‘We put pride back in the jersey during second half’ – Canavan

A FEELING of frustration at their failings during the first half of Sunday’s All-Ireland Club Final will be mixed with a sense of satisfaction at the brave performance which brought Errigal so close to what would have been an absolutely magnificent achievement.

Their hopes of winning the Andy Merrigan Cup ended at Croke Park. But the manner of a four point loss pales into relative insignificance when measured against the resolve that they displayed when the odds were stacked against them.

From being 3-9 to 0-1 in arrears at one stage, the Dunmoyle-based side were right there battling for the win during the closing stages. Ultimately, they were left with too much to do. Nevertheless, the memory of how they performed will love long in the hills around Dunmoyle, Altamuskin, Glencull, Garvaghey and Ballygawley town.

None shone brighter during that period than Tommy Canavan. His performance when they needed leaders reflected his vast experience and talent, and was emphasised by six points from frees and play and an assist for Peter Harte’s goal.

He was in reflective mood under the Hogan Stand and, like everyone in the club, he was wondering what might have been if even a fraction of their second half display had been produced during the first 20 of this historic clash.

“It was a mad first half and one that we would never really have experienced. Things got very far away from us and it was about gathering ourselves then at half-time. We felt sorry for ourselves briefly, and then just went for it in the second half,” he said.

“Every player emptied the tank out there on the pitch. We left there with a bit of pride in the team and the club. Unfortunately, the gap was too big. We almost did it, but it didn’t work out in the end.

“The defeat is very raw right now, the emotions are running high and it’s hard to put your finger on exactly what happened. It felt that on the day things just ran away from us so quickly. Maybe we should have dropped back more quickly and shut up shop to gain control of the game. But it’s easy saying that in hindsight and fair play to Cuala who are a savage outfit.”

Nevertheless, the courageous efforts by Errigal in that second half were undoubtedly inspirational. This set of players will aim to build on  what was achieved, although there are obviously no guarantees as they prepare for new challenges in 2025.

For now, there’s a chance to reflect on what has been achieved, and the brilliant journey that they led their families, fans and indeed the rest of Tyrone on since late last year.

“We have to take huge pride in how we performed in the second half. A few boys spoke at half-time and there was nothing else to do but leave pride in the jersey and the people of Errigal,” he added.

“This has been an amazing journey and it’s just a pity we weren’t able to finish with the victory. Thinking about coming back is hard now because it’s such a long road. Tyrone is a tough road, but we’ll lick our wounds and see.

“We believed that could complete the comeback, especially when we heard the supporters and the noise that they made. It pushes us on and we had talked about getting the score down to six, then five. The fans urged us on and unfortunately we couldn’t close that gap.

“Then you consider how we did that without Darragh (Canavan). We can be proud of that too.”