Trillick go in search of the Tyrone Senior Championship this Sunday hoping to bridge a 29 year gap with a Fermanagh man in charge. Nigel Seaney, a native of Irvinestown and former county player of the late 80s and early 90s, has guided Trillick to a championship decider in his second year in charge.

The game takes place this Sunday against Killyclogher in Healy Park Omagh at 3.30pm and Seaney explained that the whole club is looking forward to the occasion; “I think when any team gets to a championship final there is great excitement. And of course to win one is what every club wants and it is special and I suppose maybe with the time that has passed since the last title to win would mean an awful lot to all involved with the club.” Seaney had a successful managerial stint with his home club Irvinestown at the start of the 2000s but was out of senior football for a time when the call came to take over the reins at Trillick.

“We live in the Trillick Parish now and I suppose my own cubs were getting involved and bit by bit you get drawn back into it. You suddenly found yourself involved again,” he said before adding “But when something is in you it never leaves you and you never lose the love for it and it is great to be involved.” Seaney readily admits that he has some serious talent at his disposal. The Brennan bothers, Lee and Rory and the Donnelly brothers, Richie and Mattie join the likes of Niall Gormley in what is a serious looking team and the Fermanagh man has been able to mould them into a collective unit that has been hugely impressive in the championship so far.

All those aforementioned players went to school in St Michael’s College and played MacRory Cup football so there is a real distinct Fermanagh flavour to the Trillick camp.

They have played their best football this season in the championship and in the semi final they saw off Coalisland by eight points. But they won’t be favourites on Sunday with the bookies having them priced at 2/1; “Killyclogher are a very good team and we know what lies ahead of us. They have been operating at the top tier of Tyrone football for a good number of years now and they are well drilled and know what they are about,” Seaney explained.

The former county centre half back has had a knack of getting the best from his charges this season but in modest fashion he has refused to take any credit for the reappearance of the Reds at the top table of Tyrone club football.

“To be fair the team has been improving slowly over time, bit by bit and I think there was an awful lot done before I ever took over. We have just been trying to keep that going,” he said.

When asked was he still considered a ‘blow in’ by some in the club having moved to the area from his native Fermanagh Seaney laughed; “You will have to ask the ones in Trillick that.” Either way, if he guides his adopted club to the Tyrone Championship title he will be the toast of the village on Sunday night, and for a long time to come too.