COAL REMEDY
Fianna hit form at the right moment
COALISLAND’S 10th Tyrone SFC title was achieved on the back of hurt and defiance as they came from behind to deny Killyclogher at Healy Park yesterday.
It was the same opponents who had subjected the Fianna to a humiliating 14 points defeat in the replayed decider of 2016, but this time they turned the tables in defiant fashion
Paddy McNeice and Peter McGahan grabbed the secondhalf goals that cancelled out a Tiernan McCann strike as Damian O’Hagan’s side came from three behind to win by seven.
‘It’s a massive, massive win, and it’s a massive boost in confidence to the club,’ said O’Hagan.
‘The club has been going very well at different levels, and to come back and win the championship this year is absolutely unbelievable.’
O’Hagan had taken over several weeks into the season after the Fianna had suffered a strong of league defeats.
‘From where we were at the start of the year, no harm to the former management, and I’d like to thank John McKeever and Conleith Gilligan, because they put in a serious effort with Coalisland Fianna.
‘It was just that the thing went the wrong road a wee bit on them. There’s no hard feelings whatsoever. I put this result down as much to them as the likes of Peter Herron, Jarlath O’Hagan and myself.
‘But I knew the talent was always there, because I’ve been with these boys all my life, I knew the talent was in the team, it was a matter of getting confidence.
‘And through a little bit of time, we got serious confidence into them, and they proved that today in the second half.’
Mark Bradley swung over a spectacular opener to get Killyclogher going, but for much of the remainder of the first half, it was a rearguard action as they set up with a swarm defence to frustrate their opponents.
And it proved extremely effective as Gabhan Sludden, Eoin Bradley and Marty Swift forced turnovers to launch raids from deep.
More often than not, Tiernan McCann was the man with the pace to carry the ball out of defence and bring isolated front men into the play.
Simon O’Neill and Aidy Kelly applied the finishing touches as they kept their noses in front, and while Coalisland failed to score from play in the opening period, the sides were level on four occasions, thanks to the place-kicking accuracy of Brian Toner and Paddy McNeice.
Killyclogher were able to create goal chances, with Bradley and wing-back Matthew Murnaghan failing to take advantage, but in the 31st minute they did find the net.
It was from another raid from deep that they found the opening, the McCann brothers flying in from the halfway line, exchanging passes, before Conall sent Tiernan through for a low finish past Peter Donnelly.
They led by 1-4 to 0-5 at the break, and pushed the advantage out to three with a couple of Bradley frees.
But McNeice poked home a goal after ‘keeper Sean Fox could only parry a Stephen McNally delivery in the 41st minute, and two minutes later, full-forward Peter McGahan celebrated his first appearance of the season with a second, swivelling to plant his shot in the bottom corner of the net.
Killyclogher could find no response, and scored just one point in the remainder of the game, while a Fianna side brimming with confidence saw out the game with control and assurance.
Former Tyrone attacker McNeice finished with 1-3, and two delightful scores from teenage substitute Tiarnan Quinn saw Coalisland complete the job in style for a first title since 2010.