Dromore in dreamland after gripping semi-final classic

Tyrone Senior Championship semi-final

Dromore 0-17

Trillick 2-9

IT doesn’t get much better than this from a Dromore perspective.

Not only have they qualified for their first senior championship final since 2012, but they overcame their local rivals Trillick in a thrilling semi-final clash at O’Neill’s Healy Park tonight.

Colly McCullagh’s team have been on a magnificent journey over the course of the last month, but this was the most satisfying victory to date as they came back from the brink to clinch a 0-17 to 2-9 victory.

On balance, it was a fair result. Both sides had their purple patches – Dromore raced into a 0-7 to no score lead in the opening quarter before Trillick wrestled back control and actually led at half-time following goals from Lee Brennan and Simon Garrity.

Nigel Seaney’s team continued to shine in the opening stages of the second-half, opening up a 2-9 to 0-10 lead when James Garrity nailed a cracking score from the right flank with 38 minutes on the clock.

It was hard to believe it was Trillick’s final score of the game. Dromore have doggedness in spades, but they also have quality in abundance and they played some truly sublime football in the final quarter. Emmett McNabb scored five points from play, Peter Teague weighed in with a couple of crucial late scores, and substitute Odhran Rafferty landed the final score of the day in injury time, and what a score it was too.

What a game, and it was a tremendous advertisement for Tyrone football as the game was broadcast live on RTE2. Meanwhile, tonight’s earlier clash, the Intermediate Championship semi-final between Gortin and Owen Roes had to be abandoned as Ryan Devine suffered a serious ankle injury and had to be airlifted to hospital. The postponed clash will take place next Saturday evening.