Trillick's change of pace proves the difference 

INTENSE AFFAIR: Trillick manager Jody Gormley. Pic: ©INPHO/Lorcan Doherty

Ulster Club SFC: Trillick (Tyrone) 0-9 Crossmaglen (Armagh) 0-4

Trillick took full advantage of Crossmaglen’s second half collapse to carve out a comfortable Ulster Club SFC quarter-final victory at Omagh.

The once invincible Armagh champions led by two points at the interval, but the control they had exerted prior to the break disintegrated in the face of strong running from their opponents.

Cross led 0-4 to 0-2 at the break but failed to score in the second half, while the Tyrone men kicked seven unanswered points, and an evening of misery for the visitors was completed by the straight red card dismissal of their skipper Jamie Clarke.

“We didn’t play as well as we would have liked, but we were still only two points down, so we were in a good enough position,” said Trillick manager Jody Gormley of his side’s first half display.

“The game could have gone either way in the second half, and we felt we had a chance to look at Crossmaglen and we could see their strengths.

“We realised we needed to move the ball faster, we did that and it worked out well for us.” 

The Crossmaglen defence looked less assured when their opponents ran strongly and directly at them, particularly through Daly and wing back Daire Gallagher, and a couple of gems from Ryan Gran eased Trillick into a 0-7 to 0-4 lead by the end of the third quarter.

Scorers for Trillick: L Brennan (1f), J Garrity, R Gray, R Donnelly 0-2 each, C Daly 0-1.

Scorers for Crossmaglen: R O’Neill (2f), J Clarke 0-2 each.

TRILLICK: Joe Maguire; Stevie O’Donnell, Peter McCaughey, Daley Tunney; Seanie O’Donnell, Rory Brennan, Daire Gallagher; Richie Donnelly, Liam Gray; Ciaran Daly, Niall Donnelly, Ryan Gray; Daniel Donnelly, Lee Brennan, James Garrity.

Subs: C Garrity for N Donnelly (46), D Kelly for Tunney (50), D McQuaid for S O’Donnell (55).

CROSSMAGLEN: M Murray; O McKeown, R Kelly, T Og Duffy; A Kernan, C Cumiskey, C Crowley; S Morris, O O’Neill; A O’Neill, P Hughes, O Kieran; J Clarke, R O’Neill, C McConville.

Subs: R Fitzpatrick for Hughes (h-t), O Caragher for Kelly (36), D Cumiskey for A O’Neill (45), C O’Connor for Kieran (50), P Blessing for Crowley (57).

Referee: B Cassidy (Derry).