O’Neills Derry SFC last 16: O’Donovan Rossa, Magherafelt 1-15 Eoghan Rua, Coleraine 2-14 (AET)
COLERAINE hauled themselves back from the brink to secure their spot in the last eight of the Derry championship, eventually seeing off 2019 champions Magherafelt after extra-time in a dramatic encounter in Ballinascreen yesterday.
Despite playing catch-up for most of normal time, an Emmet McGuckin goal pulled the Rossa level heading into the final 10 minutes of an absorbing second half, before scores from substitute Niall Higgins and McGuckin edged them 1-11 to 1-9 ahead with three minutes remaining.
When Ruairi Mooney dragged an effort at goal wide moments later, it looked like Eoghan Rua’s championship was over. Magherafelt aren’t the kind of side who normally let those leads slip.
Yet, with the seconds ticking over and beyond the two minutes of added time allocated by referee John Joe Cleary, the 2018 champions grabbed their chance. A Ruairi Mooney point reduced the gap to the minimum, though most still expected the long whistle to greet Odhran Lynch’s subsequent kick-out.
When it didn’t, Eoghan Rua gathered possession and showed all their experience to calmly work the ball forward through Ciaran Mullan and Colm McGoldrick before super-sub Gavin McWilliams – who bagged four from play after replacing the injured Liam McGoldrick midway through the second half – curled between the posts to send the game into extra-time.
Eoghan Rua came flying out of the traps with another two from McWilliams. Dan and Niall Higgins levelled it up again after half-time, but a clinical finish from Dara Mooney – profiting after Magherafelt failed to deal with a high ball into the square from older brother Ruairi – gave Coleraine some breathing room heading down the straight.
And, just when they needed it, Magherafelt’s midfield dominance deserted them as five Lynch kick-outs were won by men in maroon and green jerseys, Eoghan Rua just managing to keep their opponents at arm’s length to seal a superb victory.
“When we came back from two points in added time, that gave us good heart,” said Sean McLaughlin, whose managerial partner Sean McGoldrick had to leave Dean McGlinchey Park sharpish to drive son Liam to the airport.
“I know Magherafelt were seen as favourites, but this was always going to be a 50-50 game. We played a lot better today than we did when they beat us in 2019.
“Last year we went out against the Loup and were very disappointed, but we’ve found that bit of hunger again. Maybe we haven’t the same legs as we had but they’re still very good footballers yet, with a lot of experience.”
The Coleraine players and management were the first to admit they rode their luck at times, with the ball coming back off the crossbar twice and the uprights on three occasions, but their determination not to be beaten eventually saw them through.
With veteran goalkeeper, and now club chairman, Ryan McGeough back between the sticks for the first time since their championship exit to Magherafelt two years ago, the Portstewart men set the tone in the first half with patient play and clinical finishing.
Colm McGoldrick lashed to the back of the net with his left foot four minutes before half-time, and when Dara Mooney slalomed between three red jerseys to edge Eoghan Rua four ahead at the break, you wondered just how Magherafelt – without suspended Antoine McElhone and the inspirational Danny Heavron, who underwent shoulder surgery during the week - were going to drag themselves back into it.
However, a brilliant early score by McGuckin, somehow making it over the bar despite the swirling wind, was just the started they needed. And when the former Derry forward nipped in to goal after a Conor Kearns ball caused chaos in the Coleraine square on 59 minutes, Adrian Cush’s men were right back in the mix.
But, despite falling behind with the clock ticking down, Eoghan Rua weren’t to be denied – using the extra minutes in added time before finishing the job in extra-time.
It was a devastating end to Magherafelt’s dreams of lifting the John McLaughlin Cup, with their focus instead turning swiftly to a relegation semi-final this weekend.
And rather than focus on the time-keeping that allowed Eoghan Rua back into the game, assistant boss Paul Quinn insisted the frustration lay with how the game ultimately ended.
“We weren’t really even talking about that, we were more talking about us not being able to win our last five kick-outs,” said the Donaghmore man, a club-mate of Magherafelt boss Adrian Cush.
“I know he did play two minutes extra, but... once you’re beat, you’re beat. There’s no point asking [the referee] why, you’ll not change anything now. It wasn’t our day, and we’re absolutely gutted.
“We just didn’t finish it off. In the second half we really stepped it up, got ourselves two points up and we’re normally really good in that situation. We just couldn’t see it out, but fair play to Coleraine – they really turned up on the day.”
Coleraine: R McGeough; C Lagan, L McGoldrick (0-1), B Daly; D Mullan, SL McGoldrick, R Mooney (0-1); N Holly (0-1), P Daly; B McGoldrick, Ciaran McGoldrick, A McGonigle (0-1); L McMullen, Colm McGoldrick (1-3, 0-1 free), D Mooney (1-3, 0-1 free). Subs: G McWilliams (0-4) for L McGoldrick (46), C Mullan for D Mullan (48)
Yellow cards: B McGoldrick (36), N Holly (48)
Magherafelt: O Lynch; S McErlain, D O’Neill, A McCluskey; C McCluskey, F Duffin, C Kearns (0-3); J Monaghan (0-1), E McGuckin (1-2); P McLarnon, M McEvoy, J Young; C Murphy (0-3, 0-1 free), S Heavron (0-2, frees), R Ferris (0-1). Subs: N Higgins (0-2) for McLarnon (45), D Higgins (0-1) for Young (49), P O’Kane for Ferris (52), E McEvoy for McErlain (54), G Lupari for O’Neill (70), S Og Monaghan for J Monaghan (77), E Hawe for S Heavron (77)
Ref: JJ Cleary (Castledawson)
