Had Kilcoo been told beforehand that they would restrict Darragh and Ruairi Canavan to just one point from play between them – courtesy of Darragh – they’d be entitled to think that a large chunk of the work towards a third Ulster club football title would have been done.
But in these tight, tense and tactical Ulster club games, inspiration can often come from further back. And in Errigal Ciaran’s case it was the was their hard running wing-back Peter Óg McCartan who provided it before a 6,119 attendance with a later winner worthy of settling any dispute.
With time ticking away and extra-time looming, McCartan stepped up where others either hadn’t the room or the nerve to land his second score from a distance and angle that didn’t weight the odds in his favour.
But having sliced over one from the other side of the field, McCartan’s confidence was rising and his kick was assured to deliver a third Ulster club title for Errigal Ciaran, which is the sum total of Tyrone wins in the competition.
That’s one of the great anomalies of the Ulster club championship, that there have been so few Tyrone winners despite the quality and democracy of their own club championships.
But this campaign has felt different for Errigal and even as Kilcoo managed to keep tabs on Ruairi Canavan, through Niall Branagan, and to a lesser extent Darragh, there was enough elsewhere to carry them.
They were helped by the sending off on 44 minutes of Daryl Branagan, Kilcoo’s rampaging centre-back, who delivered a head high hit on Odhran Robinson which left referee Noel Mooney with no option.
Kilcoo had edged ahead at that stage and you felt their craft and experience would see them home.
But straight after Daryl Branagan’s departure Peter Harte levelled again, 0-8 to 1-5 and while Kilcoo went ahead twice more, through Paul Devlin and Anthony Morgan, Errigal were persistent.
McCartan’s first point got them level and then he made the run for the next equaliser, drawing a foul after a brillianty manufactured pass from Ben McDonnell who had dispossessed Eugene Branagan.
Branagan had a chance for the lead at one end, Tommy Canavan was wide at the other end soon after and as time ticked on it looked like they’d need more to resolve it.
But McCartan’s had another intervention to make from which there was no response.
Errigal had struck early when Darragh Canavan weaved through a forest of bodies in the fifth minute to create a goal out of nothing. Initially it looked like he had been fouled, for a penalty, when clipped by Jerome Johnston. But on his knees he scooped up a pass across the goalmouth and high enough for his midfielder Joe Oguz to meet with perfection.
Kilcoo were patient though as they always were and generated most thrust from their half-back line which contributed four of their six points.
Eugene Branagan had got them off the mark before Miceal Roony brought them level, 0-3 to 1-0, in the 12th minute. And while Errigal briefly went ahead through Tommy Canavan’s free for a foul on Peter Harte, Kilcoo looked that bit more dynamic with Daryl Branagan making some eye-catching runs.
His point put them 0-6 to to 1-1 ahead by the 25th minute but Darragh Canavan was bound to find a way sooner than later and he was fouled for their next point, which Tommy Canavan converted, before spinning his marker Ceilum Doherty for that point from play and parity at the break, 0-6 to 1-3. Kilcoo survived a second scare in the 24th minute when wing back Tiernan Colhoun found the net but was adjudged to have been in the ‘square.’ Scorers – Errigal Ciaran: T Canavan 0-3 (3fs), J Oguz 1-0, P Óg McCartan 0-2, C Quinn, D Canavan, P Harte all 0-1 each. Kilcoo: P Devlin 0-3 (2fs), M Rooney, E Branagan 0-2 each, D Branagan, N Kane (f), Anthony Morgan all 0-1 each Kilcoo: N Kane; N Branagan, C Doherty, R McEvoy; M Rooney, D Branagan, E Branagan; Aaron Morgan, Anthony Morgan; P Devlin, R Johnston, S JOhnston; C Rogers, J Johnston, J Devlin. Subs: C Laverty for J Devlin (49), C Rooney for J Johnston (61) Errigal Ciaran: D McAnenly; Cormac Quinn, A McRory, Ciaran Quinn; P Óg McCartan, N Kelly, T Colhoun; B McDonnell, J Oguz; T Canavan, P Harte, C McGinley; O Robinson, D Canavan, R Canavan. Subs: M Kavanagh for Ciaran Quinn (46), P McGirr for Robinson (52), R McRory for McGinley (61) Referee – Noel Mooney (Cavan)