DERRY GAA: Ballinascreen survive Lavey late show to claim Junior hurling title

Ballinascreen 2-16 Lavey 1-17

With time almost up and Ballinascreen leading by a goal in a pulsating Derry Junior final, Lavey were thrown the chance of redemption when with a free some 25m out.

Goalkeeper Eoin Mulholland made the long trek forward, no doubt with goal on his mind. He blasted the sliotar but with Storm Ashley’s gale behind him the ball went over rather than under and Ballinscreen were champions.

Despite the fierce breeze that blew towards the Foreglen Road this was a fiercely competitive affair littered with some excellent long range scores and stout defending. For obvious reasons it was the tale of two halves. Ballinascreen with a massive 12 point lead at half time could only muster two second half points in a period when they were outscored by 0-12 to 0-2 and Lavey played the last 16 minutes a man down after free taker Fintan Bradley was sent off on a red card.

Tall midfielder Ryan McGill stepped into the breach and his free taking and accuracy from play was the main reason why his team came close to snatching a dramatic draw. Neither team took a backward step with the game always having an edge about it. Bradley’s dismissal came as a few players tangled near the sideline. Remarkably Lavey scored the next four points!

As the game passed the halfway mark of the first half Lavey would have been happy enough trailing by just 0-6 to 0-4 and playing into the ever strengthening wind. Eleven minutes later they were trailing by 2-13 to 0-4 as Ballinascreen took complete control.

The two Ballinasreen goals came in a three minute spell with Segdae Melaugh joining the spree with a well taken Lavey major. With the wind playing tricks with the sliotar it took the teams a few minutes to get adjusted.

After they got the flight of the ball sorted out Ballinascreen went into an early 0-4 to 0-1 lead with Marty Bradley getting two of the four ‘Screen scores. With Bradley popping over frees the ’Screen lead was just a point after 18 minutes.

Then the flood gates opened with Eamon Conway leading the way, sending over a free and a ’65. Ciaran Doyle made the score 0-8 to 0-4 and as the gap widened when centre half Ryan Scullion sent over two monster points from play. The goals from Reece McSorley and Marty Bradley left the winners leading by 2-13 to 1-5 after 25 minutes. Fintan Bradley, from a free, got Lavey’s first score in 15 minutes. Paul Cleary had the last score of the half for a massive 2-14 to 1-5 half time lead.

Upoin the restart the direct play of Lavey saw them cut immediately into the Ballinascreen lead with a string of points that left the score 2-14 to 1-9 but ’Screen’s best player, Eamon Conway, got two points in quick succession for a 10 point lead.

Then came the Bradley red card but it seemed to inspire the Erin’s Own as they took complete control of the game. It took good work by keeper Derig McDaid and full back Jamie Lee McGlade to clear dangerous situations as the margin gradually got narrower. With McGill controlling midfield and belting over free after free, it was 2-16 to 1-14 going into added time.

A brace of McGill points, one from play, had Ballinascreen in trouble and St. Colm’s backs were to the wall when Eoin Mulholland blasted over that late free. The final whistle brought welcomed relief as ’Screen now go into the Ulster campaign with a quarter in game against the Monaghan champions.

Ballinascreen scorers: Eamon Conway (0-6, 2f ’65), Marty Bradley (1-2) Paul Cleary (0-3, 2f), Reece McSorley (1-1), Ryan Scullion (0-2) Ciaran Doyle (0-1), Aaron Kelly (0-1).

Lavey scorers: Ryan McGill (0-8, 6f),Fintan Bradley (0-4f) Sedgae Melaugh (1-0), Conor Melaugh (0-2) Aimon Duffin (0-1), Noel Rafferty (0-1) and Eoin Mulholland(0-1, 1f).

Lavey: Eoin Mulholland, Sean Toner, Brendan Laverty, Dominic Duggan, Aidan Toner, Ryan Mulholland, Aimon Duffin, Ryan McGill, Ryan McGarvey, Ryan Farren, Fintan Bradley, Segdae Melaugh, Conor Melaugh, Cormac Collins, Thomas Lynch. (Sub) Jack Shaw for T Lynch

Ballinascreen: Deirig McDaid, Ciaran McBride, Jamie-Lee McGlade, Andy McBride, Cormac Gough, Ryan Scullion, Ciaran Doyle, Aaron Kelly, Dean Flanagan, Paul Cleary, Noel Rafferty, Eamon Conway, Ben Kealey, Reece McSorley, Martin Bradley. (Subs) Eoin McCallion for A Kelly, Ruairi McWillians for D Flanagan, Conor Murtagh for N Rafferty.

Referee: James Forrester (Banagher).