Eoghan Rua go down to Ballinascreen
Thursday, 10 July 2008
EOGHAN RUA, Coleraine went down to a 2-12 to 0-8 defeat against Ballinascreen at Glenullin last week in their final round 1 group game of the Derry senior football championship.
The Coleraine sides' fate had already been decided as they lost their two previous group games to Banagher and Loup and were out of contention for a top two qualifying position.
The win Ballinascreen sent them through to the quarter-final stage as group winners along with Banagher who drew with Loup in their final game. Coleraine went into this game with literally nothing to play for as even victory would not have seen them through while Ballinascreen only needed to avoid defeat to go through to the quarter-final straight knock-out stage. The sides were level after three minutes after Seamus Bradley for Ballinascreen and Martin McGonigle for Coleraine exchanged points. Ballinascreen then took a lead they would not relinquish with the first of their double goal strike in the first half. A neat move involving Eamon Murray and raiding wing back Aidan McGlade was clinically finished by Seamus Bradley just five minutes in sending them on their way. Two further points were added in quick succession by the south Derry side before Barry McGoldrick swung over a long range effort for Coleraine. The sides then exchanged points before man-of-the-match Seamus Bradley extended Ballinascreen's lead to five midway through the half. Coleraine then had a decent spell of pressure which yielded points from a Barry McGoldrick free and a well taken effort from Sean Paul Henry reducing the gap to three. The last ten minutes of the half seen Ballinascreen take control as they hit three points in a two minute spell before the tie was effectively sealed with their second goal in the 27th minute. The Ballinascreen full forward line was causing Coleraine all sorts of problems and it was that man Seamus Bradley, who took a precise pass from former county star Eamon Burns to blast to the net. Barry McGoldrick completed the scoring in the first half with a point from free but Coleraine were still eight adrift 2-8 to 0-6 at the break. The second half was a much closer affair with scores at a premium. However Ballinascreen ensured there would be no comeback from Coleraine as they scored the first three points of the second half to lead by eleven. With the win secured for Ballinascreen the game fizzled out to its inevitable conclusion with the sides trading late points.
