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Crossmaglen edge Ballinderry at the death

Crossmaglen Rangers 0-17 Ballinderry 1-10: CROSSMAGLEN edged their way into another provincial final with an exciting defeat…

Mon Nov 14 2011 - 00:00

Crossmaglen Rangers 0-17 Ballinderry 1-10:CROSSMAGLEN edged their way into another provincial final with an exciting defeat of Ballinderry yesterday at Casement Park.

Four points might seem a comfortable margin, but only the minimum was between the teams with seven minutes left after Ballinderry had turned in a magnificent backs-to-the wall second half. It took three late points to see the All-Ireland champions through.

At the break, it looked as if the Rangers had already booked their spot in the decider.

They were 0-11 to 0-4 ahead, having stormed off with four unanswered points in the opening four minutes. After that blazing start by the Armagh men, two pointed free-kicks from Conleth Gilligan eased the pressure on the Derry champions, but the winners continued to control the play.

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It looked a struggle for Ballinderry in the second half, now reduced to 14 men, following Martin Harney’s dismissal on a second yellow card seconds before half-time, but the Shamrocks responded magnificently to their task.

They rifled over three points in three minutes before Oisín McConville stopped the comeback with a brilliant pointed free. It was 0-12 to 0-7 when Ballinderry struck on 50 minutes.

Michael McIvor raced in from the right and was brought down in the square. Gilligan blasted the penalty low to the Rangers’ net to leave just a point between the teams on 50 minutes. Crossmaglen responded with a McConville free-kick but Aaron Devlin left the minimum between the sides again.

But Stephen and Tony Kernan plus McConville scored late points as Aaron Kernan got a second yellow card a minute from time.

CROSSMAGLEN: P Hearty; J Morgan, B McKeown, P McKeown; A Kernan (0-5, four frees), D OCallaghan, S Finnegan; J Hanratty, D McKenna; T Kernan (0-2, one free), S Kernan (0-3), A Cunningham; J Clarke (0-1), O McConville (0-4, two frees), M McNamee (0-2). Subs: K Brennan for McNamee (40 mins), F Hanratty for Finnegan (44 mins), K Carragher for J Hanratty (48 mins).

BALLINDERRY: M Conlon; D Bell, K McGuckin, C Wilkinson; R Wilkinson (0-3), D Conway, R Scott; K M McGuckin, E Muldoon; A Devlin (0-1), C Nevin, N McIvor; C Gilligan (1-5, goal pen, three frees), M Harney, R Bell (0-1). Subs: C Devlin for Nevin (40 mins), D McGuckin for D Bell (56 mins).

Referee: M Sludden (Tyrone).