Tyrone SFC: 13-man Coalisland complete unlikely three-goal comeback to earn final spot

Coalisland will face Dromore in Sunday week’s Tyrone SFC final after shocking Errigal Ciarán, who held the Fianna scoreless from play for 50 minutes

Eoghan Hampsey of Coalisland celebrates at the final whistle of the Tyrone SFC semi-final match between Errigal Ciarán and Coalisland at Pomeroy Plunkett's GAA Club in Tyrone. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

The Tyrone SFC produced the latest in a string of amazing stories this weekend as 13-man Coalisland completed the most unlikely of comebacks to stun Errigal Ciarán and plunder a place in the Tyrone county final.

Seven points behind with 10 minutes to play, and already without red-carded Michael McKernan, the Fianna somehow managed to conjure up three goals to win by 3-6 to 0-14.

A second dismissal saw Peter Herron walk, but still they found the strength to withstand everything Errigal could throw at them, before Cormac O’Hagan drilled a 47m free between the posts to win it deep into stoppage time.

Errigal Ciarán, dominant and stylish for most of this remarkable contest, were floored at the death, struggling to accept that it will be Coalisland who face Dromore in Sunday week’s decider, and not them.

They had held the Fianna scoreless from play for 50 minutes, O’Hagan keeping the Blues in it with his place-kicking excellence, but it all came crashing down on them in those ten minutes of pandemonium as Jason Carberry, Tiarnan Quinn (pen), and Brian Toner rippled the net.

Errigal lost their composure, their shot selection leaving questions to be asked, and there was a greater price to pay as substitute Toner gathered a dropping ball from Kane at the far post to finish to the net from close range for the lead.

Herron’s dismissal put the revival in question, and Errigal goalkeeper Darragh McAnenly used the extra space to push up and shoot an equaliser from play.

But in the sixth minute of stoppage time, O’Hagan’s trusty left boot kicked the wining free into the wind.

The other semi-final, a gripping local derby, saw Dromore surrender a seven points lead to go five behind, before finding the strength to battle their way back for a 0-17 to 2-9 win over Trillick.

This was an encounter laced with all that is good about Championship football and one that enhanced the already glowing reputation of the Red Hand series.

Dromore tore into their opponents with a blistering opening, hitting seven points on the spin in the first 15 minutes, moving the ball quickly through the hands, and picking off the scores with crisp finishing.

Two each from Niall Sludden and Emmet McNabb, along with scores from Ronan McNabb, Peter Teague, and Tommy McCarron had the St Dympna’s in firm control of a fast-moving contest.

Trillick should have been concerned, but they displayed calm and assuredness as they found a way to turn the game in their favour.

Lee Brennan sent Simon Garrity through for an 18th-minute goal and they were in business.

James Garrity’s sublime score narrowed the gap to two, before they took the lead in the 26th minute with a second goal.

It was Brennan who robbed a defender of possession on a short kick-out, before rolling the ball to the net with the keeper stranded.

And they turned around with a two-point interval lead, 2-5 to 0-9, a nine-point swing.

With the first four points of the second half, including a brilliant Brennan effort, Trillick were five clear and appeared to be well on their way to a third successive appearance in the decider.

But Dromore’s response was simply magnificent, as they closed down the space at the back and drove at their opponents with hunger and courage.

Emmet McNabb led the way with two wonderful individual scores, bringing his side level with seven minutes to play.

Trillick couldn’t find a way to break the spirit of their fired-up neighbours, who edged in front with Peter Teague’s fourth score of the evening, before Odhran Rafferty clinched it in stoppage time.