Injury ravaged Eoghan Rua, Coleraine will go into their Derry senior football championship quarter-final tie with Dungiven this Sunday afternoon (2.00pm throw-in) in Foreglen as heavy underdogs.
Even at full strength the Eoghan Rua men would have been long odds for a win but with their injury problems they really are going into this one with their backs against the wall.
Full back Ciaran Mullan is a definite non-starter having broken a b
one in his shoulder in the victory over Lavey last week.
Eoghan Rua will be carefully monitoring the progress of a number of other players who sustained injury against Lavey. Defenders Cormac Trolan, who had to have over a dozen stitches in a face wound, along with Barry McTaggart, who also suffered a head wound are in a race against the clock.
Meanwhile forwards Colm McGoldrick and Jon Trolan, who both retired with leg injuries against Lavey, are both in the very doubtful category. Certainly not the kind of preparation a side needs going into their biggest game of the year to date. Division 1 side Dungiven have come through to the last eight through the 'front door'.
They defeated Magherafelt 2-10 to 1-8 in the first round before beating Ballinascreen 3-9 to 0-7 in a replay. Dungiven's league form has been reasonably solid having won four of their eight games played to date, they lie in mid-table just two points off leaders Ballinderry. Indeed the north Derry side inflicted one of the only two defeats of the season on Ballinderry earlier in the year with a 0-15 to 1-9 victory.
They warmed up nicely for this weekend's game with another comfortable league win last Sunday afternoon, beating Ballinascreen 1-4 to 0-9. Dungiven, who will be aiming for their third semi-final place in a row, have a good mixture of experience and youth in their side.
They are particularly strong through the middle. In Gavan McLaughlin at centre full back they have a highly rated young defender while in front of him the experience of former senior county player Emmett McKeever provides an assured presence, wing backs Rian Kelly and Mark Craig providing pace.
In midfield Liam Hinphey, just back from his sojourn in Australia, has been getting back to the form that seen him stake a regular place in the Derry senior side. Alongside him will be Aaron McCloskey, another dynamic midfielder. Dungiven have plenty of pace and power up front in Kevin Hinphey, James McNicholl and Fergal McGuigan.
In Cathal Grieve they also have a proven goal poacher, he slammed in a hat-trick against Ballinascreen in their replay win in the last round. If that was not enough for the Coleraine men to worry about, then the presence of Paul Murphy in and around the full forward line should be a real concern to them.
All in all Coleraine have a huge task ahead of them on Sunday, this will be very much uncharted waters against a seasoned championship side in Dungiven.
Going in with a full hand to pick from would have given Eoghan Rua a 'puncher's chance' but with the long injury list from the last round and time against them this trip into the unknown may prove to be just one step too far for them.
