Errigal See Off Clonoe In Championship Replay

Saturday 28.09.2024

Championship Football

Errigal and Clonoe produced another superb battle in O’Neill Park on Saturday night with the brilliance of Darragh Canavan, the deciding factor.

Clonoe once again started the game brightly kicking the opening three scores. Danny McNulty was on target after 20 seconds. Connor McAliskey converted a mark, and Ryan Morrow registered all within the first five minutes.

The game’s top scorer Ruairi Canavan opened his side’s account with a free a couple of minutes later and then Go Power Man of the Match Darragh Canavan reeled off a brace of classy scores to tie the game in the 12th minute. From the kick out, Clonoe went back in front and Ronan Corey stepped inside from the wing to split the posts.

Clonoe’s Ciaran O’Neill was like a magnet to the ball as he made several interceptions and put his team on the front foot.

This was a proper championship tussle with every ball keenly contested. Errigal drew level through a Ruairi Canavan free and Padraig McGirr gave them the lead for the first time in the 22nd minute. Both sides kicked marks in the following minutes with first Ryan Morrow and then Odhran Robinson on target. A third Ruairi Canavan point, this from play and a Peter Harte score, stretched the advantage to three before a McAliskey free in injury time left it 8-6, at the break.

Ruairi Canavan doubled the lead with two frees in the opening ten minutes of the half but with Pascal McClure’s influence in the game growing Clonoe began the fight back. The big target man helped himself to a couple of points to leave the gap manageable.

Darragh Canavan was on target with an impressive score as the game entered the final ten minutes. A third point from Pascal McClure was cancelled out by Darragh Canavan’s fourth in the 58th minute.

Clonoe kept pushing forward and a free from McAliskey left two between them as the game entered six minutes of additional time. The noise levels rose further when McAliskey bent one over the crossbar. Clonoe pressed for the equaliser, Errigal introduced experienced duo Cormac Quinn and Tommy Canavan.

With the result still in doubt, the two Canavan brothers stepped forward, and each kicked outrageous points to seal the victory.

Errigal will be delighted to pass this stern examination and look forward to a meeting with Killyclogher in the semi-final next Sunday. For Clonoe, they will entertain near neighbours Coalisland in the relegation playoff in a couple of weeks.