Canavan stars as Errigal beat 14-man Clann Eireann

Ruairi Canavan's sensational tally of 0-9 helped Errigal Ciaran edge out 14-man Clann Eireann 0-14 to 1-10 in a tense Ulster Club Football semi-final at Pairc Esler.

The sides were level at at 1-5 to 0-8 at half-time with two Canavan points getting the Tyrone champions on terms after Conor Turbitt's penalty just before the break.

Clann Eireann then looked to have taken control as they moved three ahead after 38 minutes.

But Tiernan Kelly's 40th-minute sending off after he was given a second yellow card for a reckless high challenge on Darragh Canavan gave Errigal Ciaran a lifeline which they, and Ruairi Canavan in particular, grabbed.

Canavan's sixth point of the contest after two frees from cousin Thomas Canavan had the sides level by the 45th minute at 0-11 to 1-8.

Canavan twice nudged the Ballygawley men ahead only for Dan McCarthy and Rioghan Meeghan to level with long-range scores but inevitably it was Errigal Ciaran's man of the match who ensured the 8 December decider against Kilcoo by swinging over a sensational winner with his left foot in the final minute of injury-time.

There was still time for one more play but Emmet Magee's effort from distance went just wide before referee Joe McQuillan blew the full-time whistle as Clann Eireann's hopes of becoming the first club to win the ladies and men's senior provincial titles in the same year were ended.

Clann Eireann's defence was never able to get to grips with the magnificent Canavan as his 0-9 haul included five points from play.

In contrast, Clann Eireann's key forward Turbitt was largely subdued by Cormac Quinn and the other members of the Errigal Ciaran defence as he failed to score from play although the Armagh champions will look back with huge regret on Kelly's sending off.

Ruairi Canavan's sensational display helped Errigal Ciaran set up a Ulster Club Football Final meeting with Kilcoo on 8 December

Kilcoo's opening semi-final with Scotstown on Saturday night had been expected to be a close affair but in the event, Karl Lacey's side produced a goal blitz to earn a dominant 5-10 to 0-14 victory.

But there never looked like any prospect of the second semi-final being settled in similar fashion.

Clann Eireann took to their field with three of Armagh's All-Ireland Final starters, Turbitt, Kelly and Barry McCambridge while Errigal Ciaran had the class of the Canavan brothers and well as a plethora of other Tyrone players past and present who included Peter Harte, Aidan McCrory, Joe Oguz and Ben McDonnell.

Despite Errigal Ciaran appearing to have a wind advantage, Clann Eireann moved into a 0-3 to 0-1 advantage by the 10th minute as Kelly's effort was distance was followed by a score from skipper Conor McConville and one of Turbitt's two successful frees.

A Canavan free and Odhran Robinson effort from play drew the Tyrone champions level only for Clann Eireann to re-establish a two-point advantage as Dan McCarthy pointed after taking a superb pass from McCambridge and Daniel Magee fizzed a shot just over the cross from a tight angle when he may have been going for goal.

But Errigal Ciaran fought back to lead by the 22nd minute after two Darragh Canavan efforts were followed by Ruairi swinging over a sensational score from distance with his right boot.

Daniel Magee wasted a glorious goal chance in the 26th minute as Niall Kelly blocked the weak attempt from close range when the net should have bulged after a Turbitt attempt for a point had come back off an upright.

But the ball was in Errigal Ciaran's net moments later as Turbitt coolly slotted his penalty after Daniel Magee's jersey had been clearly pulled by Ciaran Quinn but the Tyrone champions regrouped impressively in the seconds before the interval as the man of the match swung over two frees which got his side on terms.

Conor Turbitt did score 1-2 for Clann Eireann - including his first-half penalty - but wasn't on target from play as he was largely curbed by the Errigal Ciaran defence

Daniel Magee's second point restored Clann Eireann's lead after the resumption and the Armagh champions seemed to have the momentum as a Ruairi McDonald point and Turbitt's second successful free put them three ahead with 22 minutes of normal time remaining.

But then came the pivotal dismissal of Kelly which was ruthlessly exploited by Errigal Ciaran as they fed the ball to Ruairi Canavan at every opportunity during the remainder of the contest.

His penultimate point saw him firing over with the outside of the right boot a minute from the end of normal but after Rioghan Meehan's 61st-minute leveller, Canavan produced the moment of the match as he swung over an incredible point with his left peg from near the left sideline.

It was a fitting end to Canavan's quite astonishing display.