The Tyrone senior champions are facing the prospect of having to play three games in the space of eight days.
Holders Trillick take on Errigal Ciaran in Friday evening’s rescheduled Connollys of Moy SFC final, and county officials have ruled out extra-time in the event of a draw.
Instead, if the sides finish level after 60 minutes, a replay will take place on Monday night at O’Neills Healy Park, ahead of the Ulster Club Championship preliminary round tie against Donegal title-holders St Eunan’s Letterkenny on the following Saturday.
The Tyrone decider was due to have been played last Sunday, but was one of several victims of Storm Ashley, which forced a rash of postponements.
To ensure that a winner will emerge from Tyrone to participate in the provincial series, a drawn replay will be followed by extra-time, and if necessary a penalty shoot-out.
Replays were reintroduced to all rounds of the county championship this year in response to submissions from the clubs.
“The one thing the clubs wanted rid of was penalties, and that’s why we built in a replay, with finish on the day for the replay, not the first day,” said Tyrone Competitions Control Committee chairman Raymond Monteith.
He explained that officials have been left with no option to factor in a replay just three days after the championship final.
“The elements last Sunday left us with nowhere to go.
“The likes of Fermanagh and Armagh putting off their county finals is grand for them, because they’re not in the preliminary round of Ulster.
“That’s why there has to be a winner for Saturday November 2. Yes, it puts a load o the players, but we have no option. It’s in our regulations.”
While the Tyrone wines will have a maximum of a week’s turnaround between county and provincial championships, St Eunan’s have the luxury of a three-week lead-in to their Ulster opener.
Trillick are bidding to become the first club in almost two decades to retain the O’Neill Cup, while Errigal Ciaran, appearing in their third successive final, are chasing a second title in three seasons.
