DERRY GAA: Ballinderry oust holders Glenullin to become favourites for Intermediate title

Ballinderry 3-11, Glenullin 1-7

Back-to-back Derry Intermediate Club Championship winners, Glenullin, bowed out of this year’s title chase against a well organised Ballinderry team that never looked like losing at Owenbeg on Sunday.

From a Glenullin viewpoint, there must be worries about their defending. The Mitchel’s left large gaps for the clever winners attack to exploit and the Shamrocks’ goal tally against could have been more substantial but for three brilliant saves from Glenullin keeper, Niall O’Kane. His brother, Dermot, in attack and midfielder Neil McNicholl were the other players who did cause Ballinderry a bit of worry and to be fair to Paddy Bradley’s men they were forced to start without ace forward Ryan McNicholl and then lost Diarmuid McNicholl to injury after just 12 minutes.

In the end the winners looked as if they still had a few unused gears left should they require them. They were calm and purposeful and only after Eunan Boylan’s early second half goal and an O’Kane free cut the gap to five did they look even slightly worried.

Ballinderry will now be hot favourites to take a first ever intermediate title but this performance must be measured against the poor showing of

Glenullin whose ambition to return to senior championship football will have to wait another year at least.

Sharocks’ veteran Darren Lawn conducted the orchestra up front and he never had a marker close to him over the hour. Shea McCann had too much pace for the Glenullin defence while Niall O’Donnell drove forward from midfield to heap more pressure on the Mitchels’ defence. Defensively Ballinderry left no loopholes apart from the slip that let Eunan Boylan in for the goal.

The opening stages were as dull as dishwater and it took eight minutes for the first score and that was a long range effort from Charlie Crozier. Midway through the half goalkeeper Ben McKinless doubled the Ballinderry lead from a ’45.

Shea McCann, who caused Glenullin all kinds of problems over the 60 odds minutes, punched over an 18th minute point as the game began to show a bit of life as one minute later Dermot O’Kane finally opened the Glenullin scoring. However a McCann goal from the play and one from the penalty spot built a commanding 2-2 to 0-1 lead for the favourites after 20 minutes.

Charlie Crozier and Ryan Bell from frees put the winners nine to the good but as the game drifted into first half added time Neil McNicholl with a brilliant point gave the Mitchel’s a much needed lift. As the half tailed off, Ruairi Forbes landed a long range point with Dermot O’Kane replying from a free but even with a 2-5 to 0-3 lead, Ballinderry still had it all to do given they would be facing the stiff second half breeze on the restart.

However, they made the perfect start as substitute Matthew Smith stretched the Ballinderry lead on the resumption and when Eunan Boylan

finished a high ball from Chrissy Dempsey to the net the game finally began to liven up.

A converted free from the ever accurate Dermot O’Kane cut the Ballinderry led to five points but that was as good as it got for the holders and with Ryan Bell back from 10 minutes in the ‘bin’, Ballinderry clicked into gear again.

After 39 minutes it was as good as all over as a contest when Lawn and McCann played in substitute Matt Quinn for a clinical finish to the net.

With the game now even more streteched, Ballinderry were able to carry the ball through the wide open Glenullin defence as Eoin Devlin and Forbes scored easily. A Dermot O’Kane free and two from play brought the Glenullin total to 1-7, however Shea McCann twice and Niall O’Donnell skipped through the holders’ defence to finish Ballinderry’s tally at an impressive 3-11.

Ballinderry scorers: Shea McCann (2-2 1pen), Matt Quinn (1-0), Ruairi Forbes (0-2) , Charlie Crozier (0-1), Niall O’Donnell (0-1), Eoin Devlin (0-1), Matt Smith (0-1), Ryan Bell (0-1, 1f).

Glenullin scorers: Dermot O’Kane (0-6, 2f), Eunan Boylan (1-0) and Neil McNicholl (0-1).

Ballinderry: Ben McKinless, Eoghan Rocks, Oisin Duffin, Ryan O’Neill, Eoin Devlin, Gareth McKinless, Ruairi Forbes, Niall O’Donnell, Charlie Crozier, Tiarnan Rocks, Matt Quinn, Shea McCann, Matthew Smyth, Ryan Bell, Darren Lawn. (Subs) Aaron Mullan for E Rocks, HT; Shea Coleman for M Smith, 44mins; Danial McKinless for C Crozier, 46mins.

Glenullin: Niall O’Kane, Daniel O’Kane, Eunan O’Kane, Diarmuid McNicholl, Cormac Hasson, John O’Kane, Conor Rafferty, Neil McNicholl, Traglach Bradley, Eunan Boylan, Donal O’Kane, Christopher Dempsey, Fearghal Close, Eoin Bradley, Dermot O’Kane. Subs Eamon Hasson for D McNicholl (inj) 12mins; Eoin Bradley for M O’Kane, 32mins; Ruairi McNicholl for C Dempsey, 35mins; Ronan Close for Donal O’Kane, 45mins.

Referee: Barry Cassidy (Bellaghy)