Mullan’s goal and Loane’s dismissal turn classic in Drumsurn’s favour.

Seven goals, two of them within 19 seconds of each other, a missed penalty, a red card for a goalkeeper, a come back against the wind and a winning goal from a corner back – where on earth do you start with a game like that?

A slippery pitch, two teams in the bottom half of Division Two and a crowd of around 100 people aren’t usually the ingredients for a championship classic.

In Slaughtneil on Tuesday the mizzle had rarely desisted. The pitch looked pristine, but beneath the silken exterior was an ice rink.

But from start to finish, this most certainly was a classic. In terms of quality, this was not Glenullin v Ballinderry of last year. For drama and excitement, it was light years ahead.

This probably won’t be remembered as a classic in ten years’ time, because there were so few in Emmet Park to witness it. What few neutrals ventured out the door on Tuesday night headed for Glen and the lure of Greenlough’s revenge mission on Faughanvale.

Classics shouldn’t be measured by gate receipts. This was bonafide championship brilliance between two sides that forgot how to defend for most of the game, but turned in brilliant attacking performances.

Fifteen wides on Drumsurn’s behalf might not look that impressive, but they created 39 proper scoring chances to Lissan’s 19. When you see stats like that, Drumsurn should have won the game by a country mile.

But their confidence is being rebuilt, bit by bit. They came out the wrong side of a thrilling encounter with Castledawson in the league two weeks ago, but the fact they’d even run the Broagh side so close contradicted their recent form.

They have most of their main men back. Colm Feeney was excellent at centre-half back, and Damien Canning pulled the strings in the middle. Mickey Coll’s introduction to midfield with 18 minutes to go was arguably the single most important decision of the hour.

Lissan are typically so strong at midfield but in those final ten minutes, when the bit was firmly between Drumsurn’s teeth, it was a red and white shirt plucking the ball from the sky.

Jude Donnelly’s side weren’t helped by the dismissal of their goalkeeper Ciaran Loane. The former Magherafelt keeper has probably never been sent off in his life but Cassidy brandished the red card for striking following a furore over his tackle on Ryan Mullan as the Drumsurn forward scored his goal six minutes from time.

Not only did that leave them a man short around the middle, but it also left Carl McAllister, who instantly volunteered , in goals taking kick outs for the first time in adult football. Loane had been driving the ball out so accurately, they lost that asset mote than anything.

Would Loane have saved Craig Chewing’s goal four minutes into injury time? No. There might not be much of the Drumsurn corner back but in the final ten minutes, he won a clean catch from a kick out, won a precious break from another and found the top corner with a brilliant, dipping shot that sparked some of the wildest celebrations you’ve ever seen on a football field.

When you win games in this manner, your emotions just run away and do whatever they want. It was just uncontrollable, unrestrained joy.

But you had to spare a thought for Lissan. Paddy Coey, having contributed 1-03, sat with his head slumped between his knees as Drumsurn celebrated.

Kevin O’Hagan scored two goals, but credit must go to his opponents for not allowing him to dominate midfield as he so often does. Michael Quigley had an excellent game as a third midfielder.

But they couldn’t deal with Drumsurn’s direct approach. Ronan Laverty began at full back and was keeping Paul Butcher on a relatively tight leash, although the Drumsurn man clearly wasn’t right and had to be replaced after 18 minutes.

When he came off and Drumsurn went long towards Pierce McNickle, Oran Donnelly had to be recruited from centre half to tighten up the full-back line, but it didn’t work.

McNickle is a confidence player. When his confidence is up and he’s getting any half decent service, as was the case on Tuesday night, he’s incredible hard to play against. He ended up with 1-04 and set up Drumsurn’s final two goals in a marvellous performance.

His first half goal was as important a contribution as any. Kevin O’Hagan had found the net with his right boot after just minutes and then with his left after 19. Ronan McNickle has missed a great chance just second earlier and Lissan led but 2-03 to 0-03 against the breeze.

Ryan Mullan may have crossed the line when taking a line ball, but Pierce McNickle wasn’t a bit concerned as he snaffled up the breaking ball and fired a blistering low effort past Loane after 24 minutes.

The first half ended with Oran Donnelly hauling McNickle down inside the area, but Ryan Mullan’s poor penalty was comfortably saved by Ciaran Loane. It was Drumsurn’s fifth miss from the spot this year, which prompted Richard Ferris to quip after the game that he’s taking the next one himself.

Leading by 2-04 to 1-05 and having seen that penalty saved, Lissan would have gone in the happier. But the whole second half was just mesmeric. You literally couldn’t take your eyes off it for a second.

An incredible 19 seconds early in the second half looked as though it would be the winning of the game for the Tullynure side.

Damien Canning’s speculative cross from out wide skipped all the way past Loane to give Drumsurn a 2-06 to 2-05 lead with 41.50 on the clock.

Loane drove the kick out 70 yards and the ball went through Carl McAllister, Darren Donnelly, Shane McGlone and Stephen McCrory before finding its way to paddy Coey, who threw off Francis Chivers’ challenge and found the net despite Craig Chewing’s effort as a makeshift goalkeeper on the line. The clock read 42.09.

It was the very definition of a perfect response. Stephen McCrory and Coey added points and from one down, Lissan were four up with 11 minutes to play, and a big wind to play it with.

Five minutes later came the real turning point. Mickey Coll plucked the ball superbly out of the sky, rode a challenge and seconds later, Ryan Mullan was slipping the ball brilliantly off the outside of his right boot below Ciaran Loane, who was then sent off.

Coll again took the tackle and fed Pierce McNickle to level it at 3-07 apiece with two minutes to play, but there was only going to be one winner. Lissan got out of their own half once in the final 15 minutes of play, and Damien Coey dropped a 40 yard effort short.

McNickle landed a free to put Drumsurn in front with two minutes of borrowed time gone. It was only their second lead of the game, and the other had lasted 19 seconds.

They weren’t going to lose this one. McNickle was the breadwinner for the dramatic finale, feeding young Craig Chewing to fist home a brilliant goal with 64 minutes gone. They went mad on the field, on the bench and in the stand.

When they come back down to earth, which they might just have done by now, they’ll believe they can give anyone a game.

“I’m happy with that” said Richard Ferris after the game. With a PhD in Kidology, he wasn’t long ruling his side out of the running for the Sheridan, Bateson and Lee Cup.

“We’d a couple of boys back tonight, but we lost a couple of guys too, Ryan Mullan is probably gone now too”, I thought it was a good game of football for two teams that are in the bottom half of the intermediate league.

“Lissan’s a good side and probably feel hard done by. We nipped it there in the end, but we’re under no illusions. We’re a long way, a long way off an intermediate championship. I’m sure whoever gets us in the next round will be rubbing their hands“, said the former Derry minor manager.

He is probably just being realistic. He’s probably right in a way. On the surface, a four point win over Lissan isn’t exactly ground breaking.

Ferris is right that Lissan will feel hard done by. The momentum swung at the wrong time for them, and they couldn’t get it back. Their season has been one bitter pill after the other. Jude Donnelly must go home and scratch his head and wonder when their luck will turn.

It will be no consolation to him that it was brilliant to watch. It restored faith in football. It reminded us that there are good games out there sometimes. For that, they should be thanked at least.

Drumsurn
Francis Chivers; Owen Ferris, Cahir Mullan, Craig Chewning; Michéal Archibald, Colm Feeney, Christopher Harbinson; Damien Canning, Ronan McNickle; Ryan Mullan, Mark O'Connor, Mark McLaughlin; Stephen Harbinson; Paul Butcher, Pierce McNickle (0-02)

Subs
Ciaran Ferris (0-01) for Paul Butcher (18 mins), Micky Coll form Mark McLaughlin (42 mins), Paul Butcher for Ryan Mullan (55 mins)