Tierney ‘proud’ of Errigal Thirds fightback

TYRONE JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

By Niall Gartland

ERRIGAL Ciaran Thirds manager Steafan Tierney was proud of his side’s resilience as they battled against the conditions to snatch a draw against Division 3B champions Derrytresk last weekend at a wind-swept Stewartstown.

Their opponents seized the initiative in the second-half, aided by a very significant breeze, but the Errigal lads summoned one last big effort in the final stages, firing over two points before Ryan Ward snatched a draw with the final kick of the game.

Both teams had played their part in an entertainingly topsy-turvy game of football and they’ll do it all again at Carrickmore this Saturday afternoon as the curtain-raiser to the Senior Championship first-round tie of Dungannon and Trillick.

Speaking on Saturday after his side’s dramatic last-gasp leveller, manager Steafan Tierney expressed his pride in his side’s fortitude when the game looked to be slipping beyond them.

“I think we finally got to grips with the wind midway through the second-half, we’d a lot of big turnovers and started to get our hands on possession.

“We’d a couple of missd chances, he found we couldn’t score unless we got to within 20 yards – that’s how bad the wind was – but we nicked a couple of points at the end.

“We did well to get back into it, so I’m proud of everyone, it was a great effort.”

Errigal Ciaran had led by eight points at the interval, but the wind factor can’t be overstated and Derrytresk assumed control of the contest in the third quarter.

The Lough shore side had all the momentum but Errigal did extremely well to claw their way back into proceedings, and now they have a second go of it this Saturday.

Tierney knows it won’t be easy to down the Division 3B champions, but they’ll take great heart from the manner of their performance on their first day out with a place in the last eight up for grabs.

Tierney said: “There’s a lot of young lads on our team who stepped up for ourselves.

“Derrytresk had comfortably won the league and every time we play them, we find their very well-organised and very fit. They’re a very good team.

“We have to be right on top of our game to compete with them, and in fairness to our selves, I think we played some of our best football all season today [Saturday].”