Errigal Ciaran lift Tyrone Senior Football title

Darragh Canavan lifts the trophyImage source, Inpho
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Ruairi Canavan fired 0-6 to help Errigal Ciaran win the Tyrone Senior Football Championship title by dethroning holders Trillick by 0-12 to 1-8 in an absorbing final at Healy Park.

It's the ninth time that Errigal have lifted the O'Neill Cup and they gained revenge for last year's final defeat.

Just like in the 2023 decider, Ciaran Daly's goal brought Trillick back when the game looked gone but it was Canavan's score in the 51st minute that proved to the be difference between the two sides.

Trillick started fastest and raced into an early two point lead thanks to a free from Lee Brennan and a fine solo score from Mattie Donnelly.

It took Errigal 11 minutes to get off the mark with a rapid burst of two scores, one each from the Canavan brothers Ruairi and Darragh.

Peter Og McCartan and Ruairi Canavan landed either side of another Lee Brennan free for Errigal, who led by one at the midway point of the half.

Ryan Gray levelled for the champions before another Canavan free was matched by a fine effort from Ben McDonnell to edge the 2022 winners back in front.

Two scores inside sixty seconds from James Garrity and another Lee Brennan free, this time from 50 metres, brought the sides level for a fourth time.

Canavan the difference

Image source, Inpho
Image caption,

Errigal Ciaran dethroned Trillick as champions

Time appeared to be up in the first stanza when Darragh Canavan took matters into his own hands with a trademark mazy run before applying a deadly finish over the top.

Errigal Ciaran led by the minimum as 0-7 played 0-6 at half-time.

Trillick levelled proceedings for a fifth time with the first score of the second half through Gray.

Errigal looked to be turning the screw over the course of the next quarter thanks to four scores without reply, with two from Canavan, a free from Peter Harte and a first for full forward Odhran Robinson.

Trillick really needed a response and they got just that through the experienced Mattie Donnelly to reduce the gap to three when the game was in real danger slipping away.

The sides were level for a sixth time soon after Ciaran Daly took a pass from Stevie O'Donnell before expertly finishing into the net.

Canavan brought his tally to 0-6 to edge the challengers back in front with 51 minutes on the clock and that proved to be the decisive score.

They advance to meet St.Eunan's of Letterkenny in the Ulster senior club football championship preliminary round at Healy Park on Saturday, 2 November.

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