Errigal Ciaran beat Dr Crokes after extra-time epic

In the first All-Ireland Club Football semi-final, the Canavan brothers became the first Tyrone team to reach the final by winning 2-18 to 1-18 extra-time against Dr Crokes.

Ruairi finished with a score of 0-7, while Darragh Canavan had a brilliant extra-time goal that ended the two-time All-Ireland champions despite Charlie Keating’s late major.

Peter Og McCartan, the team’s Ulster Final champion, added another significant contribution with his levelling point from play in second-half injury-time after it appeared Crokes had won the match-up.

After almost incredibly, Ruairi Canavan and Ben McDonnell fired injury-time wides before McCartan took the lead with a superb score from distance, Errigal Ciaran and Tyrone’s losing streak in the All-Ireland Club semi-finals appeared to be going to continue.

But for most of the Newbridge contest, Errigal Ciaran’s performance was all about the Canavan brothers ‘ brilliance.

Padraig McGirr, having come on seconds earlier, was the first Errigal player apart from the Canavans to register a score when his 54th-minute point put the Ballygawley club 1-11 to 0-13 ahead.

After being found by his brother in a sublime pass, Darragh Canavan had scored shortly after 14 minutes when he blasted to the net.

Oguz ran on to score a stunning finish with the outside of his right boot after receiving the pass from Ruairi Canavan.

The seemingly impossible tasks of trying to mark the Canavan brothers in the first half were assigned to Kerry star Gavin White and Evan Looney.

While Crokes responded with three unanswered points and once more led by two after Ruairi’s opening score when Darragh Canavan turned inside White, the brothers performed a showpiece throughout the opening period.

In the 21st minute, Errigal moved from 0-5 to 0-4 ahead of White and Looney, and their lead was increased to 0-7 to 0-5 when Ruairi swings beautifully over the 45-metre line with a stunning right-footed effort.

Dr. Crokes were able to hold on for the duration of their lead thanks to Micheal Burns’ three points, which left them 0-8 to 0-7 down at the break.

After the restart, a thumping David Shaw score leveled the game, and a Tony Brosnan free-agent score from Darragh Canavan’s most recent play score restored Errigal’s advantage. A second Burns score and a Tony Brosnan free-agent score gave Crokes a 0-10 to 0-9 lead.

Crokes’ lead was soon overshadowed by the Canavans’ brilliant combination for Errigal Ciaran’s opening goal.

With 10 minutes left, Crokes were refusing to yield thanks to another outstanding Brosnan free and a stellar Brian Looney score.

Errigal three times increased their lead over the next eight minutes, including McGirr’s first non-Canavan score, but Brosnan each time responded with a leveling score, which included his 59th-minute play.

In the final moments of injury-time, it appeared as though Errigal Ciaran had lost control of the game thanks to Ruairi Canavan’s uncharacteristic miss of a routine chance and Burns’ pulled effort wide.

Before wing-back McCartan’s nerveless effort ensured extra-time, Referee Brendan Cawley had signaled five more minutes and Errigal needed each second.

Extra-time was the usual chaotic mess, with cramped players and substitutes appearing almost instantly.

Crokes goalkeeper Shane Ryan brilliantly tapped in a darragh Canavan goal, but after the opening 10 minutes, the teams remained tied at 0-18 to 1-15.

Then came ultimately the decision moment as Qguz, who had notched Errigal’s previous score, blasted in his sensational goal.