Ballinderry Shamrocks

GOING THROUGH THE LOUP: Ballinderry midfielder James Conway holds off the challenge of Loup’s Kevin Bigmore during yesterday’s Harp Lager Derry Senior Football Championship final clash between the sides at Celtic Park.

REIGNING Ulster and All-Ireland champions Ballinderry took another step towards retaining those titles when they successfully defended their Derry crown by cruising to a comfortable eight-point victory over their neighbours Loup in Celtic Park.

This was a dismal encounter in which the losers failed to score from play, all six of their points coming from former Derry player, Ronan Rocks.

The runners-up were not disgraced. They are just the latest in a long line of teams to be steamrolled by the all-conquering Shamrocks.

The Derry champions won every match in the Derry championship by six points or more.

After eventually overcoming their hoodoo against Bellaghy in last year’s decider, they have gone from strength to strength, and now appear to have the confidence and experience to match their undoubted talent.

Since they beat Nemo Rangers to lift the Andy Merrigan Cup, they have changed their manager and captain, but the success rate continues unabated.

New boss, Terence McGuckin spoke of his side’s “fantastic season” as he watched team captain Ger Cassidy lift the award for the top scorer of the competition.

“This has crowned off a great year. This time last year, we beat Bellaghy by a point and we then went to greater things from that.

“It has been a very good championship. Six weeks after winning the All-Ireland, we had Bellaghy in the first round. The pressure was really on, and that was the time we could have been taken, but we had a great victory over Bellaghy. Then we had Swatragh, Lavey and to finish off we had our neighbours Loup.”

The victory was particularly satisfying for the Shamrocks manager because he was able to bring on his nephew Adrian, who has battled back from a broken leg. The full-forward who captained last year’s team came on as a sub in the 52nd minute.

“Full credit to him,” added McGuckin. “He has done tremendous work to get back. He came on and played well. Not only had he the obstacle of the broken leg but he had the arthritis to contend with as well.”

This game had all the right ingredients for a shock result. Ballinderry were the white-hot favourites and there were doubt that they could motivate themselves for a clash against lowly Loup who hadn’t won the county crown since 1936.

Loup contained a spine of county players like Paul McFlynn, Johnny McBride, Ronan Rocks and Fermanagh’s Paddy McGuinness, and for the first 15 minutes it looked like the large 4,000 crowd would be treated to a close, if not entertaining contest.

Ballinderry started with the advantage of the breeze, but failed to unlock a stubborn Loup defence which was well marshalled by Padraig O’Kane. Half-backs Kevin Ryan and Paul McFlynn were bursting forward at every opportunity while big midfielder John O’Kane won some clean possession at centrefield.

It was tight, hard-hitting and nervous football. The teams were tied on one point each after 19 minutes. Then Ballinderry turned the screw and their opponents failed to respond.

A fabulous Darren Conway goaled proved to be turning point. Goalkeeper Mickey Conlan initiated the move which was worked the full length of the pitch.

Enda Muldoon, Declan Bateson and Ger Cassidy all switched passes before Conway applied the finishing touch.

A long range free from Ronan Rocks gave Loup some hope as they went in at half-time trailing by four points.

Ballinderry sustained the pressure after the break. Enda Muldoon was moved from full-forward to midfield where he and man-of-the-match James Conway seized control. Conway had a superb game.

The strong-running 21-year-old landed his side’s first score of the second half with a mammoth point from near the sideline. Loup started to get frustrated and they conceded some silly frees which Ger Cassidy accepted gratefully.

Midway through the second half, there was no doubt that the John McLaughlin Cup would be travelling back in the Ballinderry bus.

Despite boasting a decent defence and midfield, Loup’s attack offered little threat against a solid Ballinderry defence which featured the superb Niall McCusker.

With 10-minutes to go Loup trailed by eight points and desperately needed a goal which they never looked like scoring. A couple of free-kicks from Ronan Rocks offered them an outside chance before the impressive Darren Conway added two late scores to give the Ballinderry men their seventh county title.

Mayobridge (who were present at Celtic Park) await Ballinderry in the provincial series, a tie which is a repeat of last year’s memorable Ulster final encounter.