This was a riveting contest and nothing like the tedious spectacles that have blighted Gaelic football, soon to undergo significant reform.
At the end of extra time Errigal were deserved winners, inspired by the Canavan brothers, and will head to Cooke Park next Sunday to play in an All-Ireland final for the first time. But Dr Crokes will know the game could have had a different outcome.
They contributed to a terrific match in which the Ulster champions survived another strenuous test of character that shredded the nerves of their followers in Newbridge. That has been a pattern of their season, tight margins, as has the exuberant talents of Ruairi and Darragh Canavan.
It became a kind of scoring showdown between the pair, with Darragh finishing up with 1-6 from play, and Ruairi contributing 0-7, including three frees, all of which he earned. To cap it off he set up the goal for his brother in the 39th minute, taking a quick free and placing the ball beautifully in his path. The finish was ruthlessly efficient.
“It’s a team, you do not reach this stage or win anything with just a couple of star players,” said the winning manager Enda McGinley afterwards. “I thought the two boys were magnificent, particularly in the first half today. They stuck at it, they were getting well marked by good players, but we have a really good team and it was the team that came through today. We’ll enjoy this evening and get ready for the challenge next week.”
Errigal almost lost the match and if they had they they would regretted some poor discipline which coughed up frees. Tony Brosnan scored 0-8, and seven were frees, while Micheal Burns, who had an outstanding match until injured in extra time, also converted one, as well as hitting four from play.
The last of those seemed set to send Crokes through in normal time. Two minutes had elapsed of the five offered for injuries when Burns split the posts with a peach of a strike.
But in an incredible finish wing back Peter Og McCartan levelled in the final minute of injury time, 1-13 to 0-16. McCartan scored an invaluable score to win the Ulster final win over Kilcoo five weeks earlier.
By the interval of extra-time they still hadn’t found any daylight to separate them, level for the 12th time, 1-15 to 0-18. But the last period saw Errigal finally get a grip on the match with Joe Oguz’ goal two minutes in, a cracking finish when finding room down the middle, the build up play provided by Padraig McGirr and Eoin Kelly. McGirr had the distinction of being the first non-Canavan to score for the winners when he pointed after 54 minutes.
Oguz’ goal gave Errigal renewed energy and doubled their advantage with points from Ruairi Canavan (free), Ben McDonnell and Mark Kavanagh. Six points down, Crokes looked doomed but a goal from Charlie Keating caused a nervous finish for the Ulster side, having to prevent another green flag which would have been unpardonable. The final whistle was met with understandable joy and relief.
In injury the effort and toll began to tell with players limping off from both sides and some coming back in without looking entirely healed.
Crokes put Gavin White on Darragh Canavan but he had a tough day, and it reduced his own licence to attack.
The first ended with hardly a thread to separate them, an exciting and engaging half closing with the Tyrone men edging it 0-8, 0-7. Central were the Canavans, accounting for all their scores. Evan Looney had to take over from Maidhci Lynch as Ruairi’s marker before half time.
“Getting there is a huge achievement that we’ll take huge pride in, so I would take exception to that it means nothing unless you win it,” said McGinley. “It certainly will be tinged with disappointment if we don’t go on to win it, that would certainly be the ambition of the group but we’ll take pride in what we are doing.”
Scorers: Errigal – D Canavan 1-6, R Canavan 0-7 (3fs), J Oguz 1-1, P McGirr, P Og McCartan, M Kavanagh 0-1 each. Dr Crokes – T Brosnan 0-8 (7fs), M Burns 0-5 (1f), C Keating 1-0, B Looney 0-2, M O’Shea, C McMahon, D Shaw 0-1 each.
Errigal Ciaran: D McAnenly; Ciaran Quinn, Cormac Quinn, A McRory; P Og McCartan, N Kelly, T Colhoun; B McDonnell, O Robinson; C McGinley, P Harte, T Canavan; R Canavan, D Canavan, J Oguz.
Subs: M Kavanagh for T Canavan (43); P McGirr for Robinson (53); R McRory for Colhoun (65); E Kelly for McCartan (70), D Morrow for Cormac Quinn (inj 71), P Og McCartan for McGinley (79).
Dr Crokes: S Murphy; E Looney, F Fitzgerald, M Lynch; C Keating, G White, B Looney; M O’Shea, M Potts; M Burns, G O’Shea, T Doyle; T Brosnan, D Shaw, C McMahon.
Subs: K O’Leary for Doyle (37); D Casey for McMahon (46); J Payne for Keating (47); D Naughton for Potts (52), A Hennigan for Shaw (inj 62); C McMahon for Burns (inj 69), M Potts for Looney (inj 74); D Shaw for G O‘Shea (75).
Referee: Brenda Cawley (Kildare).
Errigal Ciaran are through to the All-Ireland final for the first time ever.
It was nervy for a finish with Dr Crokes lobbing high balls into the penalty area, but the Errigal Ciaran defence stood tall, and they’re heading for Croke Park.
Having scored 1-5 from play, Darragh Canavan is named man-of-the-match.
What an advertisement for club football.
Brilliant patience from Errigal Ciaran, waiting until the moment was right. Oguz is eventually played in and he powers towards goal before burying it at the postage stamp.
Can they see it out from here?
It looked like he was running down a blind alley but he kept the ball alive, and somehow fisted over.
Incredible score from Micheal Burns, who evades a few tackles before swinging over.