AIB Ulster Club SFC Final: Errigal Ciaran edge out Kilcoo

Joe Oguz of Errigal Ciarán celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the AIB Ulster GAA Senior Club Football Championship final match between Errigal Ciarán of Tyrone and Kilcoo of Down at BOX-IT Athletic Grounds in Armagh. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile.

AIB Ulster club senior football championship final

ERRIGAL CIARAN (TYRONE) 1-8 KILCOO (DOWN) 0-10

By Paul Keane at Box-It Athletic Grounds, Armagh

Peter Og McCartan kicked a stunning winner deep into stoppage time to secure a dramatic Ulster club SFC title triumph for Errigal Ciaran, the third in their history.

Level four times in the second-half, and seven times in total in a tense arm wrestle at the home of Armagh GAA, the Tyrone champions ultimately emerged victorious.

But just about and it took a pearler of a kick from McCartan, his second of the final quarter, with only 30 second of stoppage time remaining to win it and to secure a third provincial title for Errigal Ciaran.

Manager Enda McGinley was a player himself back in 2002 when Errigal Ciaran previously blitzed Ulster and he has now guided his club to an All-Ireland semi-final early in the new year.

The new Ulster champions will face Munster winners Dr Crokes on the first weekend of January.

Kilcoo finished with 14 players as joint captain Darryl Branagan was dismissed in the 45th minute.

They battled on bravely though and were a point ahead as late as the 59th minute but a Thomas Canavan free, won by McCartan, levelled the game and then McCartan took centre stage with that terrific winning score.

Captain and county star Darragh Canavan was a menacing presence too, particularly in the first-half, while Tyrone colleague Peter Harte weighed in with a point as well.

Without a goal since the county semi-final win over Killyclogher, Errigal Ciaran could have had two by half-time here as they belied their underdogs status with a strong display.

They had the ball in the net twice, firstly from Oguz in the fifth minute and then from Tiarnan Colhoun in the 24th minute but only the Oguz major stood.

The Colhoun goal was ruled out for a square ball offence though the Oguz strike stood and the Tyrone side were mightily grateful for it as it kept them right in it.

They only scored one point from play in the first-half otherwise, a Darragh Canavan effort close to the half-time whistle, as a tense back-and-forth unfolded.

The terms of engagement surprised few as a cautious, counter-attacking game unfolded with Errigal the more direct of the two.

Six first-half Kilcoo scores, and two wides, gave Errigal Ciaran goalkeeper Darragh McAnenly eight kick-outs, the majority of which were precise mid-range kicks to a bunch-and-break strategy.

Kilcoo goalkeeper Niall Kane, in turn, was happier to go short as the Magpies generally tried to move the ball up the field through the hand.

Errigal's more direct approach got them close to the scoring zones several times in the opening quarter and the Oguz goal arrived in the fifth minute.

Ruairi Canavan fed Darragh on the left and his ball across the goalmouth was met with a thumping finish by the incoming Oguz.

They only added one more point, from a free, until the 26th minute as Kilcoo took over in scoring terms.

They kicked three points in a row from Miceal Rooney, free-taker Paul Devlin and Darryl Branagan to open up a 0-6 to 1-1 lead.

By now, a number of intriguing matchups had materialised. Ceilum Doherty, wearing 13, picked up Darragh Canavan, Niall Branagan tracked Ruairi Canavan while, at the other end, Jerome Johnton was picked up by Niall Branagan.

Errigal closed out the first-half with points from Thomas Canavan and Darragh Canavan to tie it up at half-time, 1-3 to 0-6.

Scores remained scarce after the restart but the cards, both red and yellow, were plentiful.

Referee Noel Mooney booked five different players following a number of minor skirmishes before Kilcoo's Darryl Branagan was dismissed for a straight red offence in the 45th minute.

Errigal attacker Odhran Robinson was left grounded following a collision with Branagan and ref Mooney indicated after brandishing red that it was for a dangerous challenge with the arm.

Harte kicked a cracking point moments later for Errigal to rub further salt in the wound, levelling the game again at 1-5 to 0-8.

In truth, it always looked like going right to the wire despite Kilcoo's numerical disadvantage.

And so it proved with the game level in the 64th minute when a Kilcoo kick-out, following a Thomas Canavan wide, was won by Errigal and worked out to McCartan on the right wing. It was a potshot at glory and it paid off handsomely for the number five who etched his name in the club history.

Errigal Ciaran scorers: Joe Oguz 1-0, Thomas Canavan 0-3 (0-3f), Peter Og McCartan 0-2, Darragh Canavan 0-1, Ciaran Quinn 0-1, Peter Harte 0-1.

Kilcoo scorers: Paul Devlin 0-3 (0-2f), Miceal Rooney 0-2, Eugene Branagan 0-2, Niall Kane 0-1 (0-1f), Darryl Branagan 0-1, Anthony Morgan 0-1.

Errigal Ciaran: Darragh McAnenly; Ciaran Quinn, Aidan McCrory, Cormac Quinn; Peter Og McCartan, Niall Kelly, Tiarnan Colhoun; Ben McDonnell, Joe Oguz; Thomas Canavan, Peter Harte, Ciaran McGinley; Odhran Robinson, Darragh Canavan, Ruairi Canavan.

Subs: Mark Kavanagh for Ciaran Quinn 46, Padraig McGirr for Robinson 52, Ronan McCrory for McGinley 60.

Kilcoo: Niall Kane; Niall Branagan, Ceilum Doherty, Ryan McEvoy; Eugene Branagan, Darryl Branagan, Miceal Rooney; Aaron Morgan, Anthony Morgan; Callum Rogers, Ryan Johnston, Shealan Johnston; Jack Devlin, Jerome Johnston, Paul Devlin.

Subs: Conor Laverty for Jack Devlin 49, Christopher Rooney for Jerome Johnston 61.

Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan).