GAA: Shock win for Eoghan Rua
As shocks go they don't come much bigger than this; Eoghan Rua, Coleraine send last years beaten senior county finalists, Slaughtneil, spinning out of the championship.
Yes you have read that correctly, Eoghan Rua in only their second year at senior level beat Slaughtneil 0-12 to 0-11 in a thrilling game at Dungiven last Saturday evening.
While Slaughtneil won this title as recently as 2004, this was Coleraine's first ever win at senior championship level, that's the magnitude of this victory for the Coleraine side.
They were full value for this win, played in perfect conditions in Dungiven, it was a very sporting game where both sides concentrated totally on playing football throughout.
Mind you six minutes into this second round qualifier hot favourites Slaughtneil led the pre-match underdogs Eoghan Rua 0-3 to no score and had already shot three wides as well. Such was their superiority Slaughtneil had penned Coleraine into their own half and were looking every inch firm favourites.
However Eoghan Rua began to get to grips with matters around midfield and tightened up defensively, so much so that they turned this game completely on its head, to confound virtually every pundit's prediction belying the underdogs tag and hold on for a deserved one point win.
Slaughtneil were out of the blocks very quickly and had three points on the board with their first three attacke inside three minutes, all scored by Jim Kelly, one from a free.
Three wides followed in quick succession from Slaughtneil as they were lording midfield through Patsy Bradley and Chrissy McKaigue. Seven minutes into the game Eoghan Rua crossed the half way line for the first time, Declan Mullan drawing a free which he converted himself.
Three minutes later Richard Carey was fouled 35m out, this time Barry McGoldrick took charge to point the free. Slaughtneil then had a wide before Coleraine leveled matters, Declan Mullan intercepting deep in Slaughtneil territory to point from a narrow angle. By the mid point of the half Eoghan Rua were on parity in the middle third where midfielders Barry McGoldrick and Ciaran Mullan were winning their fair share of possession.
Indeed Ciaran Mulan burst forward to get on the end of a Ciaran McGoldrick pass just inside the penalty area but his low drive just went the wrong side of the far post. Eoghan Rua were now enjoying a good spell and were twice in the lead.
Twice Sean Leo McGoldrick was involved, first he set up Jon Trolan to drive forward and fire over a magnificent point to edge Coleraine in front for the first time, Seamus Gillan leveled almost immediately for Slaughtneil.
Then McGoldrick found space in cluster of Slaughtneil defenders to strike over the bar in the 20th minute but again the Emmetts produced an immediate riposte, this time Chrissy McKaigue drilling over the bar. The last ten minutes of the half seen the sides trade attack for attack, but Coleraine were more clinical finishers.
A one-two from a free between Barry McGoldrick and Richard Carey seen McGoldrick put Coleraine back in front. Slaughtneil then missed from a free before Chrissy McKaigue sent wide from a good position.
In the last minute of the half Coleraine raided at pace again, Ciaran Mullan bursting through to find Sean Leo McGoldrick who was fouled, again Declan Mullan pointed off his left foot from a tight angle.
Incredibly after being pulverized in the early stages Coleraine had weathered the storm to take an unlikely lead into the break but could they hold on? The answer was an emphatic yes as they increased their lead to three within two minutes of the restart.
Barry McGoldrick played a free to his right where Ciaran Lenehan had made a great run into into acres of space, the wing back guided the ball over the bar. Moments later lenehan was involved again, this time winning break ball around the middle to place Jon Trolan for his second point of the game, Coleriane now three clear.
Slaughtneil made a double substitution bringing in Paul Bradley and Shane Kelly but it was still all Coleraine in the first quarter. They did spurn a couple of chances before central defender Mark McTaggart combined with Jon Trolan to set up midfielder Ciaran Mullan for a fine point, putting his side four clear.
Going into the last ten minutes Patsy Bradley became more influential around the middle and Slaughtneil began to eat into the Coleraine lead.
Two points from Jim Kelly, one from a free left two between the sides with still five minutes on the clock. The sides then traded wides before Jim Kelly landed another free to put Slaughtneil just a point behind.
As the seconds ticked down a brilliant catch by Niall Holly on the edge of his own ‘square’seemed to have relieved the pressure but Eoghan Rua gave up the ball and Slaughtneil launched a last attack.
Midfielder Patsy Bradley burst through on the left and fired high towards the Eoghan Rua posts, there was a collective holding of breath in the Coleraine camp as the ball swung in the air and went just the wrong side of the post and wide, surely it was all over! It was on the kick out and Eoghan Rua had produced a performance that provided the shock of the Derry championship to date. A fine win and fully merited.
There were no other shocks at the weekend with Swatragh failing to follow up their first round victory over Slaughtneil against an Eoin Bradley inspired Glenullin side.
An early Ruari Convery goal from a penalty gave Swatragh a 1-1 to 0-2 lead but Glenullin came back with a four point reply, three from the inspirational Eoin Bradley to lead 0-6 to 1-2 by the 17th minute.
A second Swatragh goal, Ruari Convery’s cross was misjudged by Glenullin goalkeeper Shane O’Kane for Eugene O’Kane to gather and prod to an empty net, came in the 21st minute to help them to a 2-4 to 0-8 half-time lead.
The game turned inexorably in Glenulin’s favour just before the mid-point of the second half. An Eoin Bradley point was followed by a Terry Mullan goal 12 minutes in.
The referee’s attention was called to an off the ball incident which seen Swatragh’s Robert McWilliams get a straight red card. Swatragh’s biggest threat had been the aerial dominance of Ruari Convery on the edge of the square but Glenullin were able to use the extra man to cover this area and cut off the ball to Convery very effectively.
With points from a quiet Paddy Bradley, Ruari Boylan and a couple more Eoin Bradley specials Glenullin eased to a 1-14 to 2-5 win.
Meanwhile a late Cathal Grieve point from a ‘45’ earned Dungiven a replay in their all division battle with Ballinascreen. An Eamon Murray goal helped the ‘Screen to a 1-4 to 0-5 interval lead but Dungiven hit three points in a row on the restart to take the lead.
The last 20 minutes seen the sides trade point for point with Ballinascreen on the verge of victory only for that added time equalizer from Grieve.
Loup comfortably seen off the challenge of Castledawson in a low key affair, 1-12 to 1-6 the final score.
Eoghan Rua team and scorers: Ryan McGeough; Cormac Trolan, Niall Holly, Barry McTaggart; Ciaran Lenehan (0-1), Mark McTaggart, Anton Rafferty; Barry McGooldrick (0-3, 0-2 frees), Ciaran Mullan (0-1); Richard Carey, Sean Leo McGldrick (0-1), Jon Trolan (0-2); Colm McGoldrick, Declan Mullan (0-4, 0-3 frees), Ciaran McGoldrick.
Subs used: Gregory Bradley for R Carey.
Slaughtneil: Anton McMullan; Damian Kearney, Barry McGuigan, Francis McEldowney; Conan Cassidy, Michal Kelly, Chrissy McKaigue (0-1); Patsy Bradley, Paudie McGuigan; Seamus Gillan (0-1), Padraig Kelly, Enda McKaigue; Jim Kelly (0-8, 0-5 frees), Fergal McEldowney, Kevin O’Neill.
Subs used: Paul Bradley (0-2 frees) for Padraig Kelly, Shane Kelly for S Gillan, Brendan Kearney for K O’Neill
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Coleraine
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 14 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
