AIB Ulster Intermediate Football Championship Final: Ballinderry (Derry) 1-12 v 2-8 Arva (Cavan)
DARREN Lawn was the Ballinderry hero after his stoppage time winning point decided Saturday night’s belter under lights.
It was fitting the Shamrocks’ star man made the telling contribution at the heel of an excellent and sporting encounter.
Lawn’s use of the ball was crisp and assured. The 1-2 he assisted included Shea McCann’s 40th minute goal to level matters after Ballinderry found themselves behind.
His winner point didn’t end the drama. Arva had two late chances to engineer an equaliser but lacked the composure to pull their unbeaten championship run into extra-time.
While Ballinderry chased the game in the second quarter and were hit by a sucker punch in the form of Conal Sheridan’s 37th minute goal, they were deserving winners.
The Derry champions created five goal opportunities over the game. The last one fell to Ryan Bell with the chance to finish Arva only for a brilliant point blank save from Cian O’Hara with five to play.
Two fine individual points from Kevin Bouchier twice dug Arva back level before Gareth McKinless fed Lawn to win the game.
“People use the word unbelievable at this stage in a lot of situations,” beamed a proud Ballinderry manager Jarlath Bell seconds after his captain rounded off his acceptance speech with a tribute to the late Jody Gormley.
“For me, this is believable,” Bell added. “We talked about it today, among the group, even before the match in the changing room, about the belief that we had in this group.”
Bell, who had Errigal Ciaran man Davy Harte as his right-hand man, referenced how the Tyrone champions edged out tight games and mentioned why Enda McGinley’s “win ugly” term was an important quality.
“I said to the guys what winning ugly does,” Bell explained. “It builds resilience and it builds a mindset that when you’re going down the stretch that you’ll always have belief in yourself that you’ll always do enough to get by.
“You’ll always do enough to get over the line and you’ll do what it takes and you’ll find a way. Thankfully today, that’s exactly what happened.”
Points from Shea Coleman, Charlie Crozier and Ryan Bell put the Shamrocks in front, 0-3 to 0-1, by the end of the first quarter.
A second Jonathan McCabe point settled Arva before Barry Donnelly hit the net.
Tristan Noack Hofmann and McCabe were involved to release Donnelly. Their saviour against Magheracloone made a run before cutting inside Ruairi Forbes to tuck the ball under Ben McKinless from a tight angle for a 1-2 to 0-3 lead.
Shea McCann replied with an instant point for Ballinderry who passed up two goal chances.
Crozier’s chance flashed over the bar with Tiernan Rocks hitting the bottom of the post.
Trailing 1-4 to 0-7, Ballinderry made a few positional changes at half-time.
Gareth McKinless moved to centre forward to get away from Noack Hofmann’s marking role with Forbes moving to centre back.
The Shamrocks were soon level with points from Conor O’Neill and Forbes before their net was building again.
Ryan O’Neill lost possession after a short kick-out. Bouchier and Donnelly combined before Sheridan’s goal put Arva back in front.
Crozier pulled a goal wide instantly after a brilliant move but McCann’s goal levelled matters – 1-7 to 2-4.
After taking a Lawn pass, he somehow got a shot away through a ruck of Arva players and the game was on the turn again.
Conor O’Neill lit up a second half that was level on five occasions. It was point for point in an exciting finale with Ballinderry pushing ahead before O’Hara’s brilliant save denied Bell.
The Shamrocks had the edge only for Bouchier to level twice before Lawn’s winning score.
James Morris had a last chance to force extra time but pulled his pot shot wide.
Arva got hands on the ball from the kick-out but Ben McKinless got a meaningful punch on Ciarán Brady’s punt towards Sheridan and Ballinderry held on for glory.
“I think we just ran out of time and Ballinderry were ahead,” said a disappointed and magnanimous Arva manager Finbar O’Reilly.
“It was championship football to the last minute and full credit to them (Ballinderry).
“We fought to the bitter end. I am immensely proud of our boys. We’ve been on an amazing journey; it’s been a dream really.
“It had to end sometime. We hoped it wasn’t going to end this evening, but it has.”
The Shamrocks will now face Munster champions Austin Stacks in the All-Ireland semi-final in January.
Ballinderry: B McKinless; A Mullan, O Duffin, R O’Neill; D Lawn (0-1); E Devlin, G McKinless, R Forbes (0-1); N O’Donnell (0-2), S Coleman (0-1); T Rocks, C O’Neill (0-3, 1f), S McCann (1-1); C Crozier (0-2, 1f), R Bell (0-1)
Subs: D McKiness for Rocks (46), M Smyth for Devlin (49), E McCracken for Mullan (INJ 54), M Quinn for D McKinless (INJ 59), E Rocks for Lawn (64)
Yellow card: S McCann (52)
Arva: C O’Hara; J Morris, T Brady; D Maguire; F McAvinue, S Sheridan, É Ward; C Brady (0-1), B Donnelly (1-0), F McGlade; P Morris, T Noack Hofmann; J McCabe (0-2); K Bouchier (0-4, 2f), C Sheridan (1-1)
Subs: P Conneely for P Morris (54), S Hamilton for McGlade (59)
Yellow cards: S Hamilton (59), T Noack Hofmann (63)
Referee: K Eanetta (Tyrone)