GAELIC GAMES: Errigal Ciaran ... 0-10 Ballinderry ... 0-4: Chilly sunshine turned into twilight for All-Ireland champions Ballinderry at Clones yesterday. It was hard to know whether it was the natural atrophy that catches up with champions or the Derry side's long lay-off while opponents Errigal Ciaran were going three rounds with Crossmaglen in recent weeks.
"We simply didn't perform today," said Ballinderry manager Terence McGuckin, "and didn't deserve to win. One thing we did worry about was that they had had plenty of match practice and we had only one game in eight weeks. We were very rusty. We had a good start and didn't capitalise on it. Errigal Ciaran are an excellent team, with some brilliant individuals like Peter Canavan and Mark Harte. We needed a goal but never looked like getting one."
The Tyrone champions were comfortably superior for virtually the entire match and emphasised how much they've progressed over the past month. Next week they will be out for the fifth successive week, in the AIB Ulster final against Enniskillen and will be firm favourites to win a second provincial title.
Victorious manager Mickey Harte was pleased with the team's enduring appetite despite the recent hectic schedule.
"I'd say the obvious hunger, the tenacity to win ball that wasn't ours - that was a great advantage today. The scraps we gathered up, they were the good things about today. The way we dealt with their physical presence coming forward. We put on a lot of determined and disciplined pressure."
He was, however, quick to sound a predictably cautionary note. "What's the value of playing Crossmaglen three times and playing Ballinderry, talking of ex-champions and current champions, if you don't perform on the day that matters? There were no cups or medals handed out today and Enniskillen know that. It's next week that happens."
The match, attended by 5,500, was one-sided but frequently featured high-quality passages of football. It was also occasionally spoiled by an unpleasant edge that manifested itself in some nasty fouls and a scattering of yellow cards. On a positive note, such was the quality of their general play that Errigal will be regarded as short-list contenders for the All-Ireland next spring.
Yesterday's match had a beginning and an end. The beginning lasted only five minutes by which stage Ballinderry had established a two-point lead; the remainder of the hour constituted the end.
As a result, early attempts to read the tea leaves were misleading. From the throw-in the champions were all business and invention. For a brief phase, Enda Muldoon threatened to complete the defence of the titles on his own. Fouled for the free that led to the first point, his run forward in the third minute created panic and allowed Gerard Cassidy run onto James Conway's inviting ball and slot the second.
From there on, though, everything went rapidly downward. Ironically, in the sixth minute, Errigal scored their first point and it appeared emblematic of the contrast between them and their more penetrative opponents. A seemingly endless bout of passing around the Ballinderry 40 eventually opened up a couple of goal chances, which were blocked for a 45. That kick from Peter Canavan fell short and broke for Dara Tierney finally to pop over the bar. All that huffing and puffing for a point while the Derry club was making hard-hitting direct raids.
Instead of symbolising Ballinderry's dominance, that point effectively ended it. Peter Loughran and Pascal Canavan got competitive at centrefield and the supply to the forwards began to dwindle. Good chances that were created were wasted - including two simple frees by Cassidy - and soon the match had thoroughly turned. Muldoon was forced out to deep to win ball but - short of being cloned - couldn't do much about the diminished attacking presence up front.
There was a curious resignation about Ballinderry. At one stage at the end of the first half a couple of players in both attack and defence allowed themselves get distracted while the ball was still live - all in the one move that ended up with Peter Canavan kicking a point just before half-time for a 0-7 to 0-2 interval lead.
With the champions' challenge prematurely wilting, Errigal went to work with vigour. Their forwards' movement off and on the ball was slick and assured and five of the starting forwards scored from play on a day when the points weren't exactly flying over. A swift interchange five minutes after half-time emphasised the quality with Tierney, Peter Canavan and Aidan McGinley combining for a top-class score.
But it was the defence that really caught the eye and Harte paid tribute afterwards. "Many times throughout the whole Tyrone campaign our backs were the maligned sector of our field, but I think in recent times they can raise their head very high."
Anchored with panache by Cormac McGinley at full back, the whole unit was fast and persistent once the initial discomfort subsided. Their collective attentions rendered Ballinderry's short game futile and the champions long-range distribution wasn't good enough to provide corrective variety.
ERRIGAL CIARAN: J Devine; B O'Donnell, C McGinley, D O'Neill; E McGinley, P Horisk, D Harter; Pascal Canavan (0-1), P Loughran (0-1); E McGinley (0-1), M Harte, A McGinley (0-1); R McCann (0-1), Peter Canavan (0-4, one free), D Tierney (0-1). Subs: S Quinn for A McGinley (47 mins); J Lynch for Tierney (61 mins)
BALLINDERRY: M Conlon; K McGuckin, N McCusker, J Bell; P Wilson, R McGuckin, D Crozier; S Donnelly, J Conway; M Harney, C Gilligan, D Conway; D Bateson, E Muldoon (0-1), G Cassidy (0-3, two frees). Subs: A McGuckin for Harney (34 mins); B McOscar for Gilligan (61 mins); F Muldoon for Cassidy (61 mins).
Referee: B Crowe (Cavan).
