DERRY GAA: Faughanvale seek to upset odds against Ballinderry in Intermediate final

Sunday’s senior final will be preceded by an attractive intermediate decider between Ballinderry and Faughanvale who came through a high quality competition to reach the decider.

From the start of this championship Ballinderry were automatic favourites but few would have expected Faughanvale to be their opposition on the day of decision. Ballinderry will be seeking their first title at this level while Faughavale have been winners five times in the years of 1978, ’81, ’96, 98 and 99.

After underperforming in recent years the new joint management of Darrell O’Kane and Emmett McKeever have pointed the ‘Vale in the right direction. They look fitter and more focused than at any time since they reached the Ulster junior final back in 2015. A good league campaign which saw them promoted to senior was followed by a not so great championship qualifying group where they just squeezed into the quarter final.

The last time Ballinderry Shamrocks played at Celtic Park was in the 2014 senior final when Slaughtneil denied them four in a row. A handful of players from that final are still going strong with the current team. They go into this final as firm favourites with eight straight victories behind them but they did get a few close calls along the way.

Both teams play open and attractive football. Indeed Ballinderry’s 2-10 to 1-12 semi final victory over Banagher was arguably the best club game played in the county this year. Faughanvale’s best performance came in the semi final against a fancied Castledawson team when a strong second half showing saw them romp home by eight points.

However they needed a strong finish to see off Drumsurn in the semi final at Owenbeg, scoring the last four points of a cagey game before eventually winning by two.

Ballinderry had a surprisingly easy quarter final victory over the holders Glenullin, winning by 10 points, but they had to be at their very best to beat a good Banagher team by a point on the score of 2-10 to 1-12 in that classic semi final.

Their driving force is Gareth McKinless who helped himself to 1-2 but his opposite number Eamon Og Feeney scored five points from play and that’s something the Shamrock’s management of former player Jarleth Bell and three times All Ireland winner with Tyrone Davy Harte will be concerned with.

Curran a worry for ’Vale

Every team has a player that’s hard to replace so the St. Mary’s will be sweating on the fitness of their iconic midfielder, Jordan Curran. He came off injured late in the Castledawson game. He did come off the bench against Drumsurn in the second half and while he did not handle the ball much, his presence seemed to give his team mates a boost in confidence. When he came on his team was two points down; by the final whistle they were two points up.

Ballinderry will have the edge in experience. Few teams at this level have half backs like Gareth McKinless and Ruairi Forbes. Curran is fit enough to wear the No. 9 jersey he will test Ballinderry duo of O’Donnell and Crozier in company with Mark Creane. Kyle McGuinness and Michael Sweeney are solid in the Faughanvale central positions but wing back Kevin Martin has been impressive, not alone as a scorer but also a playmaker.

Paddy O’Kane is back to his best in the attack but he will need a lot more support if they are to upset the odds though Eoin McElhinney at full forward can make life difficult for Ballinderry’s experienced full back Oisin Duffin.

A lot of the Ballinderry scores have been coming from McKinless and Forbes in the half back line, and Niall O’Donnell at midfield. Shea McCann is their top forward. The experienced Ryan Bell will probably stay close to goal. When he drifted further out against Banagher his marker Keelan O‘Kane pushed forward to score three points. Darren Lawn, a former half back now at corner forward, sets up a lot of the Shamrock’s scores.

Ballinderry will be favourites but they will get nothing easy against this promising Faughanvale team.

Likely Lineouts: Faughanvale – Paidhric O’Neill, Kyle McGuinness, Michael Sweeney, Sean Butcher, Shane McElhinney, Conor McGuinness, Kevin Martin, Connlaith McGee, Mark Creane, Shea Martin, Tiarnan McFeely, Oran Clenaghan, Paddy O’Kane, Eoin McElhinney, Jude Bryson. (Possible replacements: Jordan Curran and James Moore.)

Ballinderry – Ben McKinless, Aaron 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. (Possible replacement Daniel McKinless.)