AIB All-Ireland Club IFC fina
Ballinderry Shamrocks (Derry) 0-13
Crossmolina Deel Rovers (Mayo) 1-12
The hero of the hour departed the pitch as soon as he could – and everyone absolutely understood why.
The losing side were entitled to complain bitterly about the match-winning penalty kick award, but instead they graciously accepted their fate.
This was always going to be no ordinary final and the closing moments confirmed that with an ending that scriptwriters would have discounted as too predictable, yet one that felt absolutely fitting to many.
Conor Loftus, whose fiancée Roisin Cryan lost her life in tragic circumstances earlier this month, which delayed the playing of this decider by a fortnight, stepped up to stroke in the controversial spot-kick.
Both starting goalkeepers were off the pitch by that stage – Crossmolina’s injured, Ballinderry’s just dismissed – but even the two of them together would have struggled to save the precise finish from the Crossmolina number six.
It was awfully hard on the Shamrocks, who had probably slightly edged a tense, tight tussle, but it was only sport.
On a day when the rain fell steadily like tears from heaven, both sets of players did their clubs immense credit in very trying circumstances.
A match that was nip and tuck for the first 40 minutes then swayed one way then the other – before swinging back in the Mayo men’s favour at the very end.
Crossmolina looked like they would pull clear when they reeled off four points in a row to lead by 0-11 to 0-8 in the 52nd minute, but then Ballinderry bounced back to go one better in terms of consecutive scores and lead heading into five minutes of added time.
‘Man of the match’ Niall Coggins, a livewire half-forward, fired over his second goal chance of the game to leave the minimum margin between the teams in the second added minute.
Ballinderry looked to have held on until they lost possession in defence. That man Coggins slipped a hand-pass through to substitute Stephen Duffy, who bore down on goal.
The big man seemed to charge into Ben McKinless, but the referee black-carded the Shamrocks goalkeeper, and his cousin, Daniel McKinless took over in nets.
No one could have got to Loftus’s low right-footed strike, though, and Crossmolina were crowned champions.
Both sides had their sporting difficulties to deal with on the day.
Ballinderry were without rising midfield star Niall O’Donnell, ruled out with a hamstring tear, and their captain Gareth McKinless played through the pain barrier, wearing a lengthy black support on his left leg.
Manager Ryan Bell did not go into details about the extent of that injury but said of his skipper: “It was heroic what he did today, absolutely heroic.”
Crossmolina gambled by starting midfielder Darragh Syron but he did not last the first half, having struggling against Ryan Bell, who operated out around the middle, kicking two points from play before the break.
The Deel Rovers side then had to replace goalkeeper JP Mulhern midway through the second half after he landed awkwardly after punching a high ball clear under pressure from Bell.
Up until the penalty, that was a rare action required of either goalkeeper inside their ‘square’, with both sides working hard defensively.
Charlie Crozier was often a lone ranger inside for Ballinderry, with his side trying to block the central routes towards the goal and posts at the other end.
The Shamrocks only went ahead for the first time on the half-hour, but Crossmolina corner-forward Fionan Duffy continued his accurate free-taking to level matters at six points apiece.
The tit-for-tat pattern continued for a time, but then Crossmolina got on top, Niall Coggins and his fellow half-forward both creating and scoring to carve out the game’s biggest lead, three points.
However, Ballinderry responded as they have done all campaign, producing a superb run of five scores.
Daniel McKinless might well have proved the match-winner, first rising to flick a dropping free from Ben over the bar, then later scoring again from distance, to go 13-11 in front.
Duffy, though, made an immediate impact, setting up Niall Coggins for a sight of goal, but he blazed his shot over.
Crossmolina never gave up hope, though. Half their team contributed to the high press which forced a fumble in the Ballinderry defence and Cathal Carolan poked the loose ball to that man Coggins.
He picked out Duffy and, unable to kick due to a quad injury, he ran at Ben McKinless.
The penalty awarded, Daniel McKinless was now tasked with stopping a winning score, but Loftus was not to be denied.
In other circumstances there would have been righteous anger but the manner in which Ballinderry took defeat on the chin made them winners just as much as courageous Crossmolina.
Crossmolina: JP Mulhern; D Fox, K Mulhern (0-1), M Gordetskyy; A Coggins, C Loftus (1-1, 1-0 penalty), M Loftus (capt.); D Syron, J Flynn; D Coggins, J Maheady (0-2, 0-1 free), N Coggins (0-3); D Walsh, P Leddy, F Duffy (0-4 frees).
Substitutes: L Loftus for Syron (26, inj.); P Loftus for JP Mulhern (45, inj.); C Carolan for Walsh (56); S Duffy for Leddy (59); C Fergus for M Loftus (65).
Yellow cards: L Loftus (40); Flynn (42).
Ballinderry: B McKinless; A Mullan, O Duffin, R O’Neill; E Devlin, G McKinless (capt.), E Rocks; R Forbes (0-1), S Coleman, R Bell (0-3); T Rocks (0-1), D Lawn, C O’Neill (0-3, 0-2 frees), S McCann; C Crozier (0-3, 0-2 free).
Substitutes: Daniel McKinless (0-2) for Coleman (38); M Smyth for Lawn (49); J Bell for Crozier (52); O Mullan for E Rocks (65).
Yellow card: B McKinless (39) Black card: B McKinless (65) Red card: B McKinless (65).
Referee: Sean Lonergan (Tipperary).
