Controversy as Dungiven fight back to earn Championship draw with Claudy

Claudy, 0-15, Dungiven 1-12

Somebody should have told Claudy and Dungiven these group games were only supposed to be the warm ups!

A feisty, rip roaring and controversial north Derry derby finished honours even but that barely begins to tell the story of a fixture that saw black and red cards, a hotly disputed second half penalty and an injury minute equaliser for St. Canice's.

When the dust settles, a point was almost as good as a victory for Claudy as it keeps them above Dungiven who finish bottom of Group D, and thus ensures the Mitchel's avoid being paired with one of the group winners as the Championship enters the knock-out stages.

For Dungiven, there was the relief of a first point of the group stages which, but for some wayward first half shooting, could have been more. St. Canice's had registered seven of their eight first half wides inside the opening quarter and played straight into Claudy's counter attacking trap in the opening half.

Claudy possessed the best player on the pitch in Marty Donaghy who Dungiven never got to grips with all afternoon but Oran Armstrong and Eoin McGahon were not far behind. However, for the second game in succession, Claudy drew a match they will feel they had under control. And that's not where the similarities with the draw against Swatragh end.

Like against Swatragh, the game hinged on the concession of a second half penalty. And again, that penalty reeled Claudy in from a three point lead that looked likely to be enough to secure the win.

And the penalty, when it arrived, lit the touch paper to a tension that had been simmering just below the surface all evening between two age old rivals.

The clock was ticking toward full-time (although with the new and unwelcomed water breaks full-time seems to have moved closer to 70 minutes than 60!) when a slick Dungiven move saw Sean McKeever burst on to a square pass through the centre of the Claudy defence. As the Dungiven man collected the ball at pace he was met unceremoniously by a brick wall in the form of Claudy's Cory Armstrong who laid him out. It was a huge hit but Claudy argued Armstrong had done little more than stand his ground.

Referee Cyril Hargan was unmoved and with McKeever thankfully back on his feet, Richie Mullan confidently dispatched the penalty to leave it 1-11 to 0-14 and only the referee's discretion left to decide how long we played.

It was a body blow for Claudy but, for the second week in succession, they responded in style with Donaghy seemingly firing over the winner after Dungiven keeper Kevin Farren was forced to punch a high ball out from under his crossbar.

But no, there was to be more.

Despite the pressure of time, Dungiven were patient, working the ball first left and then back right again before substitute Odhran McKeever split the posts from an acute angle.

And still the drama wasn't finished.

As Claudy attempted to build one final attack following McKeever's equaliser, referee Hargan called the game back to produce a second yellow card for Claudy's Conor Johnston whose incensed reaction to being sent off may land him in further trouble. The game never restarted with Claudy livid at the referee and Aaron Kerrigan then bizarrely receiving a red card after the final whistle as the Mitchel's protestations continued.

Any appeals withstanding, the loss of Johnston and Kerrigan going into the knock-out stages would represent a huge blow for a Claudy team who really should have defeated both Swatagh and Dungiven and who played a lovely brand of fast, counter-attacking football. That's the frustration.

The finale was all a far cry from a first half which played out almost perfectly to Claudy's game-plan. The Mitchel's sat deep, all the opposition possession but turned Dungiven back numerous times in the knowledge frustration was building. More often than not, that frustration led to an ill advised ball inside where Claudy had the numbers to swallow it up and launch a swift counter. Three of the Mitchel's first four scores came after a Claudy break saw Niall McNicholl forced to foul Marty Donaghy and Oran Armstrong tapped over the resulting free.

By contrast, Dungiven had tried three free-takers in the first nine minutes as effort after effort sailed wide until Richie Mullan took over and steadied the ship. Claudy, however, deserved their 0-9 to 0-5 interval lead, an advantage soured only by a late black card for Donaghy after he reacted to a tackle from Thomas Brady.

The loss of their talisman for 10 minutes could have hurt lesser teams but Claudy were compact and tidy in possession with 14 and rode out the storm to remain in front by two by the time Donaghy re-emerged from the sin bin.

The big difference in the second half for Dungiven though was the introduction of Ryan McElhinney and Marty Burke, the former contributing 0-4 and providing great support for Mullan in the forward line.

And yet McElhinney's cameo may not have mattered had the second half's other major talking point not materialised with Claudy 0-11 to 0-9 up and Donaghy only recently returned to play.

An Aaron Kerrigan shot had sailed uncharacteristically wide but rather than dwell on it, the lively Kerrigan was alert and seized on the resulting kick-out from Farren. In a flash, he had switched the ball to Donaghy was about to go clear with only the keeper to beat before being tripped by Thomas McClarey.

McClarey received his inevitable black card but if ever there is such a thing as a good foul, this was it. Kerrigan scored the subsequent free but it felt scant reward for what looked a nailed on goal and a potentially match winning advantage.

The incident fueled Claudy's sense of injustice, a feeling that would eventually boil over after the penalty and late equalising point. Yet despite their disappointment, the draw is enough to ensure they finish above Dungiven who can take heart from their second half display.

More importantly, if this is a taste of what to expect in the knock-out stages, bring it on!

Claudy scorers: Oran Armstrong (0-5, 4f), Aaron Kerrigan (0-3, 2f), Shea Kerrigan (0-1), Eoin McGahon (0-1), Paddy Hargan (0-2), Conor Gormley (0-1), Marty Donaghy (0-2),

Dungiven scorers: Thomas Brady (0-1), Richie Mullan (1-3, 1pen, 3f), Pauric McNicholl (0-1), Fionntan Murphy (0-1, 1f), Ryan McElhinney (0-4, 3f), Martin Burke (0-1), Odhran McKeever (0-1).

Claudy: Kieran Reilly, Cory Armstrong, Ross Stevenson, Fionan Smith, Blaine Carlin, Conor Johnston, Aaron Donaghy, Eoin McGahon, Stephen Farren, Paddy Hargan, Shea Kerrigan, Connor Gormley, Oran Armstrong, Aaron Kerrigan, Marty Donaghy.

(Subs) Darrell Devine for S Farren, 51mins; Shea Dalton for S Kerrigan, 58mins

Sin Bin: M Donaghy, 30mins.

Yellow cards: S Kerrigan, 26mins; C Johnson, 58mins, 65mins.

Red cards: C Johnston, 65mins, A Kerrigan, FT.

Dungiven: Kevin Farren, Niall McNicholl, Thomas McClarey, Ciaran Mackle, Frank Dillon, Conor Kelly, Thomas Brady, Conor Murphy, Shea McKeever, Pauric McNicholl, John Mullan, Daire McKeever, Fionntan Murphy, Richie Mullan, Sean McKeever.

(Subs) Ryan McElhinnney for N McNicholl, HT; James McNicholl for C Kelly, HT; Marty Burke for F Murphy, 39mins; Odhran McKeever for P McNicholl, 46mins; Ben Dillon for T McClarey, 54mins.

Sin Bin: T McClarey (44)

Yellow cards: N McNicholl, 32mins, P McNicholl, 46mins.

Referee: Cyril Hargan (Ardmore)