Ciaran McGinley could achieve the remarkable feat of playing in county final replays 20 years apart if he appears for Errigal Ciaran this Friday night

For all the close-fought nature of the Tyrone Senior Football Championship, final replays are few and far between.

Edendork’s dramatic draw with Errigal Ciaran on Sunday past forced a replay this Friday night – the first such game for a decade and only the 10th overall.

That 2016 game between Coalisland Fianna and Killyclogher St Mary’s ended 1-13 to 0-16 – but the westerners crushed the men from the east in the replay, by 0-20 to 0-6.

Ten years before that Errigal had a second go, against their arch-rivals Carrickmore, with the Ballygawley men eventually emerging victorious, under the management of a certain Malachy O’Rourke.

He acknowledged that Carmen had probably deserved to complete a rare three-in-a-row (the first since their own of 1977-79) in the drawn game, even though they needed to convert a late penalty to force the replay, but was delighted to see them prevail.

In that replay the present Tyrone boss repeated the trick used by one of his predecessors, Errigal clubmate Mickey Harte, in the 2003 All-Ireland SFC Final – bringing Peter Canavan off and then sending him back on.

Peter was troubled by a ribs injury in 2006 scored 0-3 and set up the vital goal, before going off, then returning to sweep in defence, making a block when Brian Gormley had a shot on goal.

Incidentally, Peter was skipper for Errigal that year, while the Carrickmore captain was his brother-in-law Ronan McGarrity.

Errigal also saw off Carmen at the second attempt in 2000, by 1-8 to 0-8, after a 0-12 to 1-9 draw. Midfielder Peter Loughran scored the only goal in the replay, with Peter Canavan notching 0-5.

To update the old chant about Tottenham Hotspur and the FA Cup, it might be sung that ‘It’s lucky for the Tyrone County Board when the year ends in six….’

There could, some would say should, have been two replays over the past six seasons, as both the 2020 and 2023 finals finished level at the end of normal time.

However, with extra time available, Trillick saw off Errigal three years ago, by a goal, 1-13 to 0-13.

Three years before that, ‘the Covid season’, Dungannon Clarke’s had ended a 64-year wait for the O’Neill Cup, edging out Trillick 8-7 in a thrilling penalty shoot-out after the sides finished level (1-12 apiece) even after extra time.

Prior to 2000 there were consecutive replays in 1986-87. Forty years ago Trillick pipped the Clarke’s by 1-10 to 2-5 – but then lost out in a second match against Ardboe in 1987, by 1-6 to 0-5. All four final games took place in Pomeroy in those two seasons.

The first Tyrone SFC Final replay, in September 1918, resulted from an appeal, with Cookstown Brian Og again scoring more than Omagh O’Neill’s, but in Coalisland rather than Dungannon, where the first, disputed match had taken place.

Cookstown thus became the first club to retain the Tyrone SFC crown – something that was last done by Carrickmore in 2005, with Errigal dethroning them at the last a year later in that aforementioned replay.

The first replay as the result of an actual draw came in 1940, Carrickmore beat Dungannon by 1-5 to 0-5 in Pomeroy, after a 1-4 to 2-1 final.

A further quarter-century passed until the next replay, when Clonoe were too strong for neighbours Derrylaughan, 0-10 to 0-3, following a 1-9 to 2-6 draw, both games at Coalisland.

Fifteen more years passed until Trillick were held by Omagh St Enda’s at Carrickmore (0-7 to 1-4), before a goal made the difference in the 1980 replay at the same venue, 1-6 to 0-6.

Unsurprisingly, there are quite a few connections between the Errigal Ciaran teams of 2000 and 2006 and the current crop, as well as the management set-up.

The Canavan connection is well-known, with forwards Darragh and Ruairi sons of ‘Peter the Great’ and nephews of Pascal. Both Pascal and Peter played in all four matches against Carrickmore in 2000 and 2006, with Peter scoring 0-9 as captain in the latter draw and 0-3 in the replay.

Boss Enda McGinley was full-forward in both the drawn 2006 game and the replay, and at wing-forward in 2000, while his cousin Ciaran is still on the playing panel, having been wing-back 20 years ago.

Manager McGinley is one of seven men to feature in both replays, along with his brothers Emmett (the current club chairman) and Cormac, Pascal and Peter Canavan, Hugh Quinn, and Mark Harte.

Paul Quinn was an inspirational half-back in 2006 and is a selector now, as are Paul Horisk and Rory McCann – those two were involved in 2000, Horisk as left wing-back, McCann among the subs.

The McAnenly tradition of goalkeeping is being carried on by Darragh, son of Cathal, who was between the sticks in 2000. Darragh’s uncle Brian – better known as ‘Ernie’ around Dunmoyle – replaced the injured John Devine early in the 2006 draw, but JD was fit to play in the replay.

Both midfielders from the 2000 team have offspring involved in this year’s panel. Hugh Quinn’s son Aodhan, still only 17, scored 0-5 on Sunday from wing half-forward, while another son Michael was on the bench, as was Peter Loughran’s son Dan.

Damien ‘Daisy’ McDermott scored a crucial 1-1 in the 2006 replay and his son Shea, another teenage attacker, lined out at left corner-forward against Edendork.

John Kelly, who replaced Loughran in the 2006 replay, is an older brother of Eoin, who kicked a two-pointer late in Sunday’s game as a substitute.

As a final aside, no pun intended, Edendork have won a Tyrone championship final against a team from Ballygawley – the 1985 Intermediate decider.

The St Malachy’s came out on top by 1-11 to 0-8 against Ballygawley St Ciaran’s, the precursor of Errigal Ciaran.

2006 Errigal Ciaran team in final replay: J Devine; Emmett McGinley, Cormac McGinley, D Neill; D Harte, P Quinn 0-1, Ciaran McGinley; Pascal Canavan, A O’Donnell; R McCrory, H Quinn, C Tierney 0-1; D McDermott 1-1, Enda McGinley, Peter Canavan 0-3 (0-2f).

Substitutes: B Mullin 0-1 for Ciaran McGinley; M Harte for Peter Canavan; J Kelly 0-1 for H Quinn; S Mallon for Neill; Peter Canavan for Tierney.

2000 Errigal Ciaran team in final replay: C McAnenly; Emmett McGinley, Cormac McGinley, C McCann; E Kavanagh, Pascal Canavan, P Horisk; H Quinn 0-1, P Loughran 1-0; J Lynch, E McCaffrey, Enda McGinley 0-2; M Harte 0-1, Peter Canavan 0-5, E Gormley 0-1.

Substitutes: T Quinn for McCaffrey; M O’Rourke for Lynch.

[Players highlighted in bold played in both replays].

Tyrone SFC replays:

2026: Edendork St Malachy’s ??? Errigal Ciaran ??? (after EC 0-15 Edendork 1-12)

2016: Killyclogher St Mary’s 0-20 Coalisland Fianna 0-6 (after K 0-16 C 1-13)

2006: Errigal Ciaran 1-8 Carrickmore 0-8 (after EC 0-12 Carmen 1-9)

2000: Errigal Ciaran 1-10 Carrickmore 0-9 (after EC 0-11 Carmen 1-8)

1987: Ardboe O’Donovan Rossa 1-6 Trillick St McCartan’s 0-5 (after A 0-9 T 1-6)

1986: Trillick St McCartan’s 1-10 Dungannon Clarke’s 2-5 (after T 0-8 Dgn 0-8)

1980: Trillick St McCartan’s 1-6 Omagh St Enda’s 0-6 (after T 0-7 O 1-4)

1965: Clonoe O’Rahilly’s 0-10 Derrylaughan Kevin Barry’s (after C 1-9 D 2-6)

1940: Carrickmore St Colmcille’s 1-5 Dungannon Clarke’s 0-5 (C 1-4 D 2-1)

1918: Cookstown Brian Og 1-2 Omagh O’Neill’s 1-1 (C 1-5 O 1-3, followed by appeal).

Drawn finals which did not go to replays:

2023: Trillick St McCartan’s 1-13 Errigal Ciaran 0-13 (aet)

2020: Dungannon Clarke’s 1-12 Trillick St McCartan’s 1-12 (aet, Dgn won 8-7 on penalties).