Poor second half costs Steelstown in Division One clash with Ballinderry

Steelstown 1-12 . . . Ballinderry 2-19

This Saturday evening game was a cracking contest, fizzling with direct, attacking football that swayed from one end to the other with both participants virtually inseparable. Well, at least for the first half anyway.

Level at 1-09 apiece at the break, however, Ballinderry took an unbreakable stranglehold of events throughout a one-sided second half to run out eventual ten point winners over a disappointing and insipid home side that failed to appear in any real shape after the interval.

Calum Deery, with an eye-catching 2-6, top scored for the underfiring Brian Og’s while Niall O’Donnell’s 2-2 account for the Shamrock’s chief marksman. But while young Deery ploughed a lone furrow for Steelstown, save Ryan Devine’s 0-3 contribution, county man O’Donnell enjoyed a plethora of scoring support from his colleagues. Connor O’Neill, Jack Bell and Shea McGeehan hit 0-3 each, with Shea McCann and Shea Coleman also weighing in with a brace of points apiece.

With bigger battles on the near horizon, both sides fielded sides missing any number of familiar faces. Ben McCarron and Cahir McMonagle watched on as their side badly missed both players prowess. Fellow county stars Diarmuid Baker and the injured Donncha Gilmore also missed out. Ballinderry, by contrast, barely noticed notable absentees Ryan Bell, Ruairi Forbes, Ben McKinless, Gareth McKinless and others.

The hosts drew first blood in their opening attack when Ryan Devine pointed courtesy of a bullocking run. But after that Ballinderry enjoyed the much better opening quarter. Shea McGeehan dropped the shoulder to open the Shamrock’s account. Their second score was a deadly one, when Niall O’Donnell lasered the ball into the top right hand corner of the Steelstown net with the outside of the boot.

Callum Deery replied with a point before a white flag from O’Donnell and another, squeezed over despite the tight angle, from Jack Bell left the visitors well up at 1-5 to 0-2.

Stung into action, the Brian Og’s notched up the next four scores. Callum Deery’s 14th minute goal ignited their come-back, with fine build up work from the ubiquitous Ronan Canavan assisting the major. Ryan Devine leathered over a huge two pointer, and when Deery curled a beaut of a point it left Steelstown 1-6 to 1-5 ahead.

IN PICTURES: Ballinderry win as disappointing second half costs Steelstown

Shea Coleman levelled matters, care of a massive Glenn McOscar kick out. The industrious Ruairi McShane and Shea Coleman traded points, as did Conor O’Neill and Calum Deery to leave us at 1-8 each by the 26th minute.

Eoghan Concannon plucked a lovely high ball to set up a Padhraig Nelis point from distance, while Luke Bell’s fine fetch resulted in Shea McCann’s lightning fast run and fine score. It all added up to 1-9 apiece scoreline as referee Michael Kelly, himself enjoying a fine game, blew his whistle to bring a very enjoyable first half to a conclusion.

Half-time: Steelstown 1-09 - 1-09 Ballinderry

Whatever words emanated from the mouths of Jarlath Bell and Davy Harte, Ballinderry were an altogether different prospect throughout the second half. An unanswered 1-4 in the third quarter all but brushed aside the challenge of the home side.

Points from Conor O’Neill and Luke Bell handed Ballinderry a lead they would not surrender. Better was to follow when Niall O’Donnell burned his man to wire home his second goal of the contest. A Shea McCann point and a big Glenn McOscar ’45 handed their side a 2-13 to 1-9 advantage.

Steelstown had to wait almost twenty minutes for their first score of the second half. In fairness, it was worth waiting for when key forward Calum Deery skinned his marker and hoofed over a two pointer. Impact sub Eoin Canavan’s mighty effort straight after suggested Steelstown might, again, be on the come-back.

But, unfortunately for Lawrence Strain’s men, it would be the last time they would work their own scoreboard.

Opponents Ballinderry, however, were far from finished. Jarlath Bell made five subs as we entered the final quarter of the game, and they all made telling contributions. Subs Matt Quinn, Dara McKinless and Ronan O’Hara all pointed as the visitors went on a late game pointing blitz.

Shea McGeehan nailed his third point of the evening, with a clinker from Jack Bell bringing his tally to three as well. Lording it in the middle third, Bell also claimed a beautiful midfield catch as did Connor O’Neill.

Shane O’Connor plucked a great midfield ball from the skies late on, but it was all too little, too late for Steelstown who squandered any chances they had between the sticks. Ronan O’Hara’s point was the last of the game and Ballinderry’s sixth without reply.

Having weathered the early season turbulence, and with that precarious play-off upcoming, Ballinderry – still far from fully loaded - appear to be timing their run nicely as the club season simmers up to a championship boil. Steelstown, too, will take succour in the knowledge that their county contingent, like caged tigers, await in the wings

Steelstown: Marty Dunne, Ruairi McShane (0-1), Padhraig Nelis (0-1), Ryan McCloskey, Ronan Canavan, Eoghan Concannon, Corey McGuinness, Shane O’Connor, Daniel McAteer, Cathal Deery, Neil Forester, Karl Doherty, Gareth Logue, Calum Deery (1-6), Ryan Devine (0-3)

Subs: Gerard Walsh for K Doherty (35), Eoin Canavan (0-1) for D McAteer (35), Mickey McKinney for M Dunne (35), Aidan Cutliffe for C McGuinness (41), Oran Fox for G Logue (41), Aidan McLaughlin for N Forester (41), Ellis Deery for R McCloskey (54)

Ballinderry: Glenn McOscar (1 ’45), Eoghan Rocks, Luke Bell, Eoin McCracken, Shea McCann (0-2), Matthew Smyth, Darren Lawn, Niall O’Donnell (2-2), Shea Coleman (0-2), Jack Bell (0-3), Connor O’Neill (0-3, 2f), Tiernan Rocks, Oisin Mullan, Daniel McKinless, Shea McGeehan (0-3)

Subs: Matt Quinn (0-1) for D McKinless (43), Ronan O’Hara (0-1) for N O’Donnell (43), Dara McKinless (0-1), Liam Connolly for E Rocks (45), Michael Cullen for M Smyth (45)

Referee: Michael Kelly (Kilrea)

MAN OF THE MATCH - County star Niall O’Donnell was the purring Rolls Royce among Ballinderry’s showroom of sports cars. O’Donnell scored 2-2 with little or no fuss, carving his opponents open almost every time he tapped on the accelerator. Shea McGeehan was the pick of a fine forward division, while ebullient marauder Shea McCann caught the eye rampaging from half back. O’Donnell’s midfield partner Shea Coleman put in a serious shift too. Steelstown produced a number of decent displays in the opening half, but Ryan Devine and, in particular, Calum Deery found little or no support throughout a collective anaemic second half.

TURNING POINT - Jarlath Bell and Davy Harte’s half-time team talk seems to have ignited a much improved Ballinderry after the break. While the first half promised and provided a real ding dong North Derry v South Derry battle, the second half was all Shamrock. Did Ballinderry, with more under the bonnet, simply find a gear that Steelstown could not live with? Perhaps. Five early second half substitutions suggested Brian Og manager Lawrence Strain had an eye on Championship time just around the corner.

SCORE OF THE GAME - Deery and Devine accounted for the only two two pointers of the day, and both were sweetly struck. But, again, Niall O’Donnell takes this award. His opening goal was tainted with genius, finding the top corner of the Steelstown net with the outside of the boot. His second goal was dispatched with all the cool ruthless execution of Terminator 2.