Ulster Club SFC semi-final/ Ballinderry 0-10 Errigal-Ciarán 0-10: Donegal referee Séamus McGonigle severely punished Ballinderry (Derry) in the closing seconds of yesterday's Ulster club football championship semi-final at Casement Park when he moved the ball forward twice after some of the Derry players seemingly expressed annoyance at a free being given outfield.
McGonigle brought the ball to the 12-metre line and Peter Canavan duly tapped it over to give Errigal-Ciarán (Tyrone) a 10-point apiece draw after a game in which the sides were level seven times.
Canavan's score came three minutes into injury-time even though only one minute extra was signalled. In contrast, the referee blew up the first half seconds before the half hour after a minute's extra-time was flashed on the timekeeper's board.
"It was an easy enough free to score from," said Canavan. "I'm glad we have got a second chance. There was very little time left when Conleth (Gilligan) put them ahead."
Gilligan kept his side on course during the first quarter with two pointed free-kicks to add to points from James and Darren Conway and James Bateson.
But playing against a cold tricky wind in wet conditions, Errigal-Ciarán forwards kept the Ballinderry defence busy but didn't make use of their chances. They missed the target seven times but kept the game at boiling point with levelling scores. Canavan was guilty of some unusual (for him) wides but he sprayed the ball intelligently to his colleagues in the firing squad.
Being level at five points at the break, it looked as if Ballinderry would take control in the second half with the wind and during the third quarter they did.
After Damien McDermott gave Errigal-Ciarán the lead in the 33rd minute, Ballinderry fired over three unanswered point to widen the gap to 0-8 to 0-6 after 45 minutes - the first time more than one point separated the sides.
Full forward Eoin Gormley, who had a good game, stopped the Derry surge and after Canavan narrowed the argument again to a point Gormley levelled at 0-9 apiece with four minutes left. It seemed Ballinderry had secured victory when Gilligan rifled over a great point from 50 metres in the 59th minute but Canavan's strike brings the teams back to Casement next Sunday for a replay.
Both defences were sound with Kevin McGuckin having a great hour despite marking Canavan but, generally, the teams snuffed each other out. Ray Wilkinson had a goal chance for Ballinderry in the 20th minute but his effort was blocked while in the second half a curler from Ger Cassidy was pushed off the Errigal line for a fruitless '45.
One minute extra-time was signalled for the first half but referee McGonigle called a halt to play seconds before the half hour.
The game was tough but never looked liked boiling over as the referee booked seven players - four from Ballinderry.
BALLINDERRY: M Conlon; Kevin McGuckin, N McCusker, D Crozier; P Wilson, R McGuckin, M McIver; J Conway (0-1), Kevin M McGuckin; D Conway (0-1), C Gilligan (0-5, 0-4 frees), M Harney; J Bateson (0-1), E Muldoon (0-1), R Wilkinson (0-1). Subs: S Donnelly for Kevin M McGuckin 37 mins, G Cassidy for Bateson 44 mins, R Devlin for Cassidy 57 mins.
ERRIGAL-CIARÁN: J Devine; Emmett McGinley, C McGinley, D Neill; D Harte, P Quinn, B Mullin; Enda McGinley (0-1), P Loughran; R McRory, Pascal Canavan, D McDermott (0-2); C Tierney (0-1), E Gormley (0-4), Peter Canavan (0-2, both frees). Subs: J Kelly for McRory (45), M Harte for McDermott (53).
Referee: S McGonigle (Donegal).
