Ulster Club SFC: Scotstown beat Trillick after extra time to reach final
- Published
Scotstown overcome Trillick to earn a place in the Ulster Club Football final
Scotstown needed extra time to see off Trillick 0-17 to 1-13 to reach the Ulster club final after a dramatic game at the Athletic Grounds in Armagh.
The teams were nip-and-tuck throughout the contest with Conor McCarthy scoring a late point for Scotstown to level the game at 0-13 to 1-10 and take it to extra time.
A late free from Shane Carey in extra time sealed the win for Scotstown.
They will now face holders Glen in the final.
The Monaghan club, whose sole Ulster victory came in 1989, started brightly with Emmett Caulfield scoring the first point of the day with a long-range free.
Jack McCarron then hit two wides from frees, before Jason Carey split the posts to give Scotstown a two point lead.
They continued to dominate, but were wasteful with promising chances, with Darren Hughes hitting the post and Rory Beggan having an effort blocked by James Carrity.
Richie Donnelly would eventual register Trillick's first point on 18 minutes before Scotstown responded with scores from Donal Morgan and Rory Beggan to stretch their lead to three points.
Ciaran Daly halved the deficit before Carey curled home a free to move Scotstown to 0-5.
Richie Donnelly found Daniel Donnelly, who popped over another point for Trillick, who struggled to break down a well-drilled Scotstown defence in the first half.
McCarron further increased the Monaghan outfit's lead, before Carey and Beggan would hit wides.
They would be left to rue the total of eight wides they hit in the half, as Trillick fought back in spectacular fashion at the end of the first period to go in ahead at the break.
Sean O'Donnell curled home a point before Garrity capitalised on a turnover from Scotstown's kick out and picked out O'Donnell, who strode forward to rattle home a goal.
That gave the nine-time Tyrone champions a 1-4 to 0-6 advantage at the interval.
End-to-end second half
McCarthy scored a late point for Scotstown to take the game to extra time
Scotstown scored two early points to edge back in front, before Ryan Gray missed a good chance for a second Trillick goal.
He blasted wide from close range after Leroy Brennan's free had fallen to him in a good position.
Brennan would play in Garrity, who fired over for Trillick's first point of the second half with Michael McCarville and Mattie Maguire re-establishing Scotstown's two point lead.
It continued to be an end-to-end encounter with Brennan and then Garrity hauling Trillick level, only for substitute Kieran Hughes to curl home a point to put Scotstown back ahead.
A flurry of points were exchanged in the closing stages of the game, with Brennan dropping a 45' over the crossbar with two minutes remaining.
That looked to have won it for Trillick, whose only Ulster final appearance came in 1974.
Late drama would ensue however, as deep into injury time, McCarthy recorded his first score of the game to take it to extra time.
Scotstown carried their momentum into the first period of extra time, with Hughes pointing to once again give them a narrow advantage.
Brennan responded with a point of his own for Trillick before McCarron converted a close-range free for Scotstown after pressure forced a foul from a Trillick kick out.
Brennan's first free out of his hands moved Trillick back to within a point.
Further frees from McCarron and Shane Carey would stretch Scotstown's lead to two heading into injury time in the second half of extra time.
Ross McKenna received a late black card for a cynical foul and Brennan kicked the free, but Scotstown held on for the victory.
They will now set their sights on claiming the Seamus McFerran Cup for a fifth time in the club's history in next month's final.