H&A Group Football Weekly Round-Up - Important wins for Newbridge and Eoghan Rua

As we enter the heat of the summer the H&A Group leagues are very much in full swing with eight rounds having already taken place.

It has very much been an up and down campaign to date with some results as surprising as the good weather we have had of late.

As it stands Eoghan Rua, Coleraine lead the way having suffered just the one defeat to date, that coming at the hands of Bellaghy by the narrowest of margins in Division 1. They have also had draws against both Newbridge and Swatragh. Biting at their tails at the top are the aforementioned Bellaghy and Newbridge while Kilrea have also caught the eye.

Really catching the eye has been Steelstown who have had some very impressive victories to date. Back-to-back league and championship champions Glen, who were late to the party in beginning their training following their All-Ireland exploits, are steadily finding their feet. At the other end of the table Ballinascreen have struggled with just one win in their opening seven games and find themselves routed to the foot of the table.

With the county hurling campaign coming to a close on Sunday afternoon, clubs will be able to call on a number of their dual players in the coming weeks back into their ranks to strengthen their sides.

In Division 2 it is Limavady Wolfhounds and Desertmartin that lead the way after both played eight games apiece.

Foreglen and Castledawson are very much close in pursuit of both. At the other end Slaughtmanus are propping the rest up with just the one win from their seven outings.

Just four rounds have been played in Division 3 and with four wins out of four Ballymaguigan have made the perfect start to the year. In those games they have amassed a scoring tally 12-61. Sean Dolan’s first blip came on Thursday evening when they had to settle for a draw from their trip to Ballerin. At the other end both Drum and St Mary’s Ardmore are still searching for their first points of the campaign.

While up to now results have maybe seemed strange across the boards one would expect that clubs will now begin to settle more into the campaigns. However, without their county players it is still difficult to read much into the results but with sun shining and the championship drawing closer the club scene is still very much in full swing.

THURSDAY JUNE 1, 2023

Division 1

Kilrea 1-14

Newbridge 2-20                                               

Newbridge followed up recent victories against Glen, Lavey and Magherafelt with a win against high-flying Kilrea on a scoreline of 1-14 2-20 at Pearse Park on Thursday night.

The visitors hit seven points without reply early in the first half, with Conor McAteer and Patrick McMullan sharing two points apiece. The remainder of the half saw Newbridge exert further influence with two goals through Odhran McGlone and Shane McGrogan, netting either side of a well worked Kilrea goal, leaving them 2-12, 1-04 in front at the break.

Kilrea started the stronger at the beginning of the second half, grabbing seven of the first 10 points scored.  The remainder of the game was an even affair with the teams trading points. Newbridge stalwart Declan McKeever kicked the last point of the game for a final score of Kilrea 1-14 Newbridge 2-20. Up next for Newbridge is the short trip to rivals Bellaghy, whilst Kilrea head to Derry city to face Steelstown.

Newbridge team and scorers: James Gribben, Shea McAteer (0-2), Killian Burke, Declan McKeever (0-1), Ciaran Brooks (0-1), Mark McGrogan (0-2), Patrick McMullan (0-4), Nathan Rocks, Shane McGrogan (1-0), Callum McGrogan (0-2), Conor McAteer (0-5, 0-4 frees), Sean Young (0-1), Conor McGrogan (0-1, 1 ‘45), Odhran McGlone (1-1), Conleth McGrogan

Newbridge Subs Used: Fintan Burke for Sean Young (52mins), Danny Mulholland for Callum McGrogan (53mins), Aidan McGlone for Killian Burke (55mins), Ciaran Mulholland for Ciaran Books (61mins).

Division 3

Ballerin 2-8

Sean Dolans 2-8                                                                               

 Odhran McKane denied Ballerin their second win of the season as he almost single-handedly dragged Sean Dolan’s back from the dead in this game.

Ballerin were the better team for most of the game and at one time in the first half led by five points, while the visitors were disrupted by an early injury to key forward Paul Melaugh. Ballerin were the better team in that first period but they couldn’t make their dominance count and a penalty from McKane helped keep the visitors alive.

Dolan’s improved in the second half and began to claw their way back into the game, and while Jarlath Bradley and Simon McGinley were tacking on the scores for the home side, they could never quite pull away. In the end it was Dolan’s who were probably the happier of the two teams with the result.

Ballerin team and scorers: Ronan Mullan, Dylan Mullan, Anntoin Bradley 0-1, Stephen Mullan, Sean Ferris, Bobby Mullan, Brian Deighan 0-1, Hugh O’Connell 0-1, Kosta Papa, Paul Ferris, Eugene Mullan 1-0, Simon McGinley 0-2, Jarlath Bradley 0-3, Shane Ferris, John McGinley. Ballerin subs used: Liam Brown 1-0.

Sean Dolan’s team and scorers: Ryan McCallion, Charlie Fletcher, Ryan McLaughlin, Liam McNulty, Ruairi Thompson, Rory McGurk, Kevin Thompson 0-1, Paul Clifford 0-1, Eamonn McGinley, Conor McCusker, Caolan McCusker 0-2, Sean O’Donnell, Odhran McKane 2-4, Paul Melaugh, Emmett Coyle.

Sean Dolan’s subs used: Diarmuid McKane.

FRIDAY 2ND JUNE 2023

Division 1

Lavey 1-11

Eoghan Rua 2-11

 An opening salvo of 1-2 inside the first two minutes paved the way for Eoghan Rua's closely contested win, 2-11 to 1-11, away at Lavey last Friday evening.

Points from Lorcan McMullen and Pearse McGonigle were followed by a Dara Mooney goal, blasted to the net in the second minute, which gave Coleraine the perfect start. Lavey gradually worked their way into the game with three points in a row and had pulled it back to a one-point deficit, 1-4 to 0-6, by the 22nd minute.

The visitors ended the half strongly though with three points on the bounce, Dara Mooney two frees and Lorcan McMullen from play, to lead 1-7 to 0-6. Despite a Lavey goal in the 38th minute Coleraine eked out a four-point advantage at 1-11 to 1-7, by the end of the third quarter. Coleraine were then disrupted with injuries to goalkeeper Barry McGoldrick and defender Niall Browne as Lavey began to gain momentum going into the final quarter.

The home side tacked on three points in a row to get it back to a single point game 1-11 to 1-10 going into the last five minutes and seemed to have the edge.

Lavey missed a couple of chances late on before Coleraine stunned them with a breakaway goal, Eoin Daly finishing to the net in the 60th minute. Lavey pulled a point back in added time and then saw a last second effort for an equalising goal just skim the wrong side of the post and into the side netting, Coleraine holding on for the win in a well-contested game.

Eoghan Rua team and scorers: Barry McGoldrick, Dermot Lynch, Ruari Mooney, Tomas Magee, Niall Browne, Sean Leo McGoldrick, Emmett Morrison, Colm McGoldrick (0-2, 0-1 free), Finn McEwan, Lorcan McMullen (0-3), Ciaran McGoldrick, Pearse McGonigle (0-2), Liam Ferris, Dara Mooney (1-4, 0-3 frees), Eoin Daly (1-0). Subs used: Ciaran Mullan, Cillian Butler, Dara McGoldrick.                                                                                 

Other results

Division 3

Glack 6-15

St Mary’s Ardmore 1-7  

Please email all match reports to gary.ferry@iconicnews.ie no later than 9pm every Sunday evening.