Crossmaglen on course to retain Ulster football title

Ballinderry (Derry) 1-10 Crossmaglen (Armagh) 0-17, Casement Park

Crossmaglen Rangers are on course to retain their AIB Ulster Club SFC title after coming through a tough examination from Ballinderry this afternoon.

The reigning Ulster and All-Ireland champions had Armagh star Aaron Kernan sent-off in the closing stages of this semi-final tussle, but did enough to warrant the four-point winning margin.

Ballinderry, who had Martin Harney dismissed in the first half, battled superbly in the second half and scored the only goal of the game via a penalty from Derry's Conleith Gilligan.

The 36-year-old Oisin McConville started at full-forward for Cross and claimed the first of four quick-fire points at Casement Park. Stephen Kernan, Michael McNamee and Aaron Kernan followed suit to open up a 0-4 to 0-0 gap.

Enda Muldoon's move to midfield aided Ballinderry's pursuit of possession and the sharpshooting Gilligan finished off three scoring chances.

But Shamrocks struggled after that and could only add one more point before the break. By that stage, Cross had moved 0-11 to 0-4 ahead with Aaron Kernan landing three points in succession and Stephen Kernan, Tony Kernan, McNamee and Jamie Clarke also scoring.

Both goalkeepers produced terrific saves at either end, Michael Conlon keeping out a Stephen Kernan effort and Cross net minder Paul Hearty parrying a Darren Conway shot onto the woodwork.

Hearty maintained his clean sheet by saving from Aaron Devlin and Ballinderry suffered a serious setback in the closing minutes of the half when their full-forward Harney was dismissed for his second bookable offence by referee Martin Sludden.

The 14 men pulled together and exerted some early pressure in the second half, with Raymond Wilkinson, Ryan Bell and Gilligan stringing together three points on the trot.

McConville replied for the Armagh men but Ballinderry had the deficit whittled down to just 0-12 to 0-9 after further scores from Wilkinson and Gilligan.

Cross hit back almost immediately but it was back to being a one-point game in the 51st minute thanks to Gilligan's well-taken penalty.

However, Crossmaglen showed their class as they registered four of the game's closing five points despite losing Kernan. He received his marching orders for a high tackle on Wilkinson, but will be available for the November 27 final as it was a second yellow card not a straight red.