Terrific Trillick down Dungannon

Trillick 2-11 Dungannon 1-9

SUPERLATIVE stuff from Trillick, who produced a performance dripping with class and character to advance to their third Senior Championship final in five years – but this one will have meant as much as any of their previous semi-final triumphs.

The Reds started Friday’s game at Healy Park like an express train, not for the first time against Dungannon it must be said, but there was something different about this performance, exemplified by a moment in the 12th minute when two of the most formidable midfielders in the county came head-to-head.

Padraig McNulty (who has done remarkably well just to get back on the pitch after a nightmare spell with injury) embarked on one of his trade-mark runs through the centre in an effort to rally the troops, but he was met with a bone-crunching shoulder from Richie Donnelly. It’s not often McNulty is rocked back on his heels – the collective gasp among the  supporters said it all – but the Dungannon titan spilled the ball as Trillick regained possession. Yes it was only a brief moment in the game, over in a matter in seconds, but it certainly laid down a marker that Trillick were not going to lose the physical battle.

It wasn’t Richie Donnelly’s only telling invention – not by a long shot. He produced one of the best games of his career in a seismic all-round performance and his clearance off the line early in the second-half after a half-blocked Patrick Quinn shot on goal can’t be underestimated either. At that stage Dungannon had come roaring back into contention, trailing by only two points, and a goal could’ve completely turned the game on its head. Donnelly’s quick thinking and tactical awareness ensured otherwise, Trillick reassumed control, and never really looked back as they powered across the finish line with a late flurry of points and a goal from the tireless Seanie O’Donnell.

There could be no doubting their overall supremacy on the evening and really, it was something of a tactical masterclass as they almost completely negated Dungannon’s most potent threats. Big inside men Paul Donaghy and Patrick Quinn were left fending off scraps as Trillick clogged up the central channels, Daniel Donnelly did a hugely effective job on speedster Ryan Jones, and they were excellent in attack with five of their starting forwards scoring from play.

It wasn’t as if Dungannon were entirely ineffectual and they did muster a well-worked goal in the 25th minute palmed to the net by Dalaigh Jones, but they definitely weren’t their usual effervescent selves. Trillick’s tracking back and covering of space was a testament to their coaching and work-rate and the Clarkes were largely limited to wonderscores and frees for practically the entirety of the contest. And when they opted to go route one with their championship hopes hanging by a thread on the home straight, the inspirational Rory Brennan and Richie Donnelly were on hand to snuff out the danger.

Trillick got off to a dream start when Ryan Gray spotted an opportunity and went for broke with a sublime goal a matter of minutes into proceedings. Dungannon mustered a free fews in the opening quarter from Donaghy, but Trillick were by far the more incisive outfit and stitched together lovely points from play from the ageless Niall Donnelly, Ciaran Daly and Lee Brennan, the last of which was one for the highlight’s reel, splitting the posts from distance with the outside of his boot after selling a beautiful dummy.

Dungannon were struggling big-time to make any sort of in-roads in attack, but they summoned the energy to work a goal from Dalaigh Jones leaving the scoreboard reading 1-3 apiece heading into the final five minutes of the half.

But the story of the game, as much as anything else, was Trillick’s fortitude and commitment to the cause. Their response to the goal couldn’t have been much better as they rattled off three points in-a-row including a fine point from play from Ryan Gray.

Trillick were full value for their 1-6 to 1-3 lead at half-time and the burning question was whether Dungannon had the capacity to produce one of their trademark comebacks. There was a period early in the second-half where it looked like it was on the cards as Patrick McKearney and Paul Donaghy scored two crackers from play.

They’d finally arrived at the party, and they were inches away from nudging themselves into the lead when man-mountain Patrick Quinn latched onto a long ball but a combination of a half-block from Stevie O’Donnell and the aforementioned goal-line clearance from Richie Donnelly came as a reprieve to Trillick.

>body2text<It was heroic last-ditch defending and it’s fair to say that Trillick never really looked back for the remainder of the contest. Richie Donnelly was in his element with a series of perfectly timed tackles and shoulders, and the scores started flowing as the game started to move away from the Clarkes.

Niall Donnelly, so elusive and cool in possession, scored his second of the day while Ciaran Daly did likewise as they moved into a 1-9 to 1-6 lead heading into the final ten minutes.

Dungannon had lost their shape and Trillick, whose fitness levels were exceptional, took full advantage with a string of late scores. James Garrity got his name on the scoresheet followed by a point from Seanie O’Donnell, who must’ve covered every blade of grass.

Trillick applied the coup de grace in the 55th minute when O’Donnell showed immense guile and initiative to carve his way through the Dungannon rearguard before unleashing an unstoppable shot to the net. At the other end of the pitch Dungannon battled to the bitter end and landed a couple of late points, but their goose had been cooked as Trillick dealt with their efforts at manufacturing a goal.

THE SCORERS
Trillick
Ryan Gray and Seanie O’Donnell (1-1 each), Lee Brennan (0-4, 0-2f, 0-1f), Niall Donnelly and Ciaran Daly (0-2 each), James Garrity (0-1)

Dungannon
Paul Donaghy (0-6, 0-5f), Dalaigh Jones (1-0), Sean Mollou, James Quinn and Patrick McKearney (0-1 each)

THE TEAMS
Trillick
Joe Maguire, Stevie O’Donnell, Peter McCaughey, Daley Tunney, Seanie O’Donnell, Rory Brennan, Daire Gallagher, Richie Donnelly, Liam Gray, Ciaran Daly, Niall Donnelly, Ryan Gray, Daniel Donnelly, Lee Brennan, James Garrity. Subs: Colm Garrity for Tunney

Dungannon
Daire Martin, Ben Gormley, Ciaran Barkey, Matthew Quinn, Conall Devlin, Sean Molloy, Mark McKearney, Kevin Barker, Padraig McNulty, Ryan Jones, Dalaigh Jones, Patrick McKearney, Patrick Molloy, Patrick Quinn, Paul Donaghy. Subs: James Quinn for P Molloy, Oisin Cowan for P McKearney, Oran Mallon for M Quinn

Referee: Sean Hurson (Galbally)