DERRY SFC SEMI-FINALS:THE DERRY Championship final has been pushed back a week to Sunday, October 21st, after yesterday's semi-final between Kilrea and Slaughtneil finished in a 1-13 to 0-16 draw after the best game of football the Oak Leaf county has seen all season.

This game had already been postponed for a week after a bereavement in the Kilrea campaign ahead of last Saturday’s original scheduled fixture.

The game was worth waiting for as last year’s defeated finalists Kilrea and a highly-rated Slaughtneil team put on an exhibition of football. With county player James Kielt prominent Kilrea took a 1-7 0-6 lead in the first half thanks to a Ciarán O’Kane goal and some sharp finishing from Lee Kennedy.

With Derry midfielder Patsy Bradley a rock at midfield the Emmets battled back to lead by two going into the final five minutes. Kilrea responded with scores from Kennedy, Gavin McWilliams and a 60-yard free from Kielt to lead by a point deep in injury time.

A foul on former county man Jim Kelly gave Chris Bradley a kick for a late equaliser meaning that reigning champions Ballinderry Shamrocks will have to wait until Wednesday night’s replay to see who their final opponents will be in a fortnight’s time.

Meanwhile, a second-half goal from Derry midfielder Michael Friel proved the crucial score as Swatragh added the intermediate football title to the senior hurling crown they won last weekend.

Having led by 1-4 to 1-3 at the interval Swatragh were rocked by a goal from Foreglen’s Eunan McFeely until Friel took advantage of hesitancy in the Foreglen defence to slide the ball home as the Davitts progressed to a 2-7 to 2-6 victory.