Champions Slaughtneil are stunned by Coleraine

SLAUGHTNEIL’S reign as Derry Senior Football champions, which has spanned the past four years, was brought to an unexpected halt when they were forced to bow the knee to a firedup Eoghan Rua, Coleraine side in a thrilling quarter-final replay at Owenbeg last night.

A match on which the famed McGoldrick clan stamped an indelible imprint looked to have slipped beyond the winners’ grasp with only 20 minutes gone, but their never-say-die spirit, relentless commitment and cool finishing were to take them to a glorious triumph.

Slaughtneil looked the more threatening side in the first-half and with Shane McGuigan and Christopher Bradley finding the range, they set about building up a handsome lead.

Brian Cassidy joined in the scoring burst, and by the 21st minute the reigning champions, who were dominant in midfield and moved the ball cleverly up front, had six points on the scoreboard without a response from Eoghan Rua, who were encountering difficulty even in getting outside their own half of the field.

Although Colm McGoldrick provided an element of respite when he landed a 22nd minute point, Cassidy’s third point was to push Slaughtneil into a commanding 0-8 to 0-1 advantage.

Yet just when it seemed that they were about to exert total con- trol, Slaughtneil were suddenly reined in by the Bann men.

Barry Daly and Colm McGoldrick tacked on points for the Coleraine outfit before Ciaran McGoldrick added a brace of quick-fire points to trim Slaughtneil’s lead to 0-9 to 0-5. An exchange of points between Brian Cassidy and Liam McGoldrick (left) saw Slaughtneil ahead by 0-10 to 0-6 at the half-way stage but in the 40th minute Eoghan Rua struck a telling blow. Colm McGoldrick drilled in a goal which saw his side reduce the arrears to 0-13 to 1-8 before a Niall Holly point trimmed the Coleraine lead to just one point.

It was the superb Colm McGoldrick who set the scene for a grandstand finish when he fired over a 56th minute point that left the sides level at 0-13 to 1-10.

And in a team of heroes it was Liam McGoldrick who stepped up to the mark and fired over a vital point deep in additional time that was to carry his side to a memorable 1-11 to 0-13 victory.

There were ecstatic scenes at the finish as Coleraine followers lapped up one of the biggest triumphs in the club’s history.

When the sides finished level in their first meeting, it was felt that the team had missed the boat on that occasion and that Slaughtneil’s greater experience and physical power would prove crucial in the replay.

But even after conceding that early advantage, Eoghan Rua never showed any element of panic and when they had trimmed back their opponents’ lead it became evident that a fresh layer of confidence was underpinning their play.

Coleraine will now go on to meet Ballinascreen in Sunday’s semi-final, with Lavey and Glen meeting in the other semi-final in a Derry championship that has suddenly assumed a fresh complexion.

For Slaughtneil, last night marked the end of a glorious chapter in their history, although the ultimate dream, an All-Ireland club championship triumph, continues to remain elusive.

But the side can bounce back again, that’s for sure.