DERRY GAA: Ballinderry crowned Ulster champions as Lawn winner defeats Arva

Ballinderry 1-12, Arva (Cavan) 2-08

Ballinderry are Ulster Intermediate Football champions for the first time after Darren Lawn kicked himself into the history books with a breathtaking injury time winning point against Arva in Healy Park on Saturday evening.

What had been a superb spectacle looked set for extra-time when the superb Kevin Bouchier brought the Cavan champions level in the second of four added minutes - and that after Niall O'Donnell had edged Ballinderry in front right on 60 minutes.

But as the crowd settled in for more, Gareth McKinless set off on one of those trademark magnetic runs that draw defenders toward him by the dozen. The result was Lawn found himself in space out on the right, about 35m from the posts. A player who prefers his heroics to be of the unsung variety found himself centre stage and he didn't disappoint, curling over an exquisite effort that will be celebrated on barstools and in clubrooms long into the future.

A fitting finale to a brilliant final and one totally in keeping with a year in which the Shamrocks have produced some of the best championship games in the country, with the promise of more to come in an All Ireland semi-final against Austin Stacks in January.

But that's for another day! This one was all about character and Ballinderry had it in abundance with every player stepping up. Lawn deserves the headlines but in Conor O'Neill the Shamrocks had probably the 'Man of the Match' though he would be hard pushed by Niall O'Donnell.

A first half which was shaded by Arva gave way to slugfest of a second in which Ballinderry landed more blows and this was championship football at its best.

The pivotal moment was Shea McCann's 40th minute goal, engineered by O'Neill's run but fired expertly into the top corner by McCann. It levelled the game and served a a huge shot in the arm after a malfunction on the Shamrocks' kick-out had gifted Arva a second major and a three point second half lead. From there Ballinderry were in charge but Arva always carried major counter-attacking threat that required Lawn's historic intervention to finally quell for good.

Ballinderry started with Charlie Crozier pushed up to support Ryan Bell and any number of runners eager to join the inside duo at every opportunity. And by and large the Shamrocks bossed the early stages but the longer the half wore on, the more influence Arva gained.

That was due in part to Barry O'Donnell's 14th minute goal which proved a real 'pendulum' moment in the half and provided the Cavan men with a major confidence boost in a final of fine margins. From there, and with Finbar O'Reilly's team gaining the upper hand at kick-outs, Arva just about edged the opening half but Ballinderry still passed up to gilt edged goal chances.

Things started well for the Derry champions with Shea Coleman getting the scoreboard moving after only a minute with a well taken point that was soon doubled by a Crozier free.

The excellent Jonathan McCabe opened Arva's account on six minutes but Ballinderry's two point lead was restored by a Ryan Bell point that owed everything to an excellent run from deep by Aron Mullan.

At 0-3 to 0-1, Ballinderry looked comfortable but that changed 14 minutes in when O'Donnell took a pass from McCabe wide out under the main Healy Park stand and meandered past two Shamrocks defenders in along the by-line before squeezing a shot under Ben McKinless at the keeper's near post.

The goal changed the complexion of the game but McCann's brilliant long range point served noticed the Shamrocks were not about to lie down.

Conal Sheridan's first point of the game made it 1-03 to 0-4 before, on 21 minutes, Ballinderry had the first of two excellent goal chances. It was engineered by a forceful McKinless run which was halted by an text-book Tristan Noack Hoffman tackle. Unfortunately for the Cavan man his tackle presented possession straight to Crozier who soccer-style stepped inside his marker but fired a first time shot over the bar for a point that probably should've been a goal.

Six minutes later an even better chance when Conor O'Neill's run picked out Tiarnan Rocks in space only yards from the Arva goal but his low shot found the base of the post and Arva were off the hook again. To rub salt into the Derry wounds, Arva captain Ciaran Brady strolled forward from the kick-out to fire over the point that ensured his team went into the changing rooms with a two point lead at 1-4 to 0-5.

Ballinderry emerged to wiped out that advantage within three minutes of the restart thanks to points from O'Neill (f) and O'Donnell but Conal Sheridan's goal from the mistake on the Shamrock's looked to have handed Arva the upper hand again. We really should have known better with Ballinderry by this stage!

Forbes should have netted before McCann but once the sides were tied the fun really began. Kevin Bounchier tried to almost single handedly deny the Derry champions but Ballinderry weren't having it. Step forward and take a bow Darren Lawn!

Ballinderry scorers: Shea McCann (1-1),Niall O'Donnell (0-2),Charlie Crozier (0-2, f), Ryan Bell (0-1), Shea Coleman (0-1), Conor O'Neill (0-3, 1f), Ruairi Forbes (0-1), Darren Lawn (0-1)

Arva scorers: Kevin Bouchier (0-4, 2f),Conal Sheridan (1-1), Barry Donnelly (1-0), Jonathan McCabe (0-2), Ciaran Brady (0-1).

Ballinderry Shamrocks: Ben McKinless, Aron Mullan Oisin Duffin , Ryan O'Neill, Eon Devlin, Gareth McKinless, Ruairi Forbes, Niall O'Donnell, Charlie Crozier, Tiarnan Rocks, Conor O'Neill, Shea McCann, Darren Lawn, Ryan Bell, Shea Coleman. (Subs) Daniel McKinless for T Rocks, 45mins; Matthew Smyth for E Devlin, 48mins; Eoin McCracken for A Mullan, 53mins; Matt Quinn for D McKinless (inj), 58mins; Eoghan Rocks for D Lawn, 64mins;

St. Patrick's, Arva: Cian O'Hara, Dylan Maguire, James Morris, Finbar McAvinue, Eanna Ward, Stephen Sheridan, Tomas O Bradaigh, Ciaran Brady, Tristan Noack Hofmann, Fergal McGlade, Barry Donnelly, Jonathan McCabe, Peter Morris, Kevin Bouchier, Conal Sheridan. (Subs) Peter Conneely for P Morris, 53mins; Shane Hamilton for F MCGlade, 58mins.

Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone)