DERRY GAA: Craigbane sharpshooters defeat Ballerin to book Junior final spot

Craigbane 2-13, Ballerin 0-07

Craigbane moved ominously into the Premier Electrics Derry Junior final thanks to an emphatic victory over a Ballerin team who simply couldn't match the firepower of Kevin Moore's Lilywhites.

Ballerin bossed much of the opening half and passed up two early goal chances which would have provided a foothold in a game where the momentum switched permanently after Pierce McCloskey's 25 minute goal for Craigbane. The half forward's fierce strike put Craigbane 1-02 to 0-3 ahead and once in front, the championship favourites took control with a very impressive second half showing.

That may have been different had Lilywhite's keeper Ben O'Kane not produced a brilliant one handed save at 1-05 to 0-4 to deny Shane McIntyre a wonderful solo goal that may have re-ignited Ballerin’s challenge. Instead Craigbane - inspired by a superb display from goalscorers Conor McLaughlin, who scored 1-02, and minor captain McCloskey - accelerated through the gears to put the game to bed long before the final whistle.

McLaughlin's goal, an unfortunate mistake by the otherwise excellent Ballerin keeper John McGinley under a high ball, arrived only two minutes after O'Kane's save at the other and once ahead at 2-06 to 0-05, there was only ever one winner with Craigbane's embarrassment of attacking riches the big difference between the two sides.

The Lilywhites had 10 different scorers across the 60 odd minutes, a statistic standing in stark contrast to Ballerin for whom Eugene Mullan contributed all but one of their seven scores in a display that had to wait until the 40th minute for its first score from play dispite some excellent approach play.

With Paul Ferris as the sole inside man, the underdogs had set up anticipating periods without the ball but always ready to spring their fast breaking counter should the opportunity arise and they didn't have to wait long for it to work.

Twice in the opening five minutes the Sarsfields fashioned gilt edged goal opportunities but were unable to take advantage and the misses looked more costly as the half wore on. As early as the third minute Antoin Bradley found Shane Ferris who released Mullan clear on goal. His shot was fierce but too straight and found O'Kane standing tall to make a crucial save.

Less than two minutes later another flowing Ballerin move this time create space inside for Paul Ferris whose low drive flashed across the face of O'Kane's goal and just wide of the far post. Two big chances, nothing to show and that would prove costly.

There was never any panic from a Craigbane team playing with the quiet confidence of a side who knew they would create chances and after seven scoreless minutes, Jude McLaughlin eventually woke the Celtic Park scoreboard up with the game’s opening score from a mark.

Craigbane could have hit the net themselves two minutes later when Pierce McCloskey's shot was saved by John McGinley with Oisin O'Donnell unable to twist and turn the rebound home. But Ballerin were getting plenty of joy too as a Mullan free tied things up before the same player took an excellent mark and another free to put his side 0-3 to 0-1 up on 17 minutes.

Yet that would be as good as it got after Fergal Mortimer's point preceded Pierce McCloskey's goal which saw the Craigbane player swap passes with team-mate Cahir O'Kane before crashing home a goal his performance fully deserved.

Jacob McElhinney's fine score left a goal between them, a margin that remained intact at the break after Mullan and Aaron Sharkey swapped scores for 1-04 to 0-4 at the short whistle.

McIntyre's opportunity was Ballerin's big second half chance and the midfielder's superb run and shot probably deserved more than to meet a O'Kane's breathtaking reactions but Craigbane capitalised fully on the save, especially after McGinley dropped Conor McLaughlin's speculative high ball into the net for 2-06 to 0-5.

McLaughlin tagged on another score almost immediately and from there Craigbane went up a level, hitting some superb scores, including a beautiful brace of points from Jude Og Moore.

Ballerin's effort always kept Craigbane honest but it typified a frustrating evening for the Sarsfields that a couple of late goal chances went wide. Stephen Mullan did ensure Eugene Mullan would not be his side's only scorer but by that stage Craigbane were out of sight.

Few teams at junior level boast the type of attacking spread Craigbane can, a fact made even more impressive when you consider the likes of Lee and Rory Moore and Naoise O Mianain were among a lengthy list of injured players not involved in Celtic Park. On this level of performance they have work to do to get a shirt for the final!

Craigbane scorers: Conor McLaughlin (1-2), Pierce McCloskey (1-0), Jude McLaughlin (0-3, 1f, 1m), Jude Og Moore (0-2), Brian Rainey (0-1), Jacob McElhinney (0-1), Aaron Sharkey (0-1), Cahir O'Kane (0-1), Fergal Mortimer (0-1, 1f), Fintan Lynch (0-1).

Ballerin scorers: Eugene Mullan (0-6, 4f, 1m), Stephen Mullan (0-1).

Craigbane: Ben O'Kane, Eoin Coll, David Lowry, Fintan Lynch, James McLaughlin, Conor McLaughlin, Oisin O'Donnell, Jude Og Moore, Jacob McElhinney, Aaron Sharkey, Cahir O'Kane, Pierce McCloskey, Fergal Mortimer, Jude McLaughlin, Brian Rainey. (Subs) Liam Crossan D Lowry, 45mins; Niall Cartin for C McLaughlin, 58mins.

Ballerin: John McGinley, Sean Ferris, Brian Deighan, Dylan Mullan, Callum Bradley, Stephen Mullan, Bobby Mullan, Shane McIntyre, Anntoin Bradley, Shane Ferris, Paul Ferris, Ryan Doherty, Daniel Walton, Eugene Mullan, Odhran Canning. (Subs) Kosta Papachristopolus for Sean Ferris, 37mins; High Higgins for D Mullan, 43mins; Cormac Canning for R Doherty, 46mins; Darren Robinson for A Bradley, 57mins.

Referee: Michael Kelly