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AIB All-Ireland Club Football Championship quarter-final: Tir Chonaill Gaels (London) 0-6 Ballinderry (Derry) 2-14

From Chris McCann at Ruislip

IN CONTROL: Ballinderry forward Declan Bateson in possession during yesterday’s All-Ireland quarter-final clash with Tir Chonaill Gaels

After a long and fruitful season Ballinderry can look forward to a well-earned rest after this comfortable and comprehensive demolition of Tir Chonaill Gaels at Ruislip yesterday.

Most observers expected them to cruise through this challenge but the Derry champions showed they had learned their lesson from the Ulster Championship and it was obvious from the first minute that complacency would not be allowed to hinder their progress.

Accuracy and application meant that the men from the Loughshore had this game won well before half-time as an always game – but outclassed – Gaels side struggled to compete against a team who were simply too fast and too skilful for them to handle.

From the moment Mickey Conlan saved Timmy Connolly’s fourth minute penalty it was obvious that the home side were in for a tough day.

It took the Exiles 27 minutes to register their first score by which time the Ulster kingpins had already raised the white flag seven times.

The first half was a tale of constant Ballinderry pressure. Enda Muldoon and Sean Donnelly were monopolising possession at midfield and with Conleth Gilligan using the ball intelligently at centre-forward as the Gaels struggled to cope with Ballinderry’s forward movement.

Darren Conway got the ball rolling for Ballinderry in the second minute and that score was followed by a string of points from Gerard Cassidy (three), Gilligan, and Adrian McGuckin.

For the Gaels, Jody Gormley was working hard at midfield while corner-forward Niall Quinn looked sharp in spells, and it was Quinn who finally got the them off the mark with a well-taken point from wide on the right with 27 minutes gone.

That score served only to enliven Ballinderry and they responded by knocking over three points from McGuckin, Gilligan and Declan Bateson.

Damien Gillespie did manage another free for Tir Chonaill before the break but it was obvious that the best they could hope for was to keep the score down in the second half.

Not surprisingly Ballinderry took their foot off the gas at the start of the second period and the Gaels were first to trouble the scorers through a Gillespie free.

Playing well within themselves, Ballinderry never looked troubled and their task was made even easier when Gaels corner-forward Gillespie got himself sent off for a second yellow card after 40 minutes.

With even more space to work in, Ballinderry were always going to get goals. Substitute James Conway had already missed a glorious chance to find the net by the time Bateson bundled the ball over line after Adrian Creamer in the Tir Chonaill goal had spilled a high ball.

The Gaels continued to battle hard and were rewarded when substitute Barry Quinn and midfielder Gormley managed to put the ball over the bar.

But Ballinderry weren’t finished and, in the final minute, after another goalmouth scramble, Adrian McGuckin was on hand to palm the ball to the empty net and give the scoreline a more accurate reflection of the Ulstermen’s dominance.

Ballinderry: M Conlan; K McGuckin, J Bell, S Mullan; P Wilson, R McGuckin, D Crozier; S Donnelly, E Muldoon (0-1); B McCusker (0-1), C Gilligan (0-5), D Conway (0-1); D Bateson (1-1), A McGuckin (1-2), G Cassidy (0-3). Subs: J Conway for Cassidy h-t; R Bell for Muldoon (55mins); D McGeehan for Conway (56 mins); P Crozier for D Crozier 59mins.

Tir Chonaill Gaels: A Creamer; N Jordan, D Gordon, K McClory; D Cannon, B Lyons, C McGovern; B McDonagh (0-1), J Gormley (0-1); P Coggins, T Connolly, T McGivern; D Gillespie (0-2), J Grimes, N Quinn (0-1). Subs: B Delargy for K McClory 46mins; B Quinn (0-1) for McGiven 46mins; C McCartan for C McGovern.

Referee: John Bannon (Longford).