Douglas power on through Russell and Kingston to defeat Ballincollig and reach first football semi since 2008

Douglas 1-12 Ballincollig 0-9

A Conor Russell goal, seven minutes from the end of regulation time, clinched Douglas's place in the county senior football championship semi-final following a deserved win over Ballincollig, the 2014 champions, at Páirc Uí Rinn yesterday.

It came from Sean Powter's critical interception as Ballincollig tried to work the ball from defence and ended with Russell scoring into an empty net from a James Holland pass.

Five minutes earlier, Holland had a goal rightly disallowed for a square infringement and a generally tight game was always going to be decided by the side finding a way past massed defences.

Ballincollig had their chances, notably through Colin Moore, who blazed wide, and Gary Comerford, who was denied by the finger-tips of keeper Brian Boyle in the closing act of the first half.

The former winners only managed two points on the resumption but were unlucky to see Cian Kiely strike the outside of a post and then Boyle stopping a Comerford piledriver from point-blank range.

Douglas added 1-5 after the break, but like Ballincollig, suffered with their finishing as both sides registered eight wides apiece, though the blustery wind conditions didn't help.

The sides were level six times during the first half, which finished at 0-7 apiece.

Douglas led by 0-3 to 0-1 after eight minutes with exciting minor Niall Hartnett, who did well with older brother, Brian, at midfield, completing a pitch-length counter-attack either side of Powter and Shane Kingston scores.

Ballincollig capitalised on a wayward short re-started as Pa Kelly set-up John Paul Murphy for the equaliser before a Kingston free nudged Douglas 0-4 to 0-3 ahead after 17 minutes.

Their inside line of Gary Comerford, Cian Dorgan and especially Darren Murphy looked a real threat in the opening period, but the Douglas full-back line got their measure on the resumption with Nathan Walsh resolute in his defending.

A Kingston point after 20 seconds and a Russell free, five minutes later, helped Douglas settle again and a fine Russell score from the left made it 0-10 to 0-7 entering the closing quarter.

A Dorgan free ended Ballincollig's 17-minute scoreless spell, but the goal decided the contest with Niall Harnett completing the scoring with a fine point at the hour.

Scorers for Douglas: C Russell 1-3 (0-1 f), S Kingston 0-3 (0-1 f), B Hartnett, N Hartnett 0-2 each, S Powter, J Holland 0-1 each.

Ballincollig: C Dorgan 0-4 (0-2 f), D Murphy 0-3, G Comerford, JP Murphy 0-1 each

DOUGLAS: B Boyle; K Hayes-Curtin, N Walsh, L McGrath; S Wilson, E Cadogan K Flahive; B Hartnett, N Hartnett; S Kingston, D Hanrahan (c), S Powter; J Holland, C Russell, B Collins. 

Subs: S Collins for B Collins half-time, B Lynch for Hanrahan 50, D Murphy for Kingston 59.

BALLINCOLLIG: J Gibbons; N Galvin, L Jennings (c), K Coleman; L Fahy, C O'Connell, C Kiely; S Kiely, P O'Neill; JP Murphy, P Kelly, C Moore; G Comerford, C Dorgan, D Murphy. 

Subs: K Browne for O'Connell, 36, C O'Sullivan for S Kiely 45, R Noonan for Moore 53.

Referee: P O'Driscoll (Bride Rovers).