Ballinascreen defeat Eoghan Rua to edge closer to the knockout stages

O’Neills Senior Football Championship 

Ballinascreen 1-8

Eoghan Rua 0-8

A FIRST half goal from Aodhan O’Hagan was the decisive score as Ballinascreen took a huge step towards the knockout stages on Wednesday evening. 

It will be a game that will not live long in the memory for entertainment but the home side did enough despite almost letting it slip twice in the finals minutes when they give possession away cheaply to allow Eoghan Rua create half opportunities of grabbling an equalising goal. Both sides borrowed each other with bodies behind the ball, the only difference the visitors electing to leave Ciaran McGoldrick in attack when they hadn’t possession. 

Screen led by a point at the break 1-3 to 0-5 with that all important goal coming on 14 minutes. The home side broke up a Coleraine attack and broke at pace and O’Hagan had the simplest of finishes into the empty net. They moved four clear but Eoghan Rua finished the half with the final three points through Pearce McGonigle, Ruairi and Dara Mooney. 

The home side moved three clear on the resumption with Emmett Duggan and Antain Donnelly splitting the posts. Eoghan Rua hung in their but could never close the gap closer then two. However, they were thankful to Carlus McWilliams at the death and a ball lobbed into the danger area was connected to by Niall Holly who was threw forward but as the ball headed for the goal, McWilliams was in the right place on the line to gather. With Screen wasting possession again, Eoghan Rua came again but the home side cleared another looping ball in the area and a valuable victory was assured. 

The defeat almost certainly leaves Eoghan Rua in the relegation playoff as they still search for their first points although they have a huge game in their final match against Dungiven. Ballinascreen will wrap up their group games against Glen on Sunday and you would feel they have done enough to make the knockout stages. 

Meanwhile elsewhere this evening Slaughtneil easily saw off Kilrea 3-16 to 1-9, goals coming from Peter McCullagh, Shane McGuigan and and Conor McAllister.