TRILLICK’S character-building run through this year’s Tyrone SFC was the making of the new champions, according to wing-back Seanie O’Donnell.
Battle-hardened by a series of demanding encounters by the time they arrived at the county final, the Reds found themselves in another war of attrition on Sunday.
It ended in triumph at O’Neills Healy Park, but it could well have been all over before it had even begun when they were taken to extra-time and penalties by an unfancied Loughmacrory side in the first round.
“Loughmacrory are one of the best set-up teams we have played against all year. It went to penalties, and it stood to us,” said O’Donnell.
And there was another close shave in a quarter-final clash with Edendork, from which they escaped by a one-point margin, thanks to Lee Brennan’s late winner.
“And then the Edendork game, you know the players they have, three of the best players in Ireland – Darren McCurry, Conn Kilpatrick and Niall Morgan – but we got over the line there.
“We conceded a goal and we were down three or four points, but the boys rode the storm and found a way to get over the line.”
The semi-final brought further affirmation, as they used the hurt of two recent defeats to Dungannon, including the 2020 final that the Clarke’s won in a penalty shoot-out.
“That was a mental battle from last year, getting put out in the first round, and then there was the 2020 final. We dug deep there and got through it.”
And Trillick did it all without their inspirational leader Mattie Donnelly, who played no part in this year’s Championship after suffering a season-ending knee injury.
“The final was just guts and determination to get over the line,” said O’Donnell, an All-Ireland U20 All-Ireland winner with Tyrone last year.
“It just shows how much we have it in is to win, we really want to win.
“We lost Mattie, and Mickey Gallagher and Simon Garrity, but the next man just stood up and went at it. We just picked up the ball again and went at it.
“It just shows the depth of the squad, it’s been really improving every year.”
With a six point lead in a low-scoring decider, the Reds appeared to be firmly on course for victory.
But Errigal chipped away at the deficit, and hit three injury-time points to force the game to extra-time.
“We sat too deep in the last five minutes and invited them on to us.
“And they were able to chip off scores, Petey Harte came up with a few scores and brought them back into it.
“We just left ourselves with more work to do then in extra-time.
“But we rode the storm, got a few points, got us ahead, and it settled us a bit in extra-time, and boys got over the line. I’m just so proud.
“It’s been our motivation all year, just to work hard, get over the line, and we can’t complain if we work hard.”
For each challenge, Trillick managed to find a solution, but it was all based on a sound defensive strategy with the main theme being the curbing of the Canavan brothers, Darragh and Ruairi – O’Donnell’s first cousins.
“You don’t have to say much about them, we know what they can do, they’re incredibly dangerous.
“They were always going to score, we just knew we had to try and limit that.”
