O’Neills Derry SFC semi-final: Slaughtneil 3-15 Ballinderry 1-5
FOR the first time in three years Slaughtneil have made their way back to the Derry SFC final after Sean Cassidy’s early goal undid all Ballinderry’s best laid plans and paved the way for a cruise.
It’s never felt like they’ve been away but it still gnawed at the Emmet’s that they hadn’t reached a decider since 2017, and this weekend’s clash lined up with holders Magherafelt is one to whet the appetite.
Ballinderry came as much bigger underdogs than the history of this fixture has ever had them, and they came with an eye on playing the game on their terms.
Ryan Bell’s station at wing-back came as a huge surprise, while Gareth McKinless on the other wing wasn’t much short of it, given that he was expected to either pick up Shane McGuigan or play at centre-forward.
Shamrocks boss Niall Conway said afterwards that the recent history of that pair being tied up in “big battles” with Brendan Rogers and Chrissy McKaigue respectively led to the change of tact, but it never got a chance to bed in.
Shane McGuigan’s dropping free was kept in by Christopher Bradley – who should have been penalised for a square ball – and fell for Sean Cassidy to palm home after 64 seconds.
McGuigan turned over the short kickout and won a free which Bradley tapped over and Plan A, to contain and counter, was pretty much out the window for Ballinderry.
They had Daniel Bateson stationed to double-mark McGuigan along with Eamon Wilson, but the Slaughtneil talisman quickly pulled out of the danger zone and created a one-on-one inside for Brian Cassidy instead, off which the winners had plenty of joy.
By the first water break it was 1-6 to 0-1, with Ballinderry’s sole score from a fine Conor O’Neill effort. They had Raymond Wilkinson up front on his own and with Brendan Rogers and Francis McEldowney for company, they carried no hint of a kicking game.
Desperation stakes had already set in and when Meehaul McGrath turned the ball over on his own 45’, a ball over the top to Bradley found him in behind the entire Shamrocks team, 50 yards from goal.
He actually got away with the pass to Paul McNeill, which was a 50-50, but the wing-back had supported the attack and got his reward by winning it over Conor O’Neill’s head and rounding Ben McKinless to score.
Frees from Ryan Bell and Sean Graham were small respite at the other end as the sides went in separated by 11 points, 2-8 to 0-3.
In the spirit of their neighbours from the Loup the previous evening, Ballinderry’s first route to trying to turn it around was the big man at full-forward.
They threw Glenn McOscar on at full-forward. By that stage Ryan Bell had gone in beside him and Gareth McKinless had reverted to centre-forward.
Ballinderry came out and went man-for-man and for the first ten minutes of the half, they breathed some life into it.
The first long ball McOscar combined with Bell but fired the shot wide. On the second, he held his ground and won it clean over Francis McEldowney, who ripped him to the ground. Penalty, but somehow no black card from Dan Mullan, who overall had a decent game.
Sean Graham coolly rolled it home to make it 2-8 to 1-4, but by the time the Shamrocks next scored, Slaughtneil had added 1-6 to their tally and had threatened even more.
Their third goal showed the perils of going man-to-man. Their full-forward line pulled out, Sean Cassidy lofted a beautiful ball over Raymond Wilson’s head and Christopher Bradley trotted through to finish brilliantly.
He and his brother Ronan, as well Shane McGuigan and Chrissy McKaigue could all have had goals in the final quarter as the space, and their pace, started to really dictate.
And the game ended on a worse note for Ballinderry, and possibly Derry ahead of their upcoming return, when Ryan Bell landed awkwardly and hobbled off with an ankle injury.
It sets up an intriguing decider between undoubtedly the county’s best two teams this year.
Although it seems almost certain the game will be in Bellaghy rather than Celtic Park, with the NI executive expected to announce further tightening of measures in the north later this week, which could include moving sporting events back behind closed doors, the choice of venue almost becomes immaterial.
Fans or not, it’s a decider that will go to the wire.
MATCH STATS
Slaughtneil: A McMullan; B Rogers; F McEldowney; C McAllister, P McNeill (1-0), C McKaigue (0-3), K Feeney; P Bradley, P Cassidy; S Cassidy (1-0), C O’Doherty, M McGrath; C Bradley (1-4, 0-2 frees), Shane McGuigan (0-5, 0-1 free); B Cassidy (0-3)
Subs: P Kearney for Feeney (HT), P McGuigan for McEldowney (44), Sé McGuigan for O’Doherty (44), R Bradley for McGrath (52)
Yellow cards: C McKaigue (36)
Ballinderry: B McKinless; E Wilson, D Bell; D Bateson; D Lawn, G McKinless, R Wilson, R Scott, R Bell (0-2 frees); K McGuckin, C Nevin; C O’Neill (0-1), R O’Neill, S Graham (1-1, 1-0 pen, 0-1 free); R Wilkinson
Subs: G McOscar for D Bell (HT), A Mullan for Lawn (HT), S Coleman (0-1) for Wilkinson (47), O Mullan for Bateson (47), C Mallaghan for R Bell (54)
Yellow cards: McKinless (9), R Wilson (48)
Referee: D Mullan (Glenullin)
