Redhills......0-11
Trillick.......2-11

The Reds are on a roll, and their winning streak continued at Breffni park on Sunday, when they booked their place in the Ulster Intermediate Club Championship semi-final with a hard-earned win ove Cavan champions Redhills.

But for two early goals, Trillick would have found themselves with massive task in this first round tie, for they had to play secon fiddle to a talented Redhills side for spells of a hugely entertaining game.

Shane Gormley and Niall Donnelly hit the net early on, providing platform from which the Tyrone champions went on to win somewhat less comfortably than the scoreline suggests.

They never lost the lead those early strikes provided, but they saw a seven points advantage trimmed back to a single point, and the game was in the balance right up to the last couple of minutes, when a lat flourish saw the St Macartan's ease home with six to spare.

There was much to be admired in this display by a Trillick team that showed a willingness to work hard when the pressure was on, and displayed flair and creativity in crafting and finishing scores.

And their strength in depth was shown in the effectiveness of a raf of second half substitutions, with Fergal Donnelly in particula shoring up the defence when he made his comeback from injury.

There are hopes also that Tyrone attacker Niall Gormley could also be available for the last four meeting with Fermanagh champions Erne Gaels. He has missed the last two games with a foot injury, and would be a massive asset to the Trillick forward division.

Redhills were ahead inside the opening minute when Packie Leddy took Paddy Gumley's lay-off to open the scoring, but it was Trillick who got the kind of start that all teams dream of – two goals in th opening five minutes.

First a neat interplay involving Niall Donnelly and Philip McGrad carved the opening for Shane Gormley to take and jink his way throug before finishing with confidence past Fintan Reilly.

Redhills had barely recovered from the shock when they were hit by another sucker punch, the lively Donnelly collecting Matthew Donnelly's delivery to turn and drill a low shot past the despairin goalkeeper.

Matthew Donnelly, from a 20 metre free won by Niall Donnelly, and Denis Connolly added points, and with just eight minutes played, the Tyrone champions led by 2-2 to a single point.

But the Breffni title-holders reacted strongly to the predicament they found themselves in, and two Paddy Gumley points and a Pearse Wes effort narrowed the gap.

With West and Brendan Leddy having broken the earlier midfiel dominance of Prionsias O'Kane and Eoin Gormley, the Cavan side no dominated, and they outscored the visitors by six points to one in the second quarter.

Packie Leddy and Colin Reilly both landed brilliant points, and Gumley's third lifted their confidence still further, with Trillick's only response a Matthew Donnelly free.

Trillick led by 2-3 to 0-7 at the interval, but they struggled for scores on both sides of half-time.

Gumley narrowed the gap to a single point, before Philip McGrade ended a 20-minute barred spell for the Reds with a point.

Kevin McCaughey and Damien Kelly had to be alert to snuff out a couple of dangerous Redhills attack, and the introduction of Fergal Donnelly helped tighten up a defence that was enduirng some anxious moments.

A couple of converted frees by Matthew Donnelly helped the Tyrone men regain their composure at a time when their opponents, with Rory Dunne rompting from the back, were growing stronger.

Denis Connolly hooked over the first of his three second half points nder pressure, and wing back Paddy Corry pressed forward to split the posts for a five poionts lead with seven minutes to play.

But Gumley's fifth score of the contest, followed by a score from substitute Joe Callan, left just a goal between the sides with two minutes of normal time to play.

Trillick, however, displayed composure and cool to kill the game off, Connolly's point on the counter-attack one of the most important scores of the contest.

Substitute Sean Kelly put daylight between the sides, and Connolly hit the target again to secure Trillick's place in the last four.