IT WAS an emotional evening for Ballinderry Shamrocks at Owenbeg, the entire panel of players and management linking arms for the moment’s silence in memory of their late colleague Aaron Devlin.
When the action got underway, the Shamrocks found themselves nine points adrift by the end of the first half as the 2,223 attendance watched St Colm’s, Ballinascreen plunder three goals.
Ballinderry had to start the game without Enda Muldoon and they appeared to struggle for most of the opening half.
In the seventh minute Benny Heron outfielded Ryan Scott on the edge of the square and blasted the ball to the roof of the net for 1-1 to 0-1, Heron from a free and Conleith Gilligan having exchanged early points.
Two minutes later Heron againrose highest in the Ballinderry to claim the dropping ball and again he finished with aplomb.
Points from a Shane Mulgrew free and Emmet McKillion put them 2-3 to 0-1 ahead, Ballinderry rallying a little bit before they were undone at the back once more and Shane Mulgrew slammed a loose ball to the net for 3-5 to 0-5 at half time.
Facing a heavy defeat Ballinderry came out with a greater sense of purpose in the second half and they took the game to Ballinascreen, Gilligan pointing three early frees to give them a glimmer of hope.
Ballinascreen became ultra defensive and the Shamrocks chipped away at the lead, Ryan Bell from a ‘45’and Raymond Wilkinson from play cutting the lead to four points ten minutes from time.
However Ballinascreen steadied the ship in the closing minutes and a late point from Ciaran Conway ensured victory.
