Dromore bow out to Ballinderry…

Sunday 30.10.2011

It’s all over and Dromore’s Ulster club championship campaign falls at the first hurdle as Ballinderry go through to the last four on a scoreline of 1-11 to 0-12. The St Dympna’s were always in contention throughout this match but struggled to get back on level terms in the second half after the Derry champions had moved ahead. Overall the Shamrocks deserve their place in the semi-finals and what a match their clash with Crossmaglen promises to be. Disappointment for Dromore at the end of a memorable year for the club…

Dromore applying lots of pressure here but relief for Ballinderry as a square ball is awarded just as their keeper punches away a dangerous ball from Fergal Quinn. That could be Dromore’s last hope of victory gone…

A very promising Dromore move there but the ball is given away in a great position and the clock is ticking at Healy Park. Dromore are then dealt a major blow as substitute Adrian McCaffrey, who only came on a few moments ago for Paddy Montague, is red carded. It’s now looking almost certain that Ballinderry will be meeting Crossmaglen in the Ulster semi-final…

Ballinderry full forward Martin Harney is sent off for a foul on Colm McCullagh and Eoin McCusker converts the resultant free to leave two points between them as we enter the last minute of normal time. There’s two additional minutes to be played, with Ballinderry holding a 1-11 to 0-12 lead…

Ballinderry break upfield and slot over another vital score to put a goal between the teams yet again, wing half back Ryan Scott thumping over a brilliant long range point to leave it 1-11 to 0-11. The Derry champions are hot favourites to go through now although anything could still happen…

Sean O’Neill has a chance to trim the deficit to a minimum but his 45 metre free kick goes wide with five minutes to go. Dromore are applying good pressure but need to get another score quickly because time is starting to run out for them…

Fergal Quinn replaces Fabian O’Neill in the Dromore team and the St Dympna’s immediately reduce the deficit to two points as Eoin McCusker capitalises on a foul on Conor O’Neill. Dromore then make another change as Sean McNabb comes on for Emmett O’Neill with seven minutes to go, Ballinderry clinging to a two point lead, 1-10 to 0-11…

Conleth Gilligan has been a class act at Ulster club level for a number of years and he puts over his sixth point of the proceedings to give Ballinderry a 1-10 to 0-10 advantage with nineteen minutes gone in this half. Dromore can still do it but it’s not going to be easy with Ballinderry showing plenty of craft and experience…

Enda Muldoon squanders a great chance to restore Ballinderry’s four point lead so Dromore are still very much in the frame with fourteen minutes left to play and they are handed an opportunity from a free kick moments later and Eoin McCusker, who is having a great second half, stylishly sends the ball over the bar to leave just two points between them, 0-10 to 1-9…

Ballinderry notch a  great score through Aaron Devlin but Dromore manage an even better one seconds later as Eoin McCusker receives a pass from Hugh McNulty and thumps over a magnificent score from long range. Dromore are still trying to cancel out that early Ballinderry goal which is once again the score that divides these teams at Healy Park. It’s 1-9 to 0-9 in favour of the Derry champions…

Dromore have made their first change of the afternoon with eleven minutes gone in this second period, Conor O’Neill replacing Kevin Donnelly. They still have every chance of prevailing in this game today but will need to raise their performance for these last nineteen minutes…

With the Derry champions having gone into a four point lead, it was important for Dromore to get off the mark in this second half but Paddy Montague misses a free after a foul on Colm McCullagh, his shot hitting the post and going wide. But Dromore get that much needed score when Eoin McCusker cuts inside and hits a fine left footed point, leaving it 1-8 to 0-8 for Ballinderry…

Ballinderry have continued their bright start to the second half as Conleth Gilligan receives a pass from Darren Conway and drills over a good point from a tricky angle. The Shamrocks then make the first substitution of the day as Colin Devlin replaces Ryan Bell…

As news filters through that Crossmaglen have swept into a commanding 3-7 to 0-2 lead over St Gall’s in the early stages of the second half at Casement Park, Conleth Gilligan opens the second half scoring at Healy Park to give Ballinderry a three point cushion, 1-7 to 0-7. So it’s just that early goal separating the teams….

Dromore are still very much in contention for place in the Ulster semi-final against either Crossmaglen or St Gall’s with wind advantage to come in the second half. Niall Sludden, Paddy Montague, Eoin McCusker, Ronan McNabb and Colm McCullagh were all key players for Dromore in their Tyrone senior championship success and those five players have all caught the eye today again as we get ready for the action to resume. It’s all to play for and there are no changes for the second half which is now underway…

It’s half time here at Healy Park in this Ulster senior club championship tie and it has been good end to end football so far with both teams showing plenty of quality at different stages. Ballinderry got a dream start but Dromore, slowly but surely, began to shine and went in front for a spell before Ballinderry finished the half off strongly to ensure a two point lead for the Derry champions at the break. It’s 1-6 to 0-7 here at Healy Park and there’s much to look forward to in the second half…

But Ballinderry are promptly back in front as Derry stars Conleth Gilligan and Enda Muldoon deliver two superbly executed scores from distance to give the Shamrocks a 1-5 to 0-7 lead with 29 minutes gone. Their lead is then extended to two points as Raymond Wilkinson hits their third point in quick succession to give them a 1-6 to 0-7 cushion going into injury time…

Dromore are back in front and who else could it be only Paddy Montague who is playing a blinder here. This time he swings over a left footed score from an almost impossible angle on the left hand side to give the Tyrone champions a 0-7 to 1-3 advantage….

Gilligan gets a welcome score for Ballinderry as he pops over a close in free with 24 minutes played at Healy Park, making it all square, 0-6 to 1-3, with Raymond Wilkinson very unlucky not to send Ballinderry into the lead as his shot hits the upright…

Conleth Gilligan is inches wide with a good effort but overall Dromore are the better team at the present time and that is emphasised by another brilliant Paddy Montague point from long range, the Dromore midfielder taking a pass from the industrious McNabb and curling a beauty between the sticks with the outside of his left boot. It’s Montague’s third point in a row today and the St Dympna’s are leading by 0-6 to 1-2…

Dromore’s good run continues as Paddy Montague points another free from the left wing after a brilliant run by Niall Sludden who’s having a great game here today. Dromore are now on level terms, 0-5 to 1-2, which is a great achievement considering that they conceded that early goal and are playing against the breeze…

The next score here is recorded by Dromore who have been doing well at Healy Park since conceding that very early goal. This time it’s Paddy Montague who splits the Ballinderry posts from a free kick, leaving it 0-4 to 1-2 after 16 minutes. Ronan McNabb is narrowly off target moments later as he fists the ball across goal after a great run…

Elsewhere today, as we await the next score at Healy Park, Crossmaglen are leading St Gall’s by 1-2 to 0-0, thanks to Jamie Clarke’s goal…

Word has come through that Omagh St Enda’s ladies team have lost to Lisnaskea in the Ulster Intermediate club final on a scoreline of 2-8 to 1-9. So very hard luck to them, leaving Sperrin Og as the county’s sole Ulster ladies club champions for 2011…

Goal chance for Dromore as teenager Sludden sets up Ronan McNabb but the shot fails to match the build up and the chance goes abegging, Ballinderry winning a free out in the subsequent goalmouth scramble…

Dromore, playing against the breeze in this first half, are just two points in arrears once again as that man McCusker knocks over a free following a foul on Colm McCullagh, leaving it 1-2 to 0-3 with over nine minutes played…

Every time Dromore get a point, Ballinderry hit back with one at the other end and it’s Conleth Gilliugan on target for the Shamrocks this time as he converts the first free of the proceedings…

Ballinderry notch their first point of the day through Aaron Devlin but within a minute Dromore register their second point as Niall Sludden, last week’s match-winner, polishes off a fine Dromore move with a great score. It’s now 1-1 to 0-2 in favour of the Derry champions…

Good response by Dromore as Colm McCullagh feeds Eoin McCusker and with his very first touch of the game the Dromore captain coolly slots the ball between the posts for Dromore’s opener. It’s 1-0 to 0-1 after 4 minutes…

GOAL! Yes there’s a goal already and it’s for Ballinderry. With less than a minute gone the ball is floated towards the Dromore goal by Ryan Bell and Michael McIver, brother of Dromore manager Paul, gets his fist to it and the ball goes past Peter Ward to give the Derry champions a perfect start…

We’re underway here at Healy Park in the first ever competitive meeting of Dromore and Ballinderry at this level. Dromore have the same starting lineout as the county final last week.

A real clash of the heavyweights in Healy Park this afternoon. Paul McIver must attempt to set aside club loyalty as he hopes to guide Dromore to the Ulster Senior Club Championship Semi Final. Teamtalkmag.com will bring you ever little incident and all the build up to the game at 2.30pm.