LCC Group Tyrone Senior Championship semi-finals: Carrickmore v Clonoe (tomorrow, Pomeroy, 3pm); Errigal Ciaran v Domore (Healy Park, 7pm)
The 2022 LCC Group Tyrone Senior Championship finalists will emerge tomorrow as four of the county’s major forces do battle.
Defending champions Dromore face a tough challenge against Errigal Ciaran, while Carrickmore and Clonoe will face off in the other semi-final.
Plunkett Park is the venue for the meeting of Clonoe and Carrickmore, both of whom scraped through to the last four with slender victories in drama-packed quarter-final ties.
And another close encounter is likely between two clubs that feel they have been too long away from county final day.
Carrickmore, the county’s most successful club with 15 titles, last won the O’Neill Cup in 2005, while the most recent of Clonoe’s eight titles was claimed in 2013.
But Carmen are a re-emerging force, and took a significant step forward last year by winning the Division One League title.
Now they feel they are ready once again to revisit Championship glory.
With players of the calibre of Jonny Munroe, Lorcan McBride, James Donaghy and Danny Fullerton, they are capable on their day of beating the best.
Clonoe have an added incentive to go all the way in this year’s championship, as a title success would exempt them from the relegation play-offs and apply a glorious finish to what has been a difficult season.
Connor McAliskey, Declan McClure, Paul O’Neill, Ryan Morrow and a fit again Danny McNulty carry the hopes of an unexpected appearance in the county final.
Later at O’Neills Healy Park, O’Neill Cup holders Dromore continue their bid to become the first club in 17 years to retain the title.
They face a huge challenge from an Errigal Ciaran side that has produced some devastating attacking football in the current series, but also looked vulnerable at times.
The Canavan brothers, Darragh and Ruairi, sparkled in wins over Moy and Dungannon, and will carry the scoring threat this evening as the Dunmoyle club continue their search for a first title since 2012, when they defeated Dromore in the final.
Peter Harte, Ben McDonnell, Niall Kelly and Tommy Canavan add further class to a talented outfit that faces a daunting task against the champions.
Dromore are sweating on the fitness of Niall Sludden, who has played just half an hour of championship football due to a hamstring strain.
Emmet McNabb and Ronan McNabb are the finishers they will want to get on the ball, with Peter Teague’s placed ball accuracy another asset.
At the back, Nathan McCarron, Tommy McCarron and Ryan McCusker will face up to a potent Errigal forward division with a mission to close down the main threats.
The Tyrone SFC final is scheduled for Sunday October 30.
