Trillick are sixty minutes away from an immediate return to senior football following Sunday’s seven point win over Derrylaughan. The game finished 2-14 to 0-13 but this was never a seven point game. Trillick’s two goals came right at the end but it was their first major that proved to be the decisive score of the match.
In a very exciting first half the teams were level five times as every ball was fought for tooth and nail. Ritchie Donnelly hit two early points for Trillick but Derrylaughan matched them every step of the way and when Liam Gervin hit his side’s third point of the afternoon to tie the game at 0-3 apiece a tight game seemed inevitable. However Trillick looked they had made a significant break when they opened up a three point lead following scores from Niall Gormley, Prinsais O’Kane and Daire Gallagher.
Derrylaughan continued to work hard however and drew level with three fine scores from the boot of Shea Coney. Indeed a Ciaran Quinn point put the Lough Shore side one ahead as they bossed the closing ten minutes of the first half. Just when it seemed that Derrylaughan would reach the break one in front Niall Gormley popped up to tie the match at seven points each at the break.
The match continued in a similar vein throughout a very compelling second half. There was little between the teams as the lead exchanged hands throughout. Lee Brennan was imperious for Trillick hitting six superb second half scores with a hat trick of points between the 16th and 22nd minute that moved his side from one behind to two ahead. Back came Derrylaughan to level the match again and with time running out a draw looked likely.
However it was then that Mattie Donnelly showed his real worth as he started the move that led to his side’s first goal courtesy of Daire Gallagher. That score was a real body blow to Derrylaughan and Trillick finished the game in style with another point from Brennan and a second goal from Gallagher.
Trillick can now look forward to next weekend’s play-off final clash with Eskra, a reverse of the position they found themselves in last year when they lost to Strabane in the last play-off game of the season. Sadly for Derrylaughan the result means another year in Intermediate football but they will take heart from their form late in the season and will be sure to make an impact at this level next year.
Trillick scorers– Daire Gallagher 2-2, Lee Brennan 0-7, Richard Donnelly 0-2, Niall Gormley 0-2, Proinsias O’Kane 0-1
Derrylaughan scorers – Shea Coney 0-4, Brendan Quinn 0-3, Ciaran Quinn 0-2, Darragh Carney 0-2, Liam Gervin 0-1, Conor McCabe 0-1
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