Double dreams are shattered

EOGHAN Rua's hopes of going for a 'double' of league and championship titles were dashed in emphatic style by a rampant Ballinderry side last Sunday afternoon.

Ballinderry got some small revenge after losing the championship final to Eoghan Rua a couple of weeks ago with a comprehensive 3-17 to 1-8 win at Glenullin in the semi-finals of the Division 1 league play-offs.

The ‘Shamrocks’ were the much keener side throughout as they turned in a superb performance but Ballinderry then went on to hit four in a row e of score-taking from open play.

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With Conleith Gilligan pulling the strings throughout, hhe shamrocks. e scored seven times himself and was involved in the vast majority of his sides’ scores, Ballinderry scored all but two points from open play.

The sides were level twice in the first ten minutes as they traded two points each. As Conleith Gilligan’s influence on the proceedings began to gather momentum, he was involved in their next two points, Aaron Devlin and Enda Muldoon, from a superb long range effort, the scorers.

Gregory Bradley got one back for Eoghan Rua from a free following a foul on Declan Mullan, but Ballindery began to pull away and moved ahead 0-9 to 0-4 by the 25th minute.

The Shamrocks continued to pile on the pressure and points from Collie Devlin and Brendan Conway had them seven clear by the 27th minute.

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A break down the right side saw Brian McGuckin cut inside and pass across the edge of the small squarer where Conleith Giligan stabbed the ball to the back of the Eoghan Rua net. Despite a point from a Sean Leo McGoldrick free Ballinderry took a commanding 1-11 to 0-5 lead into the break.

Just seconds into the second half Eoghan Rua had the ball in the Ballinderry net as Declan Mullan and Gregory Bradley combined to set up Colm McGoldrick for a close range strike.

Eoghan Rua were looking much more livelier in the opening minutes of the second half but failed to capitalise missing a couple of good opportunities.

Gilligan continued to exert his authority on the game drawing a free that Collie Devlin swept over the bar. Gregory Bradley then replied from a free for Eoghan Rua but that would be their last score for almost twenty minutes. With just over ten minutes left Eoghan Rua were dealt a blow when centre back Barry McGoldrick suffered a hand injury in what seemed a fairly innocuous collision.

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There will be concerns that the injury could keep McGoldrick out of Eoghan Rua’s clash with Down champions Burren in the first round of the Ulster championship on October 31.

Ballinderry were relentless in the last quarter of the game as they piled on the scores with Gilligan the architect, Collie Devlin, Gavin McGeehan and Dermot McGuckin all making telling contributions.

Indeed McGeehan twice found the back of the net in the final quarter while Gilligan and Devlin added a couple of points each as Ballinderry played some scintillating football over the closing minutes. Points from frees through Gregory Bradley and Niall Holly late on for Eoghan Rua were of little consequence as Ballinderry had long since secured their passage to the Division 1 final where they meet the winners of Slaughtneil and Ballinascreen.

Eoghan Rua: Ryan McGeough; Sean McWilliams, Ciaran Mullan, Barry McTaggart; Ciaran Lenehan, Barry McGoldrick, Paul Daly; Niall Holly, Sean Paul Henry; Hugh Casey, Sean Leo McGoldrick, Declan Mullan; Gregory Bradley, Colm McGoldrick, Richard Carey.

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Substitutes used: Kevin McCarry for R McVeigh (HT), Ciaran Lagan for S McWilliams (HT), Leo Sweeney for B McGoldrick (inj 44mins), Keith Farran for H Casey (51), Conor Carey for D Mullan (55).

Eoghan Rua scorers: Colm McGoldrick (1-1), Gregory Bradley (0-3 frees), Richard Carey (0-1), Niall Holly (0-1 free)

Ballinderry: Michael Conlan; Conor Wilkinson, Daniel Bateson, Canice Rocks; Brendan Conway, lop-sided sMichael McIver, Raymond Wilkinson; Conor Nevin, Enda Muldoon; Dermot McGuckin, Colin Devlin, Aaron Devlin; Brian McGuckin, Gavin McGeehan, Conleith Gilligan.

Substitutes used: Jarlath Bell for A Devlin (55mins), Daniel McKinless for C Rocks (55).

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Ballinderry scorers: Conleith Gilligan (1-6, 0-1 frees), Gavin McGeehan (2-1), Colin Devlin (0-4, 0-1 free), Brendan Conway (0-2), Aaron Devlin (0-2), Dermot McGuckin (0-1), Enda Muldoon (0-1).

Hurlers in action

Last Sunday morning Eoghan Rua's young hurlers were in action at Na Magha's ground in Derry City in an Under-13 competition where they came out with hard fought wins over Donegal sides Burt and Carndonagh.

In the first game against Burt, Conal Colgan hit the net for the opening score for Coleraine early in the first half, Aiden Boyle adding a point before Burt struck back with goal late on.

Good work from Thomas Magee, Shay McLaughlin and Tiernan Yarnald led to second half goals for Daniel Roantree and Connor Boyle to secure a 3-1 to 1-2 win for Coleraine.

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In their second outing Eoghan Rua held on to beat Carndonagh 2-1 to 1-1. Solid defensive work by Conal Ennis and Joseph McQuillan with a couple of match saving stops by keeper Killian Butler kept Coleraine in the game. Shay Eastwood hit a goal and a point in the first half and Michael McQuillan flashed in a late goal to win the match.

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