Donnelly Vauxhall Tyrone SFC quarter-final: Coalisland 1-10 Trillick 0-13
TRILLICK and Coalisland will meet again after finishing level in Friday night’s Donnelly Vauxhall Tyrone SFC quarter-final.
They couldn’t be separated at Healy Park in a fiercely contested tie which saw defences come out on top in a tense final quarter.
The hard-working Peter Heron linked defence to attack, and displayed classy finishing quality as well, hitting three points in a first half shaded by the Fianna.
Cookstown joint-manager Jason Quinn doesn’t underestimate the challenge of Four Masters in the Ulster semi-final
“It was tough on my mum and dad. I knew I was self-destructing. And I also knew the next phase of that, if I had carried on, it was not being here. I was in a very dark place...” - the life and times of Caolan Mooney
Cormac O’Hagan crossed for Paddy McNeice to palm home a 24th minute goal, and Trillick were keeping in touch with Lee Brennan’s place-kicking.
Coalisland went five points clear, but late scores from Brennan and Ryan Gray narrowed the gap, Trillick trailing by 1-7 to 0-7 at the break.
Niall Gormley brought Trillick level, but play swung relentlessly from end to end, and the sides were still deadlocked as the game entered its final quarter.
Teenager Ryan Gray eased Trillick in front for the first time since the second minute, but O’Hagan’s 40 minute free levelled again, and as defences got very much on top, the closing 12 minutes failed to produce a score.
Trillick scorers: L Brennan 0-6 (5f), N Gormley 0-3, R Gray 0-2, D McDonnell, G McCarron
Coalisland scorers: P McNeice 1-0, P Heron 0-3, C O’Hagan (2f), S McNally, D Thornton (1f) 0-2 each, C Quinn
Donnelly Group Armagh SFC quarter-final replay: Armagh Harps 1-10 St Patrick’s, C’hanna 0-9
ARMAGH Harps set up a SFC semi-final against Ballymacnab with a four-point win over Cullyhanna at the Athletic Grounds.
The winners had received a pre-match boost with Charlie Vernon’s red card from the first game rescinded, and went ahead with Ultan Lennon’s early point, though Cullyhanna got the next three from Phelim Savage, Eugene Casey and Pearse Casey.
Harps, after five early wides, suddenly found their range and Lennon and Lorcan Oliver had them level by the 19th minute. St Pat’s went back in front through a Pearse Casey free but Simon McCoy’s 21st minute goal handed the city side a lead which they were never to lose. Joe McElroy, Lennon and Declan McKenna tagged on points leaving it 1-6 to 0-4 before Aidan Nugent’s free clawed one back.
Ryan McShane and McCoy stretched the Harps lead after half-time before Cullyhanna’s Sean Connell and Gareth Swift of Harps were both dismissed.
Entering the final quarter, white flags from Eugene Casey and Jason Duffy narrowed the gap to four and as both sides wasted chances and the intensity heightened it was down to the last 10 minutes when an Ultan Lennon free gave Harps their first score in 19 minutes. That score was quickly negated by Aidan Nugent to leave it 1-9 to 0-8.
Ultan Lennon’s 56th minute free was Harps’ final score and despite Cullyhanna notching the last point and Conor White picking up a second yellow, they never looked in danger of letting their lead slip as they did in the first game.
