Gormley aware Trillick must step it up against Errigal

DESPITE having evaded the odd pitfall en route to their third Senior Championship Final appearance in five seasons, Trillick manager Jody Gormley acknowledges that his side will have to find another level again to defeat holders Errigal Ciaran this Sunday.

The Dunmoyle boys have fully justified their pre-championship favourites tag with a series of convincing victories to stay on course for back-to-back O’Neill Cups, and are the bookies tip to complete that achievement at the Reds expense this weekend.

In contrast their opponents endured a fraught penalty kick shootout against Loughmacory in the first round and narrow one point success in the quarter-finals against Edendork, before getting the better of Dungannon with a bit of room to spare last time out

It was Trillick who also took the spoils the last time the sides met in the County Final in 2019, and while well aware of Errigal’s credentials, Jody Gormley is also fully confident in his own side’s capabilities.

“ There is no doubt about it being a step up for us. If you look at the way Errigal played last week. People were expecting a closer encounter in Carrickmore but Errigal just blew Ardboe out of the water. There is no doubt they are a formidable opponent.

“ But we are there on merit ourselves. We have had some tough encounters along the way and have been growing since the competition progressed. So we are only worried about ourselves.”

One area where Trillick won’t be wanting this Sunday is big match experience. The nucleus of their squad have already two senior county medals tucked away in their back-pocket, while even the exciting youngsters who have emerged of late, know what it takes to savour centre stage on prestigious occasions. Gormley states that the squad have knuckled down again to the task at hand after their impressive semi-final victory over the Clarkes.

“ It was all about recovering after the Dungannon game. The boys have had a fairly heavy load this last while so it was about getting rest and getting them sharpened up going forward.

“ There is good experience right across the camp and the boys have been here before in the build up to Finals so that helps. We have lads who have won Hogan Cup medals, Under-20 All-Irelands and boys who have won Senior All-Irelands so that is a good thing.”

Jody replaced Nigel Seaney in the managerial hot-seat at the outset of the season, with former Fermanagh All-Star Peter McGinnity also drafted in to his backroom team. He admits that the club have taken great strides since his own playing career donning that famous red jersey.

“ I played for Trillick during the lean years but that doesn’t take away from the fact that I feel great pride having played for Trillick. It’s great to be back involved in Trillick again and to see the amount of progress that has been made.

“ This is the team’s third final in five years. The Reserves also reached the Championship Final while the Minors are in a Championship semi-final so it shows that there is a lot of good work going on at the club and that can only bode well for the future.”

The well-documented season ending injury suffered by Mattie Donnelly was a massive blow for Trillick, and remains so, but Gormley maintains that the squad is still blessed with talented and committed players who always give their all.

“ To play for Trillick means a lot to them. With different injuries boys have got opportunities this year. It’s something they enjoy doing and they take great pride in playing for Trillick. I think that shows whenever they come out to play Championship matches.

“ They have that pedigree. We have good young players who work exceptionally hard and will continue to do so.”

The Reds boss also added that the current squad also appreciate the club’s decorated history and the need for them to lay down a marker for future generations.

“It is very important. The boys are well aware that they are passing the jersey on so it’s important that they inspire the younger boys and they seem to be doing that at the minute.”