GAA: Final for Eoghan Rua

They will now meet Glack who beat Glenullin 5-7 to 0-7 in the second semi-final.

Conditions were tricky for both teams as incessant rain made handling very difficult but Paul Wells made light of the elements as early as 30 seconds in when he had Eoghan Rua ahead with a neat point.

Ballymaguigan were level two minutes later but the eventual winners then had a good spell as they tacked on three points without reply by the 15th minute, Vincent Heneghan (2) and Liam Frizelle their scorers.

The south Derry side grabbed their second point in the 17th minute but again Eoghan Rua took a measure of control adding three points in a row, ruari leonard, Eoin Daly and Declan Shiels the scorers.

With Aaron Duffy and Gregory Rafferty solid at the back and Liam Frizelle and Ruari Leonard pushing forward from midfield the Coleraine side were looking fairly comfortable approaching half-time.

In added time Ballymaguigan were thrown a lifeline when they were awarded a penalty which was neatly tucked away by Martin Downey striking his shot low to the corner of the net giving Aidan Loughrey no chance in the Eoghan Rua goals.

Despite being in control for most of the half Eoghan Rua held a slim two point lead at the break 0-7 to 1-2. With the rain still pouring down Eoghan Rua spurned a couple of chances for points early in the second half before Liam Frizelle ended a good run through the middle with a point.

Ballymaguigan responded well to that score as they came back with two points, both scored by Padraig Martin, to leave just one between the sides.

However that was to be as good as it got for Ballymaguigan as they failed to score again for the remainder of the game. Half backs Sean Frizelle and Liam McGoldrick sealed the centre of the Eoghan Rua defence with substitute Eoin Cunning making a couple of telling interceptions deep in his own defence. Late points from Ruari Leonard and Vincent Heneghan, from a '45' sealed victory for Eoghan Rua and a place in the final.

Glack will be Eoghan Rua's opponents in the final which will be played in Limavady on Monday, August 30 at 6.45pm.

Eoghan Rua: Aidan Loughrey; Sean Frizelle, Gregory Rafferty; Liam McGoldrick, Aaron Duffy; Liam Frizelle, Ruari Leonard; Vincent Heneghan, Paul Wells; Declan Shiels, Eoin Daly. Subs used: Eoin Cunning for D Shiels.

Scorers: Vincent Heneghan (0-3, 0-1 '45'), Ruari Leonard (0-2), Paul Wells (0-1), Liam Frizelle (0-1), Eoin Daly (0-1), Declan Shiels (0-1), Liam McGoldrick (0-1).

Slaughtneil bounce back

Slaughtneil bounced back from their defeat to Eoghan Rua in the second round of the senior football championship to beat Banagher in a third round qualifier but only just.

They had a single point to spare, they won 1-10 to 2-5, in a dour encounter in Swatragh. Slaughtneil seemed to be on their way to a comfortable victory having led by six points, 1-8 to 1-2, midway through the second half. Points from Paul Bradley (2) and Jim Kelly had the eventual winners off to a flying start inside four minutes. However just after Mark Lynch got Banagher’s first score, a point, in the sixth minute he was instrumental in their goal two minutes later.

Lynch took a long pass from Sean Martin Lockhart before placing Kevin O’Neill who slotted home from close range.

Undaunted by that set back Slaughtneil were soon back in front when Jim Kelly goaled from a penalty in the 14th minute. Kelly and Bradley added further points as Slaughtneil took a 1-5 to 1-1 lead into the break. Banagher would go on to rue a series of missed opportunities in the last ten minutes of the first half, they shot five wides in that period.

By the mid-point of the second half Slaughtneil had added a further three points, Conan Cassidy and Paul Bradley (2) the scorers, to lead by seven and seemingly on the way to a comfortable evenings’ work. Banagher hadn’t scored since the 8th minute of the game, their next score, a point came 38 minutes later through Kevin O’Neill.

That score seemed to galvanise them as they went on to hit three more in a row, Mark Lynch doing all the damegeto leave just three between the sides going into the last seven minutes of normal time. The sides then exchanged points as the game headed into injury time.

Two minutes into added time Slaughtneil went four up when Jarlath Mulholland pointed and that seemed to be that, not so as Banagher came back with a goal, P J McCloskey punching to the net to set up a very nervy last few seconds for Slaughtneil.

The kick out was going to be crucial at this stage and Slaughtneil won it and were able to retain possession long enough to run down the clock to the final whistle.

Glenullin will join Slaughtneil in the quarter finals as they beat Ballaghy 1-9 to 0-10 in the second game of the double-header qualifiers at Swatragh last Saturday evening.

The winners were never headed in this low key affair although Bellaghy did draw level three minutes in to the second half.

However just three minutes later Eoin Bradley fired home a super goal clipping his shot high to the far corner of the net to put Glenullin into a lead they would not surrender.

Glenullin got of to a good start with three points on the board by the seventh minute, Eoin Bradley, Gerard O’Kane and Ruari Boylan, from a free, the scorers.

Bellaghy got onto the scoreboard in the 8th minute through a Ryan McNally point, he had a superb game throughout for the losers.

Midway through the half Glenullin were five clear as Stephen Mullan and Paddy Bradley twice added points. Bellaghy eventually began to get more possession around midfield through the efforts of Fergal Doherty and Ryan McNally.

They reduced the gap to three with points fro a Kieran Glackin free and a Ryan McNally effort. The sides then exchanged points as Paddy Bradley scored for Glenullin with Francis Glackin replying with a fine effort for Bellaghy.

A superb Ryan McNally point was the last score of the half as that left Bellaghy trailing by two at the break. The sides were level within three minutes of the restart as Kieran Glackin pointed twice for Bellaghy.

However Glenullin were back in front again three minutes later when Paddy Bradley combined with his brother Eoin for the latter to steer home a peach of a goal. Glenullin quickly followed up that crucial strike with a superb Ruari Boylan point from a free near the sideline.

By the midpoint of the hal the sides exchanged points before a Kieran Glackin point reduced the gap to three for Bellaghy. Less than eight minutes from the end Bellaghy had calls for a penalty waved away when Joe Diver gathered close in, he was well bottled up by the Glenullin defence and a free out was awarded for over-carrying by Diver, a big call.

The Glenullin defence worked overtime in the closing minutes, tackling , blocking harrying all to good effect. A minute into added time Kieran Glackin pointed a free to leave just two between the sides but it was too late for the blues as Glenullin held on for victory and a place in the qyauter finals.

Senior football quarter-finals

With the quarter-finals of the senior football championship down for decision this weekend only six of the sides that will compete in it are known.

On the ‘winners’ side of the draw the four teams that have reached the last eight having won their two games are Ballinderry, Ballinascreen, Lavey and Eoghan Rua. Meanwhile Slaughtenil and Glenullin have battled their way through the qualifiers round to reach the last eight.

Glen and Newbridge drew their first attempt while Loup and Kilrea must meet to complete the four who will go into the ‘qualifiers’ side of the draw.

When those two games produce results it will make for a fascinating quarter-final draw not least because a number of pairings cannot take place at this stage as some sides have met each other in previous rounds, for example Eoghan Rua cannot meet Slaughtneil.

There are a number of permutations that can fall out depending on which teams come through the last two qualifiers games.