Seven-goal Ballymaguigan cruise into Intermediate final with victory over Ballerin

Ballymaguigan 7-15 

Ballerin 3-3 

BALLYMAGUIGAN easily booked their place in the decider with a comfortable victory over Ballerin on Monday evening. 

The home side were sharper and clinical and highly impressive. If they did want to be critical, they possibly will be disappointed with a number of goal scoring opportunities going a begging in the opening half. For this young Ballerina side, it was a tough evening but they showed they have plenty of quality, but just came up against a better and more experienced side. 

It was the visitors that struck for the first goal of the game when a long ball found the dangerous Aine McAlister and she made no mistake in putting her side in front 1-0 to 0-1 after four minutes. Ballerin, though struggled to get the ball to their forwards and when they struck again they were nine a drift. The hosts pinned them back reeling off point after point, with eight unanswered, Anna Martin, Kayla Letters, Jemma Shivers and Aoife McGlone all on target. After wasting goal opportunities and denied by Annie Rogers, they finally hit the net through Shivers on 16 minutes. 

To their credit, Ballerin kept going and got rewarded with a Clodagh Moore goal from a penalty and second for McAlister to reduce the deficit to just two points into the final 10 minutes of the half. Lauren Crozier netted at the other end and with points from McGlone (2) and Shivers they led at the break 2-12 to 3-1. 

McGlone gave the winners the perfect start to the second half with a goal and then Shivers (2) and Lauren Crozier also rattled the net. Moore and McAlister had a point a piece before Shona Walls wrapped it up with her side's seventh major of the evening. 

The other semi-final between Lavey and Magherafelt takes place on Wednesday evening in Lavey with the final set for the weekend of 27 September. Meanwhile in the junior championship Desertmartin overcame Moneymore. The other clash was abandoned with under five minutes remaining due to floodlight failure with Eoghan Rua comfortably leading against Claudy. 

Teams and Scorers

Ballymaguigan: Jemma Shivers 3-3, Lauren Crozier 2-1, Aoife McGlone 1-5, Anna Martin 0-3, Shona Walls 1-0, Rachel Keenan, Annie Crozier and Kayla Letters 0-1 each

Ballerin: Aine McAlister 2-1 (0-1f), Clodagh Moore 1-1 (1-0p, 0-1f), Kate McGilligan 0-1

Ballymaguigan: Ellie Close; Kate Gribben, Clare McCartney, Joanne Corr; Anna Mulholland, Nicole Nugent, Rachel Keenan; Annie Crozier, Kayla Letters; Dervla Stinson, Anna Martin, Erin Doherty; Jemma Shivers, Lauren Crozier, Aoife McGlone. 

Subs: Mollie McGahan for C McCartney, Duvessa Quinn for A Mulholland, Seona Walls for L Crozier, Aoife McOscar for A Crozier, Kate Crozier for J Shivers. 

Ballerin: Annie Rogers; Caitlin McGuigan, Mikeela Mullan, Orlaith Doherty; Aoife McFerran, Eabha Mullan, Kate McFerran; Kate McGilligan, Rihanna Doherty; Una Clarke, Ellie McAfee, Lucy McGilliagn; Cara McCloskey, Aine McAlister, Clodagh Moore. 

Subs: Meabh Boylan for C McCloskey, Marythea McGlinchey for K McGilligan, Cliodhna Boylan for C McGuigan, Emma McCloskey for L McGuigan, Shauna McCloskey for A Rogers. 

Referee: Martin McErlane