Trillick go joint top in Division One

Trillick 2-16  Carrickmore 1-15

WITH their sizeable county contingent now firmly embedded back in the mix, Trillick took advantage of one or two slip ups by fellow contenders elsewhere on Friday night to leapfrog to the summit of the Division One table.

First half goals from midfielders Ciaran Daly and Ryan Gray provided the Reds with a five point cushion at the interval, and despite a battling showing from Carrickmore after the break, with Lorcan McGarrity, Rory Loughran and Tiernan Loughran central figures in their fightback, the hosts were always able to hold them in check.

Trillick captain Lee Brennan weighed in with eight points, which included a brace of sublime two pointers, while at the other end McGarrity also demonstrated his silky shooting skills, splitting the posts with four two pointers on the night, including two from open play.

Daly got the home side off to the ideal start, rounding Carmen keeper Declan Grimes and finding the net from a narrow angle in the third minute, after being teed up by the hard-working Charlie Donnelly.

The Reds followed this up with a stylish Brennan two pointer with the outside of the foot, and a Daly score as they opened an early 1-3 to no score advantage.

Carrickmore eventually got up and running, when McGarrity steered over a free and Ciaran Cuddy turned sharply to convert, but they struggled throughout the half to stymie the fluency of the Reds attack, as Brennan and Nathan Farry capped some polished approach work with scores.

A well-struck McGarrity two point free helped Carrickmore to narrow the gap, and in the 23rd minute the deficit was reduced to the bare minimum when a skier from Cormac Monroe dropped invitingly around the square for Tiernan Loughran to tap into the net, leaving it 1-5 to 1-4.

Trillick’s response was emphatic however. Brennan and Farry darted into shooting space to knock over scores, and then in the 27th minute Daire Gallagher and James Garrity combined to set up Ryan Gray for a crisp finish past the keeper.

A defiant McGarrity continued to carry the fight for Carmen, as he hoisted over a quality two pointer, though Brennan’s late free, left the Reds in the ascendancy at the break, 2-8 to 1-6.

James Garrity and Charlie Donnelly registered soon after the resumption to widen the gap but with Carrickmore suggesting a greater intensity and purpose in their workrate, they started to boss proceedings.

McGarrity and Tiernan Loughran each drilled over points, and though Charlie Donnelly responded with a Trillick score their play had lost its earlier zip and cohesion.

Tiernan Loughran (free) and Rory Loughran helped narrow the deficit, and McGarrity belted over a two point free, which left two in it; Seanie O’Donnell having raced through and drilled over an effort at the other end.

The latest McGarrity pointed free created the scenario for one of those trademark come from behind Carmen triumphs, but a two point strike straight out of the top drawer by Brennan came at a timely moment for Trillick, and he also tagged on a free.

The visitors kept plugging away but not even a late McGarrity two point free could rescue them, James Garrity with the final score of the evening for the home side.

Scorers

Trillick: Lee Brennan (0-8, 2tp, 2f), Ciaran Daly (1-1), Ryan Gray (1-0), James Garrity (0-2), Charlie Donnelly (0-2), Nathan Farry (0-2), Sean O’Donnell (0-1)

Carrickmore: Lorcan McGarrity (0-11, 2tp, 2tpf,2f), Tiernan Loughran (1-2,1f), Ciaran Cuddy, Rory Loughran (0-1 each)

Teams

Trillick: Joe Maguire, Damian Kelly, Peter McCaughey, Colm Garrity, Michael Gallagher, Daire Gallagher, Sean O’Donnell, Ryan Gray, Ciaran Daly, Nathan Farry, Matthew Donnelly, Charlie Donnelly, James Garrity, Lee Brennan, Liam Corry. Sub used: Rory Brennan for N Farry (43mins)

Carrickmore: Declan Grimes, Seamus Sweeney, Oran McKee, Matthew McCallan, Rory Loughran, Cormac Monroe, Niall Allison, Lorcan McBride, Rory Donnelly, Mattie McNally, Tiernan Loughran, Colly McCrory, Caolan Daly, Lorcan McGarrity, Ciaran Cuddy. Subs used: Pierce Byrne for S Sweeney (h-time), Sean Donnelly for C Monroe (h-time), Conan McElduff for C Cuddy (37mins)

Referee: Paul Gallagher (Castlederg)