Scotstown 0-17 Trillick 1-13
Scotstown will meet holders Glen in the Ulster Club Football Championship final after coming through a gripping extra-time thriller against Trillick at the Box-It Athletic Grounds.
They had just that little bit extra in the absorbing, energy-sapping moments to edge out the Tyrone champions and reach a first decider since 2018.
Jack McCarron and Shane Carey converted late frees to swing the tie in favour of the Monaghan champions.
The sides were deadlocked on seven occasions, and level on 0-13 to 1-10 at the end of normal time following injury time drama which saw Trillick's lead point cancelled out by Conor McCarthy’s equaliser.
Scotstown’s strong press on the Trillick kick-out was a key weapon throughout the first half, with goalkeeper Rory Beggan harvesting the yield as he added his significant frame and fielding ability to the midfield scrap for possession.
Darren Hughes also got on plenty of ball around that central area, helping his side ease into a two points lead through Emmet Caulfield and Shane Carey.
Trillick sent skipper Rory Brennan to sweep in front of Jack McCarron, who was forced into a handful of wides by marker Daire Gallagher before finally finding the range.
After failing to score in the opening quarter, the Tyrone champions built steadily, with Richie Donnelly an emerging and influential figure around the middle, thumping over a long range point to get his side going, and setting up another for Ciaran Daly.
The Monaghan men had a reply on each occasion, Hughes again breaking lines for Donal Morgan to split the posts, and when McCarron struck a majestic score, they led by 0-06 to 0-03 on 26 minutes.
But Seanie O’Donnell set the game alight with a stoppage time 1-01 salvo in a 30-second flash.
Beggan’s kick-outs had been impeccable, but he was ruthlessly punished for a rare lapse, James Garrity intercepting to send O’Donnell in to hit the net for a 1-04 to 0-06 interval lead.
McCarron drifted deep to create space and the assist for Mattie Maguire to narrow the gap, and shot his side back in front with a difficult free inside five minutes of the restart.
Newly awarded All-Star wing back Conor McCarthy had been well shackled, but finally produced one of his searing runs to send Michael McCarville through to cancel out James Garrity’s point
The Monaghan champions went two clear going into the final quarter, Caulfield and Jason Carey combining to send Maguire in for his second.
But the Reds, with the wind behind their backs, nailed four of the next five scores, two of them from Lee Brennan, who edged his side back in front on 54 minutes.
Darren Hughes and Rory Brennan put their bodies on the line in vital turnovers for their respective sides, as the tension built in Armagh city.
It was Hughes who sent full back Ryan O’Toole in for the equaliser, before Lee Brennan’s ’45 had Trillick ahead with just seconds remaining.
But McCarthy’s class shone right at the death, circling on the loop to take Shane Carey’s pass and tie it up at 0-13 to 1-10 with the very last kick.
Kieran Hughes and McCarron helped the Farney champions to a 0-15 to 1-11 lead midway through the added stretch.
Lee Brennan levelled for a seventh time as Trillick stuck tight to the pre-match favourites.
Scotstown: R Beggan (0-01, ’45); B Boylan, R O’Toole (0-01), D McArdle; C McCarthy (0-01), D Morgan (0-01), E Caulfield (0-01); D Hughes, M McCarville (0-01); J Carey, S Carey (0-03, 2f), J Hamill; M Maguire (0-02), K Hughes (0-02), J McCarron (0-04, 3f).
Subs: M McPhillips for Hamill (49), D Murray for J Carey (52), R McKenna for Maguire (61), R Malley for Morgan (61), J Carey for Malley (74), Hamill for Caulfield (81),
Trillick: J Maguire; S O’Donnell, P McCaughey, D Tunney; S O’Donnell (1-01), R Brennan (0-01), D Gallagher; R Donnelly (0-01), L Gray; C Daly (0-01), N Donnelly, R Gray (0-01); D Donnelly (0-01), L Brennan (0-05, 3f, 1 ’45), J Garrity (0-01).
Subs: C Garrity (0-01) for N Donnelly (37), D McQuaid for Tunney (47), D Kelly for Gallagher (76), P Courtney for R Gray (82)
Referee: K Faloon (Armagh).
