LAST UPDATE | 26 Nov 2023
Scotstown 0-17
Trillick 1-13
THE LAST TIME Scotstown won the Ulster club championship, the present manager David McCague was in a privileged position.
It was played here in the Athletic Grounds, and his uncle, the future GAA President Sean McCague who passed away almost exactly a year ago, was able to use his influence to secure a place in the old Ceannáras building for his nephew.
While Scotstown swept away Coalisland 2-9 to 0-5 to be crowned Kings of Ulster in 1989, McCague the younger recalls, “I was lucky because my uncle Sean managed to get me in the Ceannaras, to the warmth. I remember having pity for all the other wee boys running around in the cold, and I lucky to be inside. I owe him that day and I owe him an awful lot.”
The McCague name runs through the Scotstown club and all the old traditions. This new generation owe it to themselves to join the older generations by delivering their own Ulster club championship.
But when they come to telling stories about feats of derring-do and bravery and honesty, you suspect that the elders couldn’t top what happened here in Armagh.
For this was an incredible afternoon of Gaelic football. Even the version that we have here, played in the middle of winter. You feel that the old game, battered and bruised and with many turning their back on it, just needs a few more meetings of clubs with the stature and philosophies, of Trillick and Scotstown.
A lot of the ills of modern football were mercifully absent in Armagh.
The chief reason for this was the refusal of Scotstown to allow Trillick a handy short kickout. With bigger bodies around the middle, they identified that handy shortcut. They have been doing it all year.
Trillick goalkeeper Joe Maguire was able to get a few of them away, but even then it was high-risk stuff. On occasion he just had to lump it to his left and towards Richie Donnelly and he showed early on his tremendous athletic ability with a high leap.
But Scotstown got cute to that quick and then put Rory Beggan in that townland and double teamed Donnelly with Darren Hughes. Around the quarter hour mark, Beggan caught a Maguire kickout. On another occasion he punched the ball and scattered Donnelly but was called for the foul.
He was a phenom. A freak. But to him it must feel same-old, same-old.
After 26 minutes, they were 0-6 to 0-3 in front. Jack McCarron conquered his early yips and three early wides to loft one over with his right. Beggan himself converted a 45 from close to the sideline, while Donal Morgan, Emmett Caulfield and Shane Carey with one from play and a free, chipped in.
It looked like Trillick were in trouble but as the half-time whistle was looming, their flying wing back Sean O’Donnell got himself into a one on one battle with Ryan O’Toole and burned past him to point.
From the next kickout, Rory Beggan’s kick flew over the head of Michael McCarville. Trillick swept up the break and James Garrity threaded a ball through to O’Donnell who was on his bike again and slammed to the net to grab the lead at the break, 1-4 to 0-6.
It soon became clear as the second half continued in similar breakneck pace that this was shaping to become one of those storied Ulster club games.
The teams traded scorers throughout and as the legs tired, the class shone through. Leroy Brennan – you might remember him as Lee but the word has gone out that Leroy is in fact his proper name – hadn’t seen much ball in the first half but gathered three vital points in the second.
Kieran Hughes hit one of those gorgeous points from the outside of the left boot. Both sides were getting the ball and kicking it forward, going at and taking on their markers.
Richard Donnelly and Darren Hughes continued their heavyweight battle.
With a minute left, another Hughes drive opened the space up for a Ryan O’Toole equaliser, but still Trillick came back to take the lead in injury time with a ‘45’.
Scotstown had no time left.
Rory Beggan took a short kickout to Darragh Murray. They ball was ushered up towards the middle of the field.
Conor McCarthy had been virtually erased from the game in the first half and some of the second by the man marking of Dan Donnelly. Here, he produced a backdoor cut and however they managed it, Scotstown had emptied out the entire middle for him to run through and equalise. Extra-time.
Afterwards, Darren Hughes was asked if it was a specific play in such circumstances. He told the reporters, with a smile, that it was their job to figure that out.
In the clawing and stretching and desperation of extra-time, a thousand different elements sprung up. Trillick might feel sore that in a late attack, a James Garrity ball down the line was flagged by a linesman as having crossed the sideline.
It was the one single incident that attention was on referee Kevin Faloon. He had a magnificent game and contributed richly to it.
But in the end, Scotstown nipped a single more point than Trillick in extra-time while also sending four wide. It must have been a wrench to lose, but it wasn’t stolen in any way either.
“It’s a phenomenal competition, one of our players said to me during the week that it is the best competition in the world,” added McCague.
“We’re only a small province on an island in western Europe but we think it’s the best competition in the world and we love it. We are delighted to still be in it and want to now go and finish the job as Ulster club champions.”
On now, to Glen in a fortnight.
Scorers for Scotstown: Jack McCarron 0-4 (3f), Shane Carey 0-3 (2f), Kieran Hughes 0-2, Mattie Maguire 0-2, Rory Beggan 0-1 (1x’45’), Ryan O’Toole, Conor McCarthy, Donal Morgan, Emmett Caulfield, Michael McCarville 0-1 each.
Scorers for Trillick: Leroy Brennan 0-5 (3f, 1x’45’), Sean O’Donnell 1-1, Rory Brennan, Richie Donnelly, Ciaran Daly, Ryan Gray, Daniel Donnelly, Colm Garrity 0-1 each.
Scotstown: Rory Beggan; Brendan Boylan, Ryan O’Toole, Damien McArdle; Conor McCarthy, Donal Morgan, Emmett Caulfield; Darren Hughes, Michael McCarville; Jason Carey, Shane Carey, James Hamill; Mattie Maguire, Kieran Hughes, Jack McCarron
Subs:
Mark McPhillips for Hamill (51m), Darragh Murray for Jason Carey (53m), Ross McKenna for Maguire (61m), Ryan Malley for Morgan (ET 1m), Jason Carey for Malley (ET 15m), James Hamill for Caulfield (ET 20m), Mattie Maguire for McCarville (ET 20m)
Trillick: Joe Maguire; Stephen O’Donnell, Peter McCaughey, Daley Tunney; Sean O’Donnell, Rory Brennan, Daire Gallagher; Richie Donnelly, Liam Gray; Ciaran Daly, Niall Donnelly, Ryan Gray; Daniel Donnelly, Leroy Brennan, James Garrity
Subs:
Colm Garrity for Niall Donnelly (38m), Darragh McQuaid for Tunney (48m), Damian Kelly for Daire Gallagher (ET 17m), Paul Courtney for Ryan Gray (ET 22m)
Referee: Kevin Faloon (Armagh)
