DERRY GAA: Ballinderry hold off Banagher in thrilling Intermediate semi-final clash

Ballinderry 2-11, Banagher 1-13

Football can be a cruel sport but probably the most cruel thing about this epic Intermediate semi-final was that the referee's full-time whistle denied supporters an extra 20 minutes of what was the game of the championship thus far!

Favourites Ballinderry progressed to a final everyone expected them to be in but that barely scratches the surface of an end to end tie that saw three quality goals, a brilliant penalty save, 3-21 scored from play and enough drama to keep even Jim Gavin and his friends happy! New rules? Perhaps it's just new attitudes we need.

Of course that's all cold comfort to a Banagher side who looked a totally different animal form the tepid team who sneaked by 14-man Eoghan Rua in the last eight. Written off before the game, Paul Bradley's men were excellent throughout a fixture that saw some outstanding performances on both teams.

For the Shamrocks, county star Gareth McKinless hit 1-02 and caused havoc all afternoon but he had more than adequate support from Niall O'Donnell, Ruairi Forbes and Shea McCann, who saw his 20th minute spot-kick stopped by Callum Armstrong but recovered to hit the crucial 42nd minute goal that eventually wrestled the lead off a St. Mary's side who had led from the fifth minute.

For Banagher, Eamon Og Feeney continued his wonderful championship with another fantastic individual display and five points from play while full-back Keelan O'Kane was solid at the back and also hit three from play. Including the penalty, St Mary's keeper Armstrong made two world class saves while Tiarnan Moore was a constant thorn in Ballinderry sides.

Even when the game appeared to have been decided by Ballinderry's second goal on 49 minutes, Banagher seized upon a turnover two minutes later to send Moore scampering on to a lovely through ball and rolling a 40m finish into Ben McKinless' unguarded net to kick the drama off again.

In the end Ballinderry had just about enough steam to get themselves over the line but it took a huge late Forbes point to hold off the St. Mary's fightback and secure an October 27th date with Faughanvale in Celtic Park.

It was a game that scarcely drew breath with Tiarnan Moore scoring two minutes in to signal the start of play that had only only gear - fifth.

Feeney doubled the lead before Niall O'Donnell got Ballinderry up and running on five minutes as the sides went for each other's throats from the off. A lovely McKinless solo run and point was followed by another Feeney effort with the teams level at four points apiece by the 14th minute, O'Donnell accounting for three of his team's tally.

Another brilliant Feeny point and a free from Peter Hagan had Banagher 0-6 to 0-4 up when Tiarnan Rocks sent Matthew Smith clear. The forward did everything right, sidestepping Armstrong but as he prepared to shoot into an empty net the Banagher No. 1 was back, diving at his feet to deny the Shamrocks player with a unbelievable stop.

Two minutes later Armstrong was at it again, this time diving to his left to keep out McCann's penalty after McKinless' run had been upended in the square.

Ruairi Quirk and Feeney points took the Banagher lead out to 0-8 to 0-4 only for O'Donnell and Ryan Bell to draw them back in with a Ballinderry brace. Keelan O'Kane opened his account with Banagher's last point of the half but Bell's final kick made it 0-9 to 0-7 at the break.

Any thoughts of a drop in intensity disappeared upon the restart and Banagher still led 0-10 to 0-9 when McCann's goal finally got his team in front for the first time on 42 minutes. It was a brilliant more too, started by McKinless' marauding run out from goals and ending with O'Donnell feeding McCann to fire a lovely low left footed finish across Armstrong and into the far corner.

Now it was Banagher's turn to chase as Keelan O'Kane's point was cancelled out by one from Forbes, who was a growing influence on proceedings second half.

The chase looked in vain when, with 11 minutes left, Conor O'Neill turned over Banagher possession on half-way and fired a perfect pass into Ryan Bell with the St. Mary's defence all advanced. Bell held it up just long enough to be joined by McKinless who took the pass and fired home a superb finish for 2-10 to 0-11.

That looked like being that. Well, for two minutes at least until Ballinderry were this time turned over and, with Ben McKinless stranded out of his goal, Moore re-ignited the Banagher fires.

Another Feeney point left the minimum between them with five to play but that huge Forbes score just as the clock hit 60 proved just enough after Gavin O'Neill's late drive cleared the Shamrocks' crossbar.

Ballinderry progress to the final but can someone send Jim Gavin the video!

Ballinderry scorers: Gareth McKinless (1-1), Shea McCann (1-0), Niall O'Donnell (0-4), Ryan Bell (0-3, 1f), Ruairi Forbes (0-3).

Banagher scorers: Tiarnan Moore (1-2, 1f), Eamon Og Feeney (0-5), Keelan O'Kane (0-3), Peter Hagan (0-1, 1f), Ruairi Quirk (0-1), Gavin O'Neill (0-1).

Ballinderry: Ben McKinless, Aron Mullan, Oisin Duffin, Ryan O'Neill, Eoin Devlin, Gareth McKinless, Ruairi Forbes, Niall O'Donnell, Charlie Crozier, Tiarnan Rocks, Conor O'Neill, Shea McCann, Darren Lawn, Ryan Bell, Matthew Smith. (Subs) Daniel McKinless for D Lawn, 60mins.

Banagher: Callum Armstrong, Jack Lynch, Cathair McGilligan, Keelan O'Kane, Eoin Devine, Gavin O'Neill, Darragh McCloskey, Brian Og McGilligan, Callum O'Kane, Ciaran Lynch, Eamon Og Feeney, Ruairi Quirk, Shane Farren, Peter Hagan, Tiarnan Moore. (Subs) Mark Lynch for S Farren, 49mins.

Referee: Cianan Canney