Eoghan Rua are shot down by Ballinascreen

Colm McGoldrick challenges for the ball. PIC: Davy McDonald

The south Derry side were good value for their win as they dominated proceedings fairly well from start to finish.

They were out of the blocks very quickly racing into a four points fo nil lead by the 5th minute.

The early 12 noon start seemed to have caught the home side sleeping but they eventually got going and got it back to a point, 0-5 to 0-4 by the 17th minute.

However they were hit for a 1-2 salvo inside a couple of minutes, the goal from Paul Cleary in the 20th minute putting Ballinascreen back in command at 1-7 to 0-4.

The sides exchanged points with Ballinascreen going in at the break, still six points to the good 1-8 to 0-5.

Eoghan Rua started the second half much better than they had in the first with two points on the bounce but Ballinascreen were soon back on the front foot as Carlus McWilliams raced half the length of the field to point while Shane Mulgrew added another from a free to restore their six point advantage.

Again Eoghan Rua came back with two points in a row, both from frees Ciaran and Barry McGoldrick scoring but Ballinascreen were still dominating around the middle as they reeled off four in quick succession, Barry Grant, Shane Mulgrew, a free, Ronan and Benny Heron all scoring.

The game really was up five minutes from the end when Paul Cleary got in for his side’s second goal. A late Gavan McWilliams point from a free was little consolation for the home side in added time.

Meanwhile, Eoghan Rua’s Under-14 hurlers made the long journey south at the weekend to participate in the All-Ireland Féile nan Gael in Waterford and they enjoyed a great weekend’s hurling in their league.

Indeed they came out of their group in second place having won two of their three games.

They beat Stradbally 5-4 to 1-5 and then Omagh Saint Endas 3-8 to 1-1.

They then lost narrowly to their host club Ferrybank, Waterford 1-7 to 1-4. Still it was good enough to qualify in the ‘top two’ for the Cup knock-out stage.

Unfortunately they came up against a very strong Armagh side in Craobh Rua who won 4-8 to 0-1.

However the aim of the weekend was very much achieved in that the club’s young hurlers were exposed to a great level of competitive hurling in a great hurling county.