AIB Ulster Club IFC semi-final
Ballinderry (Derry) 0-9 Derrylaughan (Tyrone) 1-5
BALLINDERRY were left hanging on to book their place in the Ulster intermediate final against Arva next month.
From a position of Shamrocks’ control, a 55th-minute goal from Ciaran Gervin tied the game, only for Shea McCann to kick the winner for the Derry men.
Derrylaughan then lost Brian Kennedy to a straight red card after a challenge on Gareth McKinless, but Ballinderry failed to put the hammer fully down.
It was fitting that McCann scored the winner. He had carried the ball into contact seconds before the Derrylaughan goal.
With everyone pushed upfield, including goalkeeper Ben McKinless, Brian Kennedy’s long ball over the top to Ciaran Gervin put him in the clear. After winning the race with last man back, Ryan Bell, he finished to the net.
“That’s the sign of a very good player,” goalkeeper Ben McKinless said of McCann’s winner.
“There is a sense of resilience in him that he was able to go again and he had the confidence to go for that shot.
“As a goalkeeper, seeing the goal like that is very, very demoralising for a team. It sucks the life out of you. Thankfully, Shea, after that happened, he just injected life back into us.”
Ryan Bell had his red card rescinded from the Carrickcruppen game, while the suspended Gareth McKinless received a temporary reprieve from the DRA to be available.
With local rivalry and the teams knowing each other inside out, it was a very cagey opening.
James Donnelly continued his form to kick the opening score before Niall O’Donnell finished a piercing run with a point.
After Tomás Carney hit his first score, it was a darting run from McCann that led to another equaliser.
Derrylaughan looked comfortable but it was Ballinderry who changed the game with a score from Ruairi Forbes and Gareth McKinless made a second for McCann.
The game changed in first-half stoppage-time. James Donnelly missed a chance to level the game, with Ryan Bell then hitting two points to steer the Derry champions into a 0-6 to 0-3 interval lead.
Carney and Charlie Crozier traded frees, but still Ballinderry were in the box seat.
Like they did against All Saints, Derrylaughan moved Kennedy to full-forward but a combination of Ben McKinless punch at a crucial stage and the strength of Ryan Bell curbed his influence.
Indeed, it was McKinless who got forward to score, after Aron Mullan was strong in possession, and Ballinderry led 0-8 to 0-4.
Ballinderry had a chance to put the game out of sight when Gareth McKinless raced through. Caught in two minds, he opted not to shoot for goal but his squared pass to the unmarked Conor O’Neill was intercepted.
When Gervin slotted to the net, Derrylaughan were handed a lifeline until McCann’s third point did the trick for Ballinderry.
“Everybody always talks about the Ulster Club games,” McKinless added.
“I never obviously experienced it myself until now,. They take a life of their own with conditions. Derrylaughan were suited to it because they have more experienced players.
“They put it up to us very well. We found it hard to see the game out, even after they got a man sent off.
“We’ve a lot of learning to do because you have to see the game out way earlier than that.”
Ballinderry B McKinless (0-1); A Mullan, O Duffin, R O’Neill; E Rocks;
E Devlin, G McKinless, R Forbes (0-1); N O’Donnell (0-1), S Coleman;
T Rocks, R Bell (0-2), S McCann (0-3); O Mullan, C Crozier
(0-1f) Subs D Lawn for Coleman (40), C O’Neill for O Mullan (40), D McKinless for Crozier (58)
Derrylaughan J Kennedy; Colm O’Hagan, Ciaran O’Hagan, Caoilean Hughes; L Gervin, C Kennedy, S Robinson; B Kennedy, S Scullion; Conor Hughes, F McAliskey, D Ball; James Donnelly (0-2,1f), T Carney (0-3f), C Quinn
Subs C Gervin (1-0) for McAliskey (38), L Cushnahan for Caoilean Hughes (43), D Carney for Quinn (51)
Referee C Dourneen (Cavan)
