Early Garrity goal sets up Trillick

TRILLICK 1-9  GALBALLY 0-7

 

An early Simon Garrity goal paved the way for reigning champions Trillick to fend off Galbally in the first round of the Tyrone Senior Championship on Monday night in Healy Park.

 

The St Macartans were made to work hard for their victory, but six points by ace sharp shooter Lee Brennan helped to see them home.

 

With Conor Quinn doing an effective job shackling Tyrone skipper Matthew Donnelly,  last year’s Intermediate double winners Galbally showed that they were no respectors of lofty reputations.

 

However the growing maturity and leadership of the Gray and Garrity brothers, allied to some cameo moments of attacking class from Lee Brennan in particular, helped to see the holders across the winning line.

 

Trillick stole in for the only goal of the night in the seventh minute, the alert Simon Garrity pouncing to fire low past Liam Óg McCauley after Matthew Donnelly’s effort ricocheted kindly into his path.

 

In the main Trillick found it hard to penetrate a well-drilled Galbally defence, and confident strikes over the bar by Liam Rafferty and Enda McGarrity underlined the ‘Blues’ growing belief.

 

Richard Donnelly replied with a sweet conversion on the left peg after good work by his brother Matthew, and a brace of placed balls from Brennan (one ‘45’) eased the Reds three to the good, 1-4 to 0-4 at the break.

 

It remained nip and tuck during a cagey third quarter, both sets of attacks struggling to establish any sort of cohesion. Rafferty rampaged down the right wing and fired over for Galbally, with Conor Donaghy also on target, while at the other end Brennan dropped a long range free over the black spot.

 

The champions were then reliant on some heroics from keeper Ryan Kelly to keep out Cormaic Donnelly’s piledriver in the 40th minute, the ball eventually breaking for Kerr to knock over.

 

That drew Galbally to within one but it proved to be their last score of the contest, as Trillick methodically pulled clear, albeit wasting a hat-ful of other chances in the process.

 

Liam Gray languidly split the posts, while Brennan bombed up the middle and rifled over.

 

 

SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER-FINALS

Friday August 28th

Omagh, at 7.30pm

Trillick vs Killyclogher

 

Saturday August 29th

Dungannon, at 5pm

Coalisland vs Derrylaughan

 

Sunday August 30th

Edendork at 2.30pm

Dungannon vs Ardboe

Carrickmore at 5pm

Errigal Ciaran vs Dromore