Sludden hopes that battling derby draw will hold to Dromore

THE high-octane second half battle with neighbours Trillick at the weekend was the sort of contest which should stand to Dromore as the season hots up, star attacker Niall Sludden believes.

The 2021 All-Ireland winner struck over a dramatic equalising point for the hosts at Gardrum Park with the last kick of the game to seal a 0-14 apiece draw in the derby on Sunday, with both sides also ending the match down to fourteen men.

On the pattern of the game overall it was a fair enough outcome, with neither side able to sustain any concerted spell of dominance across the hour.

Over the course of the last twenty years or so St Dympna’s have been one of the most consistent teams in the County when it comes to the League and again this season approaching the halfway mark they are comfortably located inside the top five.

Sludden admitted that their priority was aiming to peak for September when the Championship comes around, which in their case means a first round blockbuster with age old foes Carrickmore.

“ We flew out of the blocks last year and while it was great to get the points on the board, it’s more important games like this will stand to you come the Championship.

“ I’m sure Trillick will be looking at it that way too. We are going into a busy spell now with a lot of games ahead. Obviously the Championship is not that far away either so that sort of game should serve both teams well. It’s just onto the next one now, Omagh away on Friday night. So we have a tough schedule coming up but all teams would say the same.”

It appeared that Trillick had snatched the spoils at the weekend when Ciaran Daly belted over a cracker in the 63rd minute, only for Sludden to reply in kind at the other end. Niall joked that he probably owed his team-mates that one.

“ I missed a few more so I had to step up. Maybe it was the post holiday blues. It’s good to be back at it. It was a serious battle which could have went either way. They had a red card and so we were a man up but then it evened up when we lost a player. But a draw and a point apiece was fair enough.”

Meanwhile Dromore skipper Conor O’Hara, who starred in defence, felt that their neighbours remained the ultimate litmus test for all would be contenders and in that regard his side had to be upbeat about the result.

“ Getting something from the game was important when you put so much into it. You have to remember too that Trillick are county champions and the top team in Tyrone so to be able to go step to step with them was a real plus point.

“ It was nip and tuck the whole game. Trillick are a brilliant team. We were probably disappointed if we had lost it but we were delighted Niall stepped up at the end to get the equaliser. At the same time we felt we could have won it, it was one of those games.”

O’Hara acknowledged that in any derby contest it was imperative not to emerge on the wrong side of the result.

“ There was nearly like a Championship feel at the end. Given the two teams involved there was a lot of pride at stake. Nobody wanted to let the side down so both teams did step up. I’m sure it was a great game to watch.”