AIB Ulster IFC quarter-final
All Saints, Ballymena (Antrim) 6-12 Derrylaughan (Tyrone) 3-21
(after extra-time, Derrylaughan won 5-4 on penalties)
A RIP-ROARING epic at Cargin went all the way to penalties, as Derrylaughan survived a goal-blitz to squeeze through to the Ulster Club IFC semi-finals.
The All Saints will take some time to process this defeat and find an answer to the one burning question – how did they hit the net six times and still fail to win?
One of the reasons was the colossal impact made by Brian Kennedy, a giant at midfield for Derrylaughan and a saviour when moved to full-forward to drag his side into contention.
Ballymena were brave and adventurous, but they couldn’t conquer the spirit and pride that kept the Tyrone champions alive in a tie that at different stages appeared to have slipped beyond them.
Twice the Antrim men moved seven points clear, thanks to the brilliance of Paddy McAleer, but with Tomas Carney finding the range, the Barrys reeled them in and brought the battle to extra-time, and then to a shoot-out, with goalkeeper James Kennedy turning a difficult day to glory with a terrific winning save, before corner-back Colm O’Hagan netted the clinching spot kick.
McAleer caught Derrylaughan cold as he punched home his side’s first goal within a minute of the throw-in, and when full-forward Sean McVeigh fisted in a second on eight minutes, it was a case of déjà vu for a side that had fallen seven points behind to Termon a week earlier in the preliminary round.
Carney sent over a string of scores to narrow the gap to a point, but the Antrim champions struck for a third goal through Ronan McKillop, whose long-range punt sailed all the way to the net, sending them in with a 3-3 to 0-8 interval lead.
A few seconds after the restart McAleer smashed home a superb goal to push his side seven ahead again, but again the Red Hand title-holders came back to within three, thanks to a Kennedy goal.
But Ballymena’s immediate response was goal number five, this time from Conor Stewart.
Going into the final 10 minutes, they still held a seven-point advantage, but back came Derrylaughan again, with Kennedy, now operating at full-forward, rifling home a 59th-minute goal.
And it was James Donnelly who sent over the equaliser deep into stoppage time, tying it up at 5-6 to 2-15 at the end of normal time.
Kennedy edged the Tyrone men ahead for the first time, but substitute Brendan McDonnell smashed in yet another All Saints goal, only to see it cancelled out by Derrylaughan sub Ciaran Gervin.
Halfway through extra-time, the Barrys held a slender one-point lead, but another run of scores had the Saffron representatives two ahead, before their opponents found a big finish with three of the last four scores, including Donnelly’s late leveller.
The penalty shoot-out was of a supremely high standard, 10 expertly-struck kicks, including the one brilliantly saved by Kennedy, and the winner tucked away by O’Hagan.
All Saints R Stewart: M Read, C O’Brien, K Keenan (0-1); J McDonnell, S O’Callaghan (0-1), P Ferris; C Stewart (1-3), P McNicholl; C Lemon (0-1), R McKillop (1-0), C Campbell; E Killough, S McVeigh (1-0), P McAleer (2-4, 0-1f).
Subs B McDonnell (1-1) for Campbell (46), M McCarry (0-1, f) for McKillop (52), J Rafferty for Ferris (64), H Connon for Killough (79)
Derrylaughan J Kennedy; Colm O’Hagan (0-1), Ciaran O’Hagan, L Cushnahan; L Gervin, C Kennedy, S Robinson; B Kennedy (2-1), S Scullion; Connor Hughes, F McAliskey (0-2), D Ball; J Donnelly (0-4, 1f), T Carney (0-9, 6f, 2 ‘45), C Quinn (0-1).
Subs C Gervin (1-1) for Quinn (38), Caoileann Hughes for Ball (43), D Carney (0-2) for McAliskey (54), M Robinson for Cushnahan (61), J Donnelly for C Kennedy (72), McAliskey for D Carney (79)
Refreee D Boylan (Monaghan)
