All-Ireland finalists Errigal Ciarán fire 4-21 in Tyrone championship winning start

ERRIGAL CIARAN, BEATEN All-Ireland finalists to Dublin’s Cuala last January, started the long road back in championship football with an opening round win over Ardboe O’Donovan Rossa.

This was an absolute walloping. A statement of intent. The scoreline was 4-21 to 1-7. It was a hard watch towards the end and by the three long peeps, most of the crowd had left the grounds of O’Neill Park, Dungannon.

It was also achieved without the services of Peter Harte, suspended for his late red card in their All-Ireland defeat to Cuala in January.

From a ninth minute goal by Joe Oguz, it looked like Errigal Ciarán might have been too good. When Odhran Robinson swooped to knock in a fumble from Ardboe goalkeeper Gary Mallaghan when a Thomas Canavan shot fell short on 15 minutes, it was proof they were.

With Darragh Canavan adding another major, the half-time score was 3-6 to 0-6.

Ardboe started the second half and immediately grabbed a goal through Cormac Devlin and a game looked on.

They were to score just one more point before the final whistle.

Ruairí Canavan added six points in the second period to go with his two in the first. He’s still very shot-happy, but when they land, they provoke the oohs and aahs from the crowd.

Second-half substitute Shea McDermott arrived and palmed home a back-post goal as the crowds trailed off.

On this evidence, there’s no tail-off from last year in the reigning Tyrone and Ulster champions.