After a twelve hour deluge the ground was declared unplayable after a referee inspected the ground and at short notice Faughanvale agreed to host the game and their pitch was in good shape but a bit slippery on top due to the weather otherwise the player came off without a hint of mud on their attire.

Drumsurn were not having a good season due to a spate of injuries, emigrations and work commitments so manager Richard Ferris and his co-mentor Gary Moore were forced to field a pretty inexperienced tea. Ballerin were less badly affected but were minus Gary Kane and Karl McKillop but still had a pretty strong fifteen on duty.

From a very early stage it was obvious that the light weight Drumsurn Defence was going to struggle against the fast and cohesive Ballerin attack and in truth had the not pressed the panic button too early at times their winning margin would have been much wider.

Drumsurn to their credit never gave up but they gave away far to many frees leaving the winners with easy scoring chances. In the final minute Michael Archibald hit arguably the goal of the season but it did not even draw a ripple of applause from the hundred or so spectators. With his side trailing by 1-13 to 1-03 he let fly on a bouncing ball and his thunderous shot went through a ruck of Ballerin defenders and whizzed past keeper John McGinley on its way to the far corner of the net and no one moved such was the velocity of the shot but unfortunately for Michael it had no bearing on the final outcome.

The winners played some nice football but there was a lack of conviction about their play at times and a lack of accuracy up front with nine first half wide balls recorded in a half when they were mostly in control.

Drumsurn were not without their chances and a few times their long ball up the middle could have been better rewarded against a strong Ballerin full back line of Stephen Mullan, Johnny Barry and Brian Deighan.

When Paul Butcher arrived, Drumsurn’s best player this season he came on after eighteen minutes, having been unable to make the start on time it gave the Drumsurn challenge a bit of a lift but they were too weak in the key areas to finish in front.

Prior to his injury Willie McGilligan dominated midfield for the winners while Mark Ferris impressed at centre half. The attack moved well with Cathal Faulkner, Eugene Mullan, Pascal McKay and Paul Robinson carving up loads of opportunities but not always taking them, but they all had solid performances. Paul Ferris playing his first game for three months after a knee operation looked sharp when he came on.

Christopher Harbinson worked hard for the losers at midfield and up front Pierce McNicholl provided the most danger until the arrival of Paul Butcher who played well. The defence was under a lot of pressure but teenage wing backs Ciaran Ferris and Craig Chewing tried hard and between the posts Francis Chivers made some good saves.

Ballerin were first on the scoreboard with Paul Robinson pointing in the opening minute but wides by McGilligan and a smart Chivers save from Eugene Mullan meant that it was the fifth minute before they got their second point and that came from Cathal Faulkner after Eugene Mullan had been fouled.

Prior to that Pierce McNicholl had sent a high shot off a post and wide. Then in another attack full back Barry had to be smart to clear a dangerous Ciaran Ferris shot. Points from Faulkner in the ninth and tenth minutes, one from a free, opened up a four point gap. But Drumsurn were battling away and got a deserved opening point from mark McLaughlin after thirteen minutes.

Chivers then saved smartly from Faulkner and another good run from Pierce McNicholl ended in a wide at the other end.

At the end of the first quarter Cathal Faulkner finished off a neat move with his team’s fifth point. Chris Harbinson then was off target with a ‘45.

Paul Butcher then came in for the injured Martin Mullan and there was a blank spell before Cathal Faulkner converted a 23rd minute free to make the score 0-6 to 0-1. Eugene Mullan then had a weak shot easily saved by Chivers.

The slippery surface was leading to mistakes and Cathal Faulkner behind the Drumsurn cover looked set for a goal until he did a “Tom and Jerry” cartoon skid when Pascal McKay had put him through.

It was not going to be Drumsurn’s day as a long shot from Harbinson came back off a post. Three minutes from the break Faulkner pointed a free and missed another but his team still had a handy 0-7 to 0-1 interval lead.

The second half was barely under way when the goal bound Paul Buthcher was pulled down in forbidden territory and from the resultant penalty he steered the ball to the net to reduce the gap to three points.

Half a minute later Cathal Faulkner punished a foul on Pascal McKay and ninety seconds later Leigh Ferris picked out Eugene Mullan with an inch perfect pass and the corner forward with no defender in sight cut through for a low drive to net and his side were now 1-8 to 1-1 in front.

Paul Robinson was then held and Faulkner opened up an eight point gap. Michael Coll was off target with a long range effort.

Faulkner then sent a ’45 on the wrong side of the post and McKay sliced another effort wide.

Paul Butcher from a free and Pula Robinson from play traded points. Pierce McNicholl and Leigh Ferris both failed with efforts before Mark Ferris started and finished a nine man move with a point at the three quarter stage. Drumsurn posted their last point in the 46th minute and a good one it was as Paul Butcher sent a cross field pass to Chris Harbinson who made the score 1-11 to 1-3.

After Eugene Mullan had hit a bad wide Ballerin lost big midfielder Willie McGilligan with an ankle injury, ten minutes from time Faulkner was again on target with a free and it was sub Paul Ferris who hit their pen-ultimate score seven minutes from the end.

As the game petered out to its inevitable conclusion that thunderbolt from Archibald hit the net but it was the winners who had the last say with a well worked Paul Ferris point.

Drumsurn : Francis Chivers, Eion Ferris, Darren Ferris, Dane Mullan, Ciaran Ferris, Michael Archibald (1-0), Craig Chewning, Michael Coll, Christopher Harbinson (0-01), Mark McLaughlin (0-01), Ronan McNickle, Michael McGonigle, Martin Mullan, Pierce McNickle, Eamon Ferris.

Subs : Paul Butcher (1-01 penalty 0-01 free) for Martin Mullan

Ballerin : John McGinley, Stephen Mullan, John Barry, Brian Deighan, Conor Mullan, Mark Ferris (0-1), Gareth Mullan, Barry Doherty, Willie McGilligan, Leigh Ferris, Pascal McKay, James Cassidy, Eugene Mullan (1-0), Cathal Falukner (0-9) 0-6 frees, Paul Robinson (0-2)

Subs:  Paul Ferris (0-2) (0-1 free) for W. McGilligan, Shane Ferris for J. Cassidy.