paid to the stoic resistance of Clonoe in front of another packed crowd at O’Neill Park in Dungannon. Ruairi weighed in with half a dozen white flags (including four frees), but it was Darragh’s collection of dazzling efforts all from open play which really caught the eye, as they managed to carve out a narrow enough victory against the O’Rahilly’s.

Errigal 1-12 Killyclogher 2-8

ERRIGAL Ciaran were deserving victors here but once again they diced with danger. They appeared to be sailing serenely into the decider having racked up a 1-8 to 0-6 lead midway through the second-half, but a resilient Killyclogher didn’t throw in the towel and Mark Bradley tucked home a penalty. Errigal still held the ascendancy but it looked like a replay was a certainty when Oisin McCann rose high to bundle home a late goal. Stalwart Peter Harte had other ideas – with the final kick of the game he swung over a sensational winner.

Errigal Ciaran 0-12 Trillick 1-8

ONE point between the teams at the final whistle for a second successive game, but again Errigal had the whip hand for most of the game. This was a repeat of last year’s county final with Trillick going in search of an elusive back-to-back. It was highly quality stuff throughout, and a purple patch opened up a 0-11 to 0-7 lead heading into the business end of proceedings. Trillick never gave up and converted from the penalty spot, but a point from Ruairi Canavan, who had a superb game, proved the winning of the game. The closing stages were frantic but the Errigal Ciaran defence stood up superbly in the face of the inevitable Trillick onslaught.

Errigal Ciaran 0-12 St Eunan’s 0-10

WITH midfielder Ben McDonnell spearheading a dramatic late scoring spree, Errigal Ciaran pipped an impressive St Eunan’s to move into the first round proper in their quest for the Seamus McFerran Cup. It was nip and tuck throughout – the teams were deadlocked eight times over the course of the hour, but it was Errigal Ciaran that dug deepest when the game was there to be one. St Eunan’s paid particularly close attention to the deadly Canavan duo, but that opened up space on the opposite flank and three laid points from Ben McDonnell won the day for Errigal.

Errigal Ciaran 0-17 Cargin 0-9

THE exception to the rule. This was by far the most comfortable outing of Errigal’s championship campaign, a fairly straightforward win over Antrim standard-bearers Cargin. A close contest was expected as Cargin had given Glen their fill of it in the last two years, but Errigal proved much too strong and the result was never in any real doubt. Errigal also showed their versatility, playing full-forward Odhrán Robinson in defence, and had 10 different scorers on the day. It marked the climax of a busy three weeks and they now had a fortnight to settle themselves for the challenge of Clann Éireann in the last four.

Errigal Ciaran 0-14 Clann Éireann 1-10

Errigal Ciaran reached the Ulster SFC final for the first time in a full 22 seasons with a thrilling victory over Armagh representatives Clann Éireann. One of the big talking points was the sending off of Armagh footballer Tiarnan Kelly, and while it was an important moment in the context of the game, nor was it the winning of it for Errigal Ciaran. Instead, it was two late points from Ruairi Canavan, both worth the admission fee alone, that snatched a dramatic victory. Ruairi scored nine points across the hour while there were defensive heroics from the likes of Niall Kelly, Ciaran Quinn and even sharpshooter Darragh Canavan down the other end of the pitch.

Errigal Ciaran 1-8 Kilcoo 0-10

THERE can only be one – one club annually who get their hands on the illustrious Seamus McFerran Cup – and a full 92 days after their Tyrone Championship opening day win over Pomeroy, Errigal Ciaran pipped Down kingpins Kilcoo by a single point on Ulster final day. But in the end up, it all came down to a single moment. Peter Óg McCartan was the hero of the hour with a stoppage-time winner and a magnificent effort it was too. He, nor anyone else involved with Errigal Ciaran, won’t forget that one in a hurry. As a game, it was helter skelter stuff. The Athletic Grounds set the scene for a box office pairing of Errigal Ciaran and a vaunted Kilcoo team, both of whom – before yesterday – had two Ulster titles to their name on the roll of honour list. In the end, after a pulsating, event-laden contest, it would be Errigal that would add a third.