M&L Senior Championship semi-finals

In two dramatic semi finals at the week end Coleraine beat Ballinascreen by a two point margin but on the run of play were probably worth a bigger win. Ballinderry made an amazing injury time revival with goals from subs James Conway and Gavin McGeehan to score a 3-10 to 1-15 win over a most unlucky Lavey team who looked to have their place in the final booked at the end of normal time when they led by 1-14 to 1-10.

Coleraine 1-9 Ballinascreen 1-7

Coleraine have been the shock team of the Derry championship this year and their ever maturing team scored a good win over Ballinascreen in wet conditions at Banagher on Saturday evening.

Ballinascreen made a great start and a converted penalty from outstanding defender Dermot McBride had them in a 1-2 to 0-1 early lead. Coleraine tightened up at the back and through the excellent Niall Holly took control at midfield and by half time they were in a comfortable 1-7 to 1-3 lead.

Sean Leo McGoldrick and Declan Mullan in the winners half forward line were causing the Ballinascreen back line all kinds of problems and with midfield out of contention the losers back six soaked up a lot of pressure.

On a ay when some of the top players on the Ballinascreen team did not hit a top note it was left to the likes of Carlus McWilliams, John Francis Bradley and Dermot McBride to put up challenge against the fleet footed Coleraine team.

Ciaran McGoldrick and Gregroy Bradley in the winners full forward line were ever dangerous and over the hour contributed 1-3 between them. Ballinascreen scored just two points from open play against 1-6 by Coleraine and that was the real difference between the teams.

When Coleraine opened up a five (point gap in the second half they set up camp in front of their own goalmouth and allowed Ballinascreen to attack and it nearly proved to be a dangerous game as in the last seconds a free by sub Brendan Heron hit a Cleraine player on the leg before being cleared to safety.

A brilliant breakaway point by Cairan McGoldriock was the highlight of the second half.

Coleraine scorers: Gregory Bradley 1-1, Niall Holly 0-3, Cairan McGoldrick 0-2, Barry McGoldrick 0-2frees, Richard Carey 0-1.

Ballinascreen scorers Dermot McBride 1-0penalty, Kieran McElroy 0-2, 0-1free, Benny Heron 0-2frees, Philip Bradley 0-1 free and Gavin Bradley 0-1.

Referee: Sean McGuigan.

Ballinderry 3-10 Lavey 1-15

A crowd in the region of 2500 witness one of the most drama laden, exciting and high quality games ever played in the Derry senior football championship at Greenlough.

Goals by subs Gavin McGeehan and James Conway in the 61st and 65th minutes saw the Shamrocks snatch victory over a Lavey team that had outplayed them for all of the second half up to injury time.

Had it not been for the brilliance of the winners goalie Michael Conlon Ballinderry would have been dead and buried long before the final whistle. Three times he denied point blank shots from the brilliant Cailean O'Boyle and out of his three efforts one was deflected over the bar for the only reward for his labours.

Ballinderry did play well in the first half and turned over leading by 1-6 to 0-5 their goal coming from Raymond Wilkinson midway through the half but they should have had a second major when Conleth Gilligan sent over the bar with only keeper Cairan O'Boyle to beat.

Lavey were transformed in the second half and took Ballinderry apart but those saves from Conlon kept Ballinderry in the game. Cailean O'Boyle and Paul Hearty were ever dangerous and Haerty's gaol in the second minute of the second half was a brilliant effort and levelled the game.

Hearty and O'Boyle mainly from frees put Lavey in command but in their rare attacks Conleth Gilligan with a fine individual display was keeping Ballinderry in touch.

Fifteen minutes into the second half the game boiled over and in a melee Ballinderry midfielder Enda Muldoon and Lave full back Kevin McCloy got straight red cards meaning that Muldoon will miss the final against Coleraine. Ballinderry have intimated that they may appeal the Muldoon red card.

Ballinderry scorers: Conleth Gilligan 0-5, Colin Devlin 0-4, 0-2frees, Raymond Wilkinson, James Conway and Gavin McGeehan 1-0 each, Martin Harney 0-1.

Lavey scorers: Paul Hearty 1-7, 0-6frees, Cailean O'Boyle 0-4, 0-3frees, Colm Murphy, Gary Doyle, Michael Drumm 0-1 each and Shane Devlin 0-1

Referee: JJ Cleary Castledawson

Intermediate final will provide a new winner

After the Intermediate championship semi finals at the week end there will be a new winner as neither Castledawson who beat Craigbane or Steelstown who beat Foreglen have ever won the competition or even been in the final.

Castledawson 0-12 Craigbane 0-11

A very accurate Castledawson team proved too good for Craigbane in slippery conditions at Banagher. The dismissal of one of their most experienced players Ruairi Shivers in the second half came at a time when they were in complete control but the extra man and the brilliance of Craigbane full forward nearly turned the game around.

Castledawson showing a high degree of accuracy led at the break by 0-8 to 0-4 and they looked set for an easy win until Shivers got sent off.

Craigbane who had played poorly gradually got into the game and had it not been for two brilliant points from Niall McNicholl early in the second half the Castledawson team could well have lost a game they dominated for 45 minutes.

With the extra space Lee Moore began to open up and there was a lot of pressure on the on the Castledawson back line but they could not get any closer than a point but looked to be denied one when a Moore free was given as a wide in the first half when it looked very much to have gone over.

Castledawson scorers Niall McNicholl 0-4, Conor Scullion, Aidan McElhone and Barry o'kane 0-2 each, Joseph O'Kane and Martin Heaney 0-1 each.

Craigbane scorers: Lee Moore 0-7, Adrain McLaughlin 0-2, Rory Gormley and Gavin Conwell 0-1 each.

Referee: Sean Hamill.

Steelstown 1-12 Foreglen 0-7

Surprise packets Steelstwon scored a surprisingly easy win over Foreglen in the second semi final played at Castledawson. Foreglen completely dominated the opening fifteen minutes but just led by 0-2 to nil. A brilliant save from Martin Dunne had denied Kevin O'Neill a goal.

It took Steelstown just three minutes o go in front with points from Daniel Jackson, Stephen Cleary and Conan Doherty and by half time they were 0-6 to 0-2 in front.

Foreglen stayed on the fringes of the game with some good frees by Eoghan McFeely but a goal by Aidan Cleary ten minutes form the end spelt the end of the Foreglen challenge.

Referee: Aidan McAlynn Loup