GAA: Hurlers through to Derry final

The city side's challenge all but evaporated after the tight exchanges in the opening quarter. Both sides were finding scores hard to come by in the first fifteen minutes or so, Eoghan Rua taking a 0-3 to nil lead by that stage.

When Brian Frizelle pulled on a loose ball close-in to fire to the net in the 16th minute and two minutes later Sean Leo McGoldrick landed a long range point from a free Eoghan Rua were 1-4 to nil ahead and well on their way to victory.

Na Magha registered their only score of the half, a point from Brendan Quigley in the 21st minute, but by half time three further points from Colm McGoldrick had Eoghan Rua 1-7 to 0-1 ahead.

Early in the second half any hopes Na Magha had of staging a comeback were all but gone when they had their full forward Noel Murray sent off on a straight red card for a wild pull on Niall Holly.

Na Magha continued to be very indisciplined, giving away a string of unnecessary frees which were fully punished by the Coleraine men.

Such was their profligacy in giving away frees Na Magha were hit for ten points off placed balls, Colm McGoldrcik hitting seven while Sean Leo McGoldrick struck over three.

Just over ten minutes into the second half fine defensive work by Gregory Rafferty set up Colm McGoldrick to burst through for Eoghan Rua's second goal and an unassailable 2-8 to 0-1 lead.

Two further points from frees through Colm McGoldrick were added before Na Magha got their second point of the game ten minutes from the end.

The Eoghan Rua defence was almost impregnable as veterans Brendan McNicholl and Pat Cassidy along with youngsters Gregory Rafferty and Conor Carey dealt very efficiently with all that Na Magha had to offer.

Over the closing ten minutes the city side still continued to give away frees and Colm McGoldrick duly punished them with four points in a row to close out a fifteen point victory and a comfortable passage to the junior final where Eoghan rua will meet Slaughtneil lls in the final.

Eoghan Rua: Anton Rafferty; Brendan McNicholl, Pat Cassidy, Conor Carey; Gregory Rafferty, Kieran Lagan, Ciaran Lagan; Michael Kelly, Niall Holly; Ruari Leonard, Sean Leo McGoldrick, Ciaran McGoldrick, Brian Frizelle; Eoin Carey, Colm McGoldrick;

Subs used: Liam Frizelle for C Lagan (35 mins), Aidan Dillon for E Carey (40), James Hislop for Ciaran McGoldrick (47), Paddy Boyle for B Frizelle (50), Mark McRandall for C Carey (55)

Eoghan Rua scorers: Colm McGoldrick (1-8, 0-7 frees, 0-1 ‘45’), Brian Frizelle (1-0), Sean Leo McGoldrick (0-3 frees), Conor Carey (0-1).

Na Magha: Gearailt Mianain; Conor McGoran, Malachy McGoran, Sean O’Donnell; Ciaran McCarron, Lee Hawkins, Paul Doherty; Alan Grant, Ryan O’Donnell; Michael Burrows, Pau Gillespie, Robbie Hegarty; Brendan Quigley, Noel Murray, Daryl Connolly.

Na Magha scorers: Brendan Quigley (0-3, 0-2 frees).

Comfortable success for under-21s

It was all too comfortable for Eoghan Rua’s under-21 footballers as they disposed of Faughanvale, 9-21 to 1-8, in the quarter-finals of North Derry’s Harry O’Kane Cup at Pairc Eoghain Rua last Sunday afternoon.

From an early stage it was clear that the home side was much too strong for the young ‘Vale side. With senior players Declan Mullan, Colm McGoldrick and Hugh Casey controlling affairs and Aidan Mullan taking some fine scores Eoghan Rua raced into a 2-10 to 0-1 lead by the end of the first quarter, Mullan and Michael Kelly getting the goals.

Ten minutes from the end of the first half Ciaran Butcher goaled for Faughanvale but Eoghan Rua kept racking up the scores as Colm McGoldrick and Conor Carey (2) hit two further goals to give them an unassailable 5-13 to 1-4 half-time lead.

In the third quarter the goals kept coming as Eoghan Rua piled on the pressure on an over-worked Faughanvale defence, Conor Carey (2), Hugh Casey and Patrick Doherty getting the three-pointers.

There really was no way back for Faughanvale as the home side fired over a series of points in the last quarter to give them a thumping win and a place in the semi-finals.

Eoghan Rua: Ruari Leonard; Barry McTaggart, Ciaran Lagan; Eoin McLaughlin, Sean McWilliams, Michael Thompson; Colm McGoldrick, Hugh Casey; Patrick Douglas, Michael Kelly, Declan Mullan; Conor Carey, Aidan Mullan.

Subs used: Kevin Mullan for C McGoldrick (18 mins), Michael Mullan for E McLaughlin (24), Patrick Doherty for D Mullan (38), Liam Frizelle for C Lagan (45), Gregory Rafferty for C Carey (52).

Eoghan Rua scorers; Conor Carey (4-0), Aidan Mullan (1-6), Hugh Casey (1-5, 0-1 free), Patrick Doherty (1-2), Colm McGoldrick (1-1), Michael Kelly (1-0), Declan Mullan (0-3), Patrick Douglas (0-2), Kevin Mullan (0-1), Barry McTaggart (0-1).