As it happened: Errigal Ciarán knocked St Eunan’s out of the AIB Ulster Club Senior Football Championship

ERRIGAL Ciarán kick-started their provincial campaign but left it late to win their preliminary round AIB Ulster Club SFC fixture against St Eunan’s on a scoreline of 0-12 to 0-10.

The Ballygawley side finished off their Tyrone campaign in style when they trumped reigning Red Hand champions Trillick at O’Neills Healy Park.

They returned to the Omagh venue to get the provincial championship underway against Donegal’s finest St Eunan’s.

St Eunan’s came into this game after becoming Donegal’s most successful club football side in history after beating Dungloe in the final at MacCumhaill Park.

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The game was end-to-end from start to finish with each side marking their opponents’ key scorers largely out of the game.

Ruairí Canavan was held to a couple of scores and Conor O’Donnell Jr could only be effective from dead balls.

Niall O’Donnell was introduced in the second half and that gave Errigal Ciarán another highly-rated forward to worry about.

As the game entered it’s dying embers, it was midfielder Ben McDonnell who proved to be the hero, he was found in space on the right wing twice in quick succession and didn’t hesitate to put his club in front.

Errigal Ciarán will now travel up to west Belfast next Sunday to play Antrim SFC champions Cargin in the AIB Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final stage.

Follow along with the live score updates from the provincial curtain-raiser in Omagh as they came in.