Bellaghy began their league campaign with a convincing victory over Ballinderry

H&A Group Division 1

Bellaghy 1-13

Ballinderry 0-7

BELLAGHY began their league campaign with a convincing victory on Friday evening in Drunanee in blustery conditions.

The home side won the league last year and never looked in any danger of not starting this year with victory. Playing into a strong wind in the opening half they went in ahead at the interval, 1-3 to 0-4, with that all important goal coming on 10 minutes, giving them a lead they were never to relinquish. Ballinderry, on the other hand will look back on a number of missed opportunities in that opening period with seven wides in all. However, with Charlie Diamond outstanding in the second half, Bellaghy pulled clear to ease to the win.

It was Diamond who began the scoring from a free which was cancelled out by a Shea Coleman free at the other end soon after. Then came the key score of the half, the excellent Marc McClenaghan releasing Diamond to muscle his way past Aaron Mullan to race clear with a powerful run before laying it across goal for Lorcan Spier to palm home.

Ballinderry were enjoying their moments but did not turn their possession into scores on numerous occasions. Eoin McCracken did find the target after a good move involving Eamon Wilson and Daniel McKinless. Damon Gallagher, who was on form from placed balls, tapped over a free as the sides continued to trade points. Three wides in-a-row for Ballinderry was followed by a Ben McKinless point before a quick break offered them a goal chance on 26 minutes but McClenaghan was on hand to cut out the final pass as Coleman tried to find Thomas Smyth in front of goal. Gallagher and a fine strike from Mullan wrapped up the scoring for the first half but it took a superb tackle from Ballinderry’s Oisin Duffin to deny Eoghan Brown as he bore down on goal.

Diamond opened the second half scoring from a free and while this was cancelled out by Eoin Devlin the second half belonged to the home side. Gallagher hit the first of four in-a-row with a beauty that was followed by points from Spier, Gallagher (free) and Brown after Diamond set him up.

Suddenly, Bellaghy had put daylight between the sides as they moved six clear. Coleman got a much needed score for the Shamrocks but Diamond with a free began another scoring spree for the hosts. Gallagher with two frees and one from play from Diamond sandwiched in between. A dangerous delivery into the goal mouth was flicked over by Ben McKinless for Ballinderry’s last score of the day. It was fitting that Diamond had the final say of the game with a fine point to bring his own personal tally to five points.

The Wolfe Tones will be back in action tomorrow (Wednesday) when they play host to Kilrea while Ballinderry are on the road again when they travel to Slaughtneil on Friday evening.

Teams and Scorers

Bellaghy: D Gallagher 0-6 (5f), C Diamond 0-5 (3f),, L Spier 1-1, E Brown 0-1

Ballinderry: B McKinless 0-2, S Coleman 0-2 (f), E McCracken, E Devlin and A Mullen 0-1 each

Bellaghy: Peter Stuart; Sean Turner, Odhran Lee, Oisin McClafferty; Luke Diamond, Kealan Friel, Marc McClenaghan; Peter Cassidy, Christopher Downey; Oisin McErlean, Charlie Diamond, Conan Milne; Lorcan Spier, Eoghan Brown, Damon Gallagher.

Subs Used: James Donnelly, Ryan Lee, Fionn Milne.

Ballinderry: Dara McVey; Leo Gribben, Eamon Wilson, Eoin McCracken; Eoghan Rocks, Eoin Devlin, Conleith Mallon; Oisin Duffin, Shea Coleman; Aaron Mullan, Liam Connolly, Ben McKinless; Daniel McKinless, Thomas Smyth, Tiernan Rocks

Subs Used: Charlie Crozier, Luke Bell, Matt Quinn, Darren Lawn, Jack Bell.

Referee: Brendan Quinn