O’Neills Derry Senior Football Championship
Glen 3-11 Ballinascreen 1-7; Magherafelt 1-13 Kilrea 0-10
Derry champions Glen are safely through to the quarter-final after claiming a facile 10-point win over Ballinascreen at Swatragh on Saturday afternoon.
The holders were five clear at the break, but a Benny Heron goal gave Ballinascreen a glimmer of hope midway through the half.
As things transpired, the goal only served to poke the bear and Glen rallied in the closing stages to emphasise their superiority.
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Alex Doherty bagged his second goal of the game and Ethan Doherty followed suit moments later to put the game beyond doubt.
Glen finished the game with 14 players after Jody McDermott picked up a second yellow card while Paul Gunning missed 10 minutes in the second half after being issued with a black card.
Despite a few lapses of discipline, Watty Graham’s were rarely troubled in a game that lacked the intensity Malachy O’Rourke might have been hoping for.
His charges got off to the perfect start when early points from Danny Tallon and Ethan Doherty was followed by Alex Doherty’s first goal after 12 minutes following good build up play from Conor Convery and Conleth McGuickian.
It was the kind of start the underdogs could have done with and it took Ballinascreen 17 minutes to register their opening score via a JP Devlin free.
Devlin added another minute later before Heron landed a free on the cusp of half-time, but Glen were five ahead by that stage following a rally of points from Tallon (two frees) and Conor Glass 45.
McGuckian and Alex Doherty were on the scoresheet early in the second while Devlin landed another free for St Colm’s.
The game got very disjointed midway through the second half as Gunning picked up a black card for an off-the-ball incident.
After a hat-trick of wides, Ballinascreen finally got their reward when Heron found the net after being played through on goal by Andy McBride.
With the gap down to three, St Colm’s needed to build on their momentum. Yet, Glen rattled off 2-4 without reply to illustrate why they are the current county champions.
Convery and Tallon landed points before Jack Doherty marked his introduction with a well-worked point.
Alex Doherty plundered his second goal on 51 minutes and, one minute later, Ethan Doherty ended the game with an empathic finish after being put through by Conor Carville.
Michael Warnock broke clear for a fisted point before Heron ended the siege with a free at the other end.
Conal Logan missed 10 minutes at the end after being issued with a black card, but the game was already gone by then. Devlin’s point two minutes from time was his and Ballinascreen’s first point from play of the entire. Much more will be needed to trouble the men from Maghera.
Earlier at Swatragh, Magherafelt survived a scare to edge Kilrea 1-13 to 0-10 with a late goal from Niall Higgins sealing the game.
The game was in the melting pot until Higgins found the net five minutes from time with Kilrea playing their part in an entertaining spectacle.
Indeed, the Pearse’s made the brighter start and were 0-5 to 0-1 ahead after 18 minutes with Rory Maguire, PJ McAleese (two), Ruairidh Donaghy (45) and James Kielt (free) all on target while full-back Guiseippe Lupari scored Magherafelt’s opening point.
However, Magherafelt’s forwards were wasteful in the opening quarter and it took them longer to settle into the game.
Danny Heavron steadied the ship with a good score on 20 minutes and it was followed by back-to-back points from midfielder Dan Higgins with Paddy Quigg landing a point from play at the other end.
Kilrea were then indebted to goalkeeper Eoghan Rogers who pulled off a breathtaking save to deny Shane Heavron from close range after the Magherafelt attacker drilled a shot low and hard to the right-hand side of the goal. Rogers got a glove to the shot to turn to around the post and the resulting 45 came to nothing.
It served as a warning as Rossa were level at the break with Shane Heavron scoring two frees late in the half.
Kilrea weren’t about to bow down and they took the fight to their opponents again in the second half with McAleese landing another free with Heavron responding for Rossa.
James Kielt then scored a stunning free from along the far sideline, but Heavron levelled on the 40-minute mark.
Kilrea missed a series of chances to edge ahead and Eoin McEvoy pushed Magherafelt ahead with a fine score.
A brilliant effort from Quigg levelled the contest at 0-9 each after 48 minutes, but Kilrea were outgunned down the home straight as Heavron nudged his side back in front.
Patrick McLarnon’s beautifully-weighted ball across the face of goal was met by the palm of Niall Higgins, who finished into the net to move Magherafelt four clear.
It felt like a decisive score and so it proved as the 2019 champions outscored Kilrea 0-3 to 0-1 in the final minutes with half-backs Conor McCluskey and Michael McEvoy hitting two classy points at the finish.
At Owenbeg, Dungiven had a 4-12 to 1-8 win over Banagher while Swatragh edged Bellaghy 3-10 to 1-13 in a thriller to seal their place in the last eight.
Sunday's double-header at Dungiven sees Slaughtneil take on Claudy (1.15pm) before Lavery face Steelstown (3pm). At Owenbeg later this evening Ballinderry clash with Coleraine (5pm) while The Loup face Newbridge (6.30pm).
Glen scorers: Alex Doherty 2-1, Ethan Doherty 1-1, Danny Tallon 0-4 (0-3fs), Conleth McGuckian 0-1, Conor Convery 0-1, Michael Warnock 0-1, Jack Doherty 0-1, Conor Glass 0-1 (0-1 45).
Ballinascreen scorers: JP Devlin 0-5 (0-4fs), Benny Heron 1-2 (0-2fs).
Magherafelt scorers: Shane Heavron 0-6 (0-6fs), Niall Higgins 1-0, Dan Higgins 0-2, Guiseppe Lupari 0-1, Dan Heavron 0-1, Eoin McEvoy 0-1, Conor McCluskey 0-1, Michael McEvoy 0-1.
Kilrea scorers: PJ McAleese 0-3 (0-1f), Paddy Quigg 0-3 (0-1f), James Kielt 0-2 (0-2fs), Rory Maguire 0-1, Ruairidh Donaghy 0-1 (0-1 45).
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