Harte hails ‘special’ Tyrone Championship

By Niall Gartland

ERRIGAL Ciaran stalwart Peter Harte was the hero of the hour with his sensational injury-time winner against Killyclogher on Sunday night, and he acknowledges that there’s something ‘special’ about the Tyrone Senior Championship.

A bumper crowd is expected on Sunday, October 20 for the O’Neill Cup showdown between Errigal Ciaran and Trillick – the first time in a fraction over two decades that the same teams will contest consecutive Finals. Errigal Ciaran were also involved in back-to-back finals against Killyclogher back in 2002 and 2003, and for the record they came out on top of their first meeting before Killyclogher landed their historic first ever title in 2003.

That’s the Tyrone Senior Championship in a nutshell – it’s ferociously competitive, there’s minimum room for error and it’s nigh on impossible to retain the title, but Harte says that sense of jeopardy is what makes it such a unique and ultimately rewarding experience.

Harte, who has enjoyed a long and illustrious playing career with Tyrone, said: “If anything you get more nervous playing for the club. Everyone says it but there’s something really special about the Tyrone championship.

“You have nights like this [Sunday] and we knew the game was going to come down to a point either way, like our last couple of games. You’re just so thankful to get across the line and to represent your club, there’s nothing better – it’s where it all starts and where it all ends.”

Defending champions Trillick were right at the peak of their powers when they dismantled Dungannon last Friday night on a scoreline of 0-17 to 0-7, setting up a repeat of last year’s final.

Trillick edged a colossal battle against Errigal after extra-time on that occasion, and they also bettered the Dunmoyle-based club in the 2019 showdown, so Harte knows all about their capabilities.

“It’s the worst kept secret in the world that they’re one of the best teams about, we know we’re going to have to be a lot better if we’re to do anything in the final.

“We’ve plenty of past experience of Trillick, they’re a savage side. We’re under no illusions that we’ll have to produce our very best to live with them and we’ll do our utmost to get ready for them.

“They beat us last year and they didn’t have Mattie [Donnelly] or Simon Garrity or Mickey Gallagher. It’s some task, they’ve some options and by all accounts they were unbelievable on Friday night past. We’ve a lot of homework to do to be ready for the final.”

Harte swung over a brilliant winning point in last weekend’s semi-final clash against Killyclogher, moments after their opponents looked to have engineered a replay with an injury-time goal.

“They scored a goal in the 63rd minute and we kind of knew there was one last play in it. In fairness I think big Ben [McDonnell] won a break and Tiarny [Colhoun] kept the ball alive in the corner. It’s probably an easier shot when you’re shooting to win rather than shooting to draw. It clipped the post and thankfully fell on the right side of it.”

It was fitting that Harte had the final say of an engrossing contest as he’d been in top form throughout, scoring 1-2 from play and generally exerting a massive influence on proceedings.

Reflecting on his first-half goal, he commented: “I think the ball just hit Simy [O’Neill] and it trickled over the line. It’s fine margins and you there’s plenty of days we’ve seen that it doesn’t go for you, so thank God it got across the line. Goals are big in these topsy-turvy games, they got goals in the second-half that swung it back in their direction so we’re just delighted to eke out the win and move on in the championship.”

Harte won his first of two O’Neill Cup medals back in 2012. They’ve won some and lost some and there’s never much between the teams at any stage of the championship.

“2012 was my first final, I’d played for a few years before that and hadn’t got too far. It’s the cut-throat nature of it. I think of the finals we’ve won and the finals we’ve lost, there’s been a kick of the ball either way.

“ You look at the games we’ve played this year in the championship, we’ve won by three points against Pomeroy, then a draw against Clonoe, won the replay by two or three points, beat Killyclogher by a point.

“ That’s just the relentless nature of this championship and the final will be something very similar.”