Ballinderry are through to their first AIB Ulster SFC club final in five years after a four-point win over Kilcoo in the Athletic Grounds.
Both sides finished with 13 men, Kilcoo having Ryan Johnston and Paul Greenan sent-off for separate incidents in the closing moments of the game.
Ballinderry lost Kevin McGuckin to a straight red card in the 22nd minute and were reduced to 13 men when Ryan Scott received a second yellow card after 41 minutes.
The Derry champions blew Kilcoo away in the first-half, and raced into a 1-5 to 0-1 lead after 18 minutes.
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Darragh O’Hanlon scored a free for Kilcoo in the third minute but the Derry champions hit an unanswered 1-5, with two superb points from Ryan Bell and Conleith Gilligan causing serious damage in the full-forward line.
McIver and Daniel McKinless both missed guilt-edged goal chances before the pair combined for the goal. McIver was put clean through and made no mistake this time, rounding the ‘keeper to tap the ball into an empty net.
(Ballinderry’s Raymond Wilson lies injured – INPHO/Presseye/Russell Pritchard)
Ballinderry were dominant from kickouts and it looked like their freshness, compared to Kilcoo’s lethargy after two exhausting battles with Crossmaglen, was going to be the key factor.
Kilcoo battled back to close the gap to 1-6 to 0-4 at half-time.
Ballinderry hung on in the second-half and didn’t score for 17 minutes as Kilcoo, with the extra men, clawed back the deficit.
Points from subs Jerome Johnston and Sean Devlin helped them get back to within three points.
That was as close as they got with McIver grabbing an insurance point before Kilcoo’s two late sending-offs.
KILCOO: S Kane; N Branagan, N McEvoy, D Branagan; D O’Hanlon (0-3, 3f), S O’Hanlon (0-1), Gerard McEvoy; P Greenan, A Branagan; P Devlin (0-2, 1f), N Morgan, R Johnston; J McClean, C Laverty (0-1), Gary McEvoy
Subs: J Johnston (0-1) for Morgan (HT), S Devlin (0-1) for McClean (40)
BALLINDERRY: M Conlan; R Scott, C Nevin, M McIver (1-2); R Wilson, G McKinless, D Lawn; K McGuckin, J Conway; D McKinless, KM McGuckin, D McGuckin (0-1); C Devlin (0-3, 3f), R Bell (0-2), C Gilligan (0-2)
Subs: D Conway for KM McGuckin (37), E Muldoon for Gilligan (53), A Devlin for D McKinless (57), F Bell for D McGuckin (57)
Ballinderry reach first Ulster club final in five years
Ballinderry 1-10
Kilcoo 0-9
Ballinderry are through to their first AIB Ulster SFC club final in five years after a four-point win over Kilcoo in the Athletic Grounds.
Both sides finished with 13 men, Kilcoo having Ryan Johnston and Paul Greenan sent-off for separate incidents in the closing moments of the game.
Ballinderry lost Kevin McGuckin to a straight red card in the 22nd minute and were reduced to 13 men when Ryan Scott received a second yellow card after 41 minutes.
The Derry champions blew Kilcoo away in the first-half, and raced into a 1-5 to 0-1 lead after 18 minutes.
Darragh O’Hanlon scored a free for Kilcoo in the third minute but the Derry champions hit an unanswered 1-5, with two superb points from Ryan Bell and Conleith Gilligan causing serious damage in the full-forward line.
McIver and Daniel McKinless both missed guilt-edged goal chances before the pair combined for the goal. McIver was put clean through and made no mistake this time, rounding the ‘keeper to tap the ball into an empty net.
Ballinderry were dominant from kickouts and it looked like their freshness, compared to Kilcoo’s lethargy after two exhausting battles with Crossmaglen, was going to be the key factor.
Kilcoo battled back to close the gap to 1-6 to 0-4 at half-time.
Ballinderry hung on in the second-half and didn’t score for 17 minutes as Kilcoo, with the extra men, clawed back the deficit.
Points from subs Jerome Johnston and Sean Devlin helped them get back to within three points.
That was as close as they got with McIver grabbing an insurance point before Kilcoo’s two late sending-offs.
REFEREE: Martin Higgins (Fermanagh)
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Balinderry five years GAA Kilcoo success Ulster club final Ulster SFC club final