Ballycran earned a meeting with Dunloy in the Ulster Club Championship final as expected but only after surviving a real battle with a gallant Kevin Lynch’s side at Casement Park on Sunday.
Two goals from impressive Ballycran corner forward James Coyle and some deadly accurate free-taking from midfielder Simon Wilson ultimately proved to be the difference between two evenly matched sides.
Kevin Lynch’s were made to regret a far from impressive wides tally which hit double figures in the first half alone.
The Derry champions were six points down at one stage of the opening 30 minutes but they pulled it back to trail by just two at the break, 1-8 to 1-6.
Coyle got the opening goal of the game in the 18th minute but Dungiven’s Liam Craig beat the keeper just before the half time whistle. And when Paddy McCloskey netted Dungiven’s second goal two minutes after the restart the sides were level.
But Ballycran hit back almost immediately when Coyle got his second goal of the game.
The Down champions then hit four unanswered points but once again Dungiven hit back to close the gap to two points. But late scores from veteran Gary Savage and Simon Wilson sealed Ballycran’s victory and earned them meeting with the Antrim champions in the final on Sunday October 25th.