Gormley hails the ‘spirit of the Reds’

TRILLICK are the newly crowned Tyrone Senior Champions – now where have we heard that before?

It’s a familiar story in one sense – this was after all, their third senior triumph in less than a decade and their ninth ever – but there was something particularly precious about their latest jaunt to the top table of Tyrone Club Football.

Before a ball was kicked in this year’s championship, few predicted that it would be Rory Brennan holding aloft the O’Neill Cup on the other side. Written off would probably be pushing it, but it had been three years since they last reached the final, and  season-ending injuries sustained by Mattie Donnelly and Michael Gallagher suggested it would take something very special indeed to reassert themselves as the leading team in the county.

Yet here we are. Trillick have won the Tyrone Senior Championship for the ninth time in their history and boy did they earn it. Penalties against Loughmacrory! A one-point victory over Edendork! Laying a few ghosts to rest against the mighty Dungannon Clarkes, and talk about saving the best for last – they claimed a stunning extra-time victory over defending champions Errigal Ciaran in a truly memorable county final between two gallant sides.

And speaking after the game, manager Jody Gormley explained why the ‘spirit of the reds’ is more than just a catchphase.

“You’ve been in Trillick. It wouldn’t be an over-exaggeration to call it a one-horse town. You’ve got a chapel, you have got the football team and you have a couple of bars.

“Football is central to anything that happens in Trillick. The community is heavily invested in the club in terms of time and effort and all the rest.

“You can see what it means to people. I remember when I was playing we went through a bit of a lean period. I am not sure if that was because I was playing!

“But there is a proud tradition here and I think we are back to where we should be, competing at that level.

“We went into that game, for reasons unknown to be honest, as big underdogs. From the last few times we have met Errigal, we have drew with them and beat them.”

“So the boys almost took it as an insult. That Trillick weren’t been given any respect and that’s the way we looked at it. Maybe now, people will say, ‘Yeah, football is important in Trillick and they know how to play it.’”

“So the boys almost took it as an insult. That Trillick weren’t been given any respect and that’s the way we looked at it. Maybe now, people will say, ‘Yeah, football is important in Trillick and they know how to play it.’”

While conscious that they couldn’t turn the game into a crusade, Gormley said that they wore black armbands in memory of the late Gerard ‘Shep’ Donnelly, who passed away under a fortnight ago. Donnelly, uncle of current players Mattie and Richie, won five senior championship medals for the Trillick team that blazed a trail during the seventies and eighties.

Gormley commented: “In a small community, a figure like Shep is very important. The boys wore a black armband today, and they honoured his memory with that win. It’s not something that was discussed with the group, because the boys had to go out and perform and we didn’t want to put any more emotional pressure on them, but I’m sure it’s something that’ll be discussed in the changing room.”

He also said they didn’t drop the heads when Odhran Robinson’s late point dropped over the bar, sending the game into extra-time. Errigal Ciaran seemed to have the psychological advantage but Trillick dug their heels in and played some great stuff en route to victory.

“ We have been in this position in this championship before, so we were quite comfortable. We know how hard the boys have worked. We felt that Errigal Ciaran hadn’t been road-tested that well. And we can bank on that. We felt that if we could maintain that intensity that eventually they would crack. And that’s really what happened. If you look at the switches they had to make. When we got on the ball and kept the ball and worked really hard, I don’t think they were able to stick with us.”