The sum of Coleraine's parts looks greater

IS there a serious championship challenge in either Coleraine or Glenullin? If you were to choose between them, you’d think it was in the former rather than the latter. But that is no recommendation that Coleraine will necessarily win this game, one of four local derbies in the opening round of this year’s senior championship. Eoghan Rua have been the more consistent of the two over the past few seasons, but have never recaptured the heights of 2010 either. The further into the distance their unbelievable run to the John McLaughlin Cup that year becomes, the more it looks unlikely to be repeated. Indeed, they will look at Glenullin and see that they appear to be on a very familiar path. They won the county title with a young, swashbuckling side in 2007 and challenged strongly over the next few seasons, but lost a replay to Slaughtneil the following year and a semi-final to Dungiven in 2009, where they were 0-7 to 0-1 up at a stage. And since then, they have shown themselves capable of the odd big result, but have failed to mount any kind of sustained challenge on the silverware. Coleraine looked odds-on again in 2011 when they destroyed Bellaghy but it proved a false dawn as they had the clampers put on them by the Loup. And ever since that day, they just have not looked like the same team. At their best, they were a super-fit, super-fast, counter-attacking team. They didn’t kick the ball much but they seemed to be able to bridge the gap between defence and attack with lightning speed. Gradually over the past few seasons, their razor-sharp edge has been blunted. It must be said that injuries to Ciaran and Colm McGoldrick, always seemingly at different times, and Declan Mullan, on top of the loss of Gregory Bradley has left their attack often very one-pronged. Even when fit, Declan Mullan has had to come and play closer and closer to his own goal as time has passed. In last year’s semi-final defeat by Ballinderry, he was virtually stationed at wing-half back the whole night. From there, he is not the threat he should be. In their county title winning year, they scored 12 goals in five championship games. They were absolutely prolific in the league over the couple of years around that. But in this year’s league, they have scored just 11 goals in 13 games. Now there’s no doubt that they are hugely affected by the county team, probably more so than any of the other senior clubs. They don’t have the depth of resources to properly cover for having to play without Sean Leo McGoldrick and Niall Holly. They were, in one sense, probably glad to see some of the others opt out through the year. Sean Leo McGoldrick will more than likely play at centre-forward but drop deep, and Barry McGoldrick will play at six, with Liam McGoldrick at midfield. Ciaran Mullan at full-back and Niall Holly – who will more than likely track Eoin Bradley – Colm and Ciaran McGoldrick in the inside forwards is a serious, serious spine of a team. But on the fringes, they have struggled for a while and that is where better opposition has been able to exploit them. Ballinderry’s tactical approach to last year’s semi-final absolutely wiped Coleraine out. They attacked every strength of Sean McGoldrick’s side and when they did that, Eoghan Rua hadn’t enough elsewhere to pick up the slack. In the long run, that’s what stands between them and a serious championship challenge. And for Glenullin, it’s a fairly similar story. Their strengths are fairly well known. They possess a handful of the county’s best individual footballers. In 2007, the fringes had plenty to offer. Their wing-backs were Stephen Mullan and Gerard O’Kane; their wing-forwards Conrad Bradley and Dominic McIlvar. That on top of the two Boylans, Brian Mullan, John O’Kane, Neil Mullan, and the two Bradleys. It was a fine Glenullin side. Like Coleraine, the core remains. Brian Mullan, Gerard O’Kane, John O’Kane, Ruairi Boylan, the two Bradleys. All still there. Indeed, Eoin and Neill McNicholl would be considered strong additions; Dermot O’Kane is evidently capable too. They did underachieve in the couple of years after ’07. There’s no doubt that at least one more championship should have been won. But that spell has passed and their sheer lack of numbers coming through hammers the competitive edge of their squad. The potential for isolated results remains strong. Could they beat a Ballinderry or a Slaughtneil on their day? Absolutely. But their league position emphasises the lack of consistency that undermines their championship challenge. So much now hinges on Eoin Bradley. When he was at his best last year, he helped them overcome the Loup. When he wasn’t particularly involved against Dungiven, his team were beaten. That was in spite of the absolute brilliance of Paddy that day. He turned in what was probably the best individual display of last summer, hitting six points from play in a stunning show of finishing. In both those games, they got space inside. Coleraine will not give that to them. Ciaran Mullan will more than likely pick up Paddy Bradley. He has picked up Eoin more often but that is likely to be Niall Holly’s detail this time. Coleraine’s constant need to pull Holly out of the middle of the field to do man-marking jobs in defence is another problem for them. Much will depend on which side clicks but, on the whole, the sum of Coleraine’s parts against a Glenullin side minus the suspended Gerard O’Kane still appears greater. Verdict: Coleraine