GAA: Comprehensive win for Eoghan Rua

Once the Coleraine men got into their stride, following a slow opening quarter, they dominated proceedings for the remainder of the game.

There was a good battle in midfield as big Michael Friel for Swatragh won a fair share of high ball but Sean Paul Henry and Niall Holly proved much more productive for Eoghan Rua in that area. Holly and Henry won their share of the spoils as well as scoring four points between them as they drove at the Swatragh defence time and time again.

The Coleraine full back line was very solid throughout, young corner backs Sean McWilliams and Barry McTaggart were very tidy while centre full back Ciaran Mullan was assured under the high ball and even had time to drift upfield midway through the second half to fire home a fine goal.

Eoghan Rua lost two of their half backs to injury early in the second half, Paul Daly suffered a bad cut to the face following an accidental collision while Barry McGoldrick went off with a thigh injury, he was replaced by Declan Mullan himself just coming back from an injury lay-off.

However the double injury blows did not disrupt the Eoghan Rua side too much as they were in a commanding position at 3-6 to 0-5 by the time McGoldrick went off seven minutes into the second half.

The real difference between the sides was up front where Eoghan Rua had a much broader scoring threat. They had scores from nine different players while the home side had just three with Eugene O'Kane, who was very accurate from frees and open play, scoring eight of Swatragh's ten points.

Eoghan Rua wasted three good opportunities for points in the opening minutes before Eugene O'Kane clipped over the first of his eight points tally for Swatragh in the fifth minute.

It took the visitors all of thirteen minutes to find the posts as midfielder Sean Paul Henry eventually showed the way racing forward to point.

Within six minutes of that score Eoghan Rua had taken a decisive lead with a two goal salvo in as many minutes. A Barry McGoldrick point from a free signalled the start of the scoring spree. Coleraine's first goal arrived in the 17th minute; a 'route one' ball from Barry McGoldrick was tapped down by Aidan Mullan into the path of Richard Carey who cracked a low drive to the net.

Two minutes later Sean Paul Henry broke the ball to Aidan Mullan in midfield, he found Sean Leo McGoldrick who strode forward before finding his brother Ciaran who guided the ball low to the Swatragh net. Swatragh came back well from that double blow with two points from Eugene O'Kane but they never really threatened to breach a solid Coleraine defence for a goal.

A Barry McGoldrick point from a free completed the first half scoring as Eoghan Rua went in -3 to 0-4 ahead. The second half began with a real scoring surge. Within 10 seconds of the throw-in Niall Holly had burst forward to point for Coleraine while Cahal McQuillan replied with a good score for Swatragh straight away.

The league points were all but sealed when further points from Sean Leo McGoldrick and Niall Holly were added to by a goal direct from a free kick by Barry McGoldrick which had them 3-6 to 0-5 ahead.

Swatragh kept plugging away as Friel in midfield along with Eugene McGuckin, wing forward Seamus Bradley and in particular Eugene O’Kane provided most of the threats to the Eoghan Rua defence. O’Kane continued to be deadly from frees as he added three in a row but Coleraine still posed too much scoring power for the hard pressed Swatragh rearguard.

A quickly taken free by Colm McGoldrick placed raiding full back Ciaran Mullan in acres of space to race in and strike to the Swatragh net. Substitute Declan Mullan then added a point before Eoghan Rua capitalised on a tiring Swatragh defence with scores from Sean Leo McGoldrick, Sean Paul Henry, substitute Leo Sweeney and finally Ciaran McGoldrick.

Eoghan Rua: Ryan McGeough; Sean McWilliams, Ciaran Mullan, Barry McTaggart; Cormac Trolan, Barry McGoldrick, Paul Daly; Sean Paul Henry, Niall Holley; Mark McTaggart, Sean Leo McGoldrick, Aidan Mullan; Richard Carey, Colm McGoldrick, Ciaran McGoldrick. Subs used: Ciaran Lenehan for P Daly (inj) 28 mins, Declan Mullan for B McGoldrick (inj) 38 mins, Gregory Bradley for R Carey (47 mins), Leo Sweeney for N Holly (52 mins), Hugh Casey for Colm McGoldrick (56 mins). Eoghan Rua scorers:Ciaran McGoldrick (1-3, 0-2 frees), Barry McGoldrick (1-2 frees), Richard Carey (1-1), Ciaran Mullan (1-0), Sean Paul Henry (0-2), Niall Holly (0-2), Sean Leo McGoldrick (0-2), Declan Mullan (0-1), Leo Sweeney (0-1).

* Slaughtneil’s 100% winning start to the season came to an end at the weekend when they were beaten by Banagher 0-9 to 0-8. bellaghy suffered their fourth defeat of the season as they were shocked by lowly Newbridge 2-9 to 0-11. In a high scoring affair Kilrea just got the better of Lavey by a point 3-10 to 2-12 while Ballinderry had a convincing win over Glenullin to move four points clear at the top of the table.

* Dungiven were crowned winners of the 75th Dr Kerlin Cup when they narrowly beat Foreglen 2-9 to 1-10 in front of one of the biggest crowds seen at the finals in O’Neill Park, Claudy for many years. This was Dungiven’s 25th time to win North Derry’s ‘blue riband’ 13-aside competition in what turned out to be an exciting encounter between these age-old rivals.