Ballinderry 0-14 Swatragh 2-7
THE scoring power of Daniel McKinless and Fintan Bell shot Ballinderry into a 0-9 to 0-2 interval lead and put them on their way to victory in Thursday’s Larkin Cup Final in Loup.
Gareth McKinless was driving the Ballinderry onslaught from centre back, kicking two points himself in the opening eight minutes. Enda Muldoon and Raymond Wilkinson were making things happen and dinking passes at will.
A ’45’ from Daniel McKinless put Ballinderry five points clear before Paul McAtamney’s free got Swatragh off the mark after a quarter of an hour.
Ballinderry lost both corner backs Ryan Scott and Dylan Fitzpatrick to injury within minutes but were well in control.
A mark from Kevin Moss McGuckin helped Daniel McKinless set up a score for Fintan Bell. Goalkeeper Glenn McOscar found Enda Muldoon in space on the wing and his probing ball forward led to Bell fisting Ballinderry into a commanding half-time lead.
After the break Ballinderry carried on where they left off. Declan and Fintan Bell saw them lead 0-12 to 0-2 with 38 minutes gone.
With Mickey Friel sitting back soaking up the Ballinderry pressure and the Kearney twins brought into the fray, Swatragh looked more dangerous. It still took an incisive run forward and score from centre back Philip Mooney to get Swatragh’s first score from play.
Francis Kearney’s pass put Brian Diamond in on goal and after a run along the end line he slotted home at the near post with seven minutes to go – Ballinderry 0-12 Swatragh 1-4.
With a minute remaining Enda Muldoon’s long range point looked to have been the insurance score. It proved to be the winner as Swatragh staged a late rally.
Francis Kearney kicked a point and moments later his long ball found his brother Patrick at full-forward who was fouled for a Swatragh penalty. Patrick slotted the kick to the net but it was too late as Ballinderry held on for a deserving victory.
Ballinderry: Glenn McOscar, Ryan Scott, Eamon Wilson, Dylan Fitzpatrick, Darren Lawn (0-1), Gareth McKinless (0-2), Raymond Wilson, Kevin ‘Moss’ McGuckin, Enda Muldoon (0-2), Ryan O’Neill, Raymond Wilkinson, Dermot McGuckin, Thomas Donnelly, Daniel McKinless (0-3, 1f, 1 ‘45’), Fintan Bell (0-5, 2f).
Subs: Declan Bell (0-1), Connor Wilkinson, James Bateson, Matt Quinn, Karl McKinless, James Scott.
Swatragh: Seamus McFlynn, Patrick Turner, Diarmuid Dillon, Declan McGuckin, Liam Kearney, Philip Mooney (0-1), Paddy Bradley, Brian Diamond (1-0), Dominic Bradley, Paul McAtamney (0-3f), Sean F Quinn, Michael Friel, Thomas Óg Gunning, Niall McQuillan.
Subs: Francis Kearney (0-3, 2f), Patrick Kearney (1-0 pen), Eugene McGuckin.
Referee: John Joe Cleary (Castledawson)
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