Coleraine hold off Claudy heroics in Championship thriller

Eoghan Rua 3-10, Claudy 1-14

Few things haunt footballers like 'what if?'

Beaten by a better team: it hurts but players can deal with it. Not been at your best: that's an opportunity lost but you know where the fault lies.

But do everything right, against the odds, and the footballing gods still decree that it's not your day, well, that leaves you in 'what if' territory and it can be torture! Just ask Claudy.

Without three of their most influential and experienced players and written off before a ball was kicked, Emmet McKeever's men barely put a foot wrong against one of the favourites, yet their championship season came to an abrupt halt in O'Cahan Park Dungiven following a real thriller against Eoghan Rua. The majority of big performances came in blue short, none more so than Oran Armstrong who was the best player on the pitch, revelling in the responsibility and dictating play brilliantly for the Mitchel's from a deep play-making role.

But there was Liam Connolly as well, Shea Dalton, Shea Kerrigan and Blaine Carlin too. Indeed all over the pitch the Claudy players stepped up in a game that hinged in two penalty decisions either side of half-time. Both were 50/50 calls at best, Colm McGoldrick going down under a challenge from Ross Stevenson in the opening half, Sean Leo McGoldrick felled in the second when the Claudy defenders didn't look to do much wrong other than stand their ground as the little maestro tried to engineer space for a shot.

That six point swing kept Coleraine in the game and they needed every last ounce of their considerable championship experience to turn this one around, a feat achieved largely because of Colm McGoldrick who, even when others around him looked out of sorts, still managed to keep lead from the front. The half-time introduction of Dara Mooney, Liam Ferris and Paul Daly also a critical juncture as the Coleraine men looked a different side after the break.

The second half swung first one way, then the other but even after Claudy had fought back to level following McGoldrick's second successful spot kick, the Eoghan Rua forward hit two exquisite scores to finally break Claudy resolve. It was brilliant, breathless Derry club football at its best.

The pre-match build-up for Claudy had been all about who wasn't playing with Marty Donaghy, Aaron Kerrigan and Conor Johnston all missing but those who were playing soon showed they were not there just to make up the numbers. The first half was all about Claudy, the Mitchels deploying the same deep lying defensive trap that had given Swatragh and Dungiven such bother in the group games, and they should have been further clear than even their considerable 0-11 to 1-2 half-time lead.

Eoghan Rua started well with Colm McGoldrick hitting two early scores, one a free, to suggest the pre-match predictions of a Coleraine stroll may not be far off the mark but gradually Claudy found their feet. And their range.

Once a patient build up finished with Conor Gormely splitting the posts the underdogs were up and running and barely looked back all half. Further points from Kerrigan (free), Connolly, with a lovely solo effort, and Aaron Donaghy has them 0-4 to 0-2 up and getting better when the game's first penalty arrived.

McGoldrick was already proving a handful by the time a ball was played in him close to goal 13 minutes. The Coleraine forward broke it down for himself under pressure from Ross Stevenson but as the pair chased the break McGoldrick was grounded and referee Barry Cassidy pointed to the spot. Whether it was a tangle of legs or a push that felled the forward is debatable for a decision that could be filled under the 'seen them given' section.

Stevenson was booked for his trouble and when the dust settled Kieran Reilly almost kept the spot kick out as it squirmed under him and into the net for an Eoghan Rua lifeline.

Not that it halted the Claudy momentum. Instead they redoubled their efforts to hit seven points without reply as Connolly, Kerrigan, Armstrong (3f), Dalton and McGahon gave them a six point half-time lead at 1-02 to 0-11 with supporters wondering if a huge upset was on the cards.

They got their answer seconds into the second period. With three substitutes on and a complete restructure that saw Niall Holly drop to full-back, Coleraine added the one ingredient missing first half - intensity - and the spectacle took off.

Dara Mooney announced his introduction by firing a shot across goal that was inches away from the outstretched hand of Colm McGoldrick with the goal gaping before Mooney tapped over the half's first point.

Shea Dalton responded buy Claudy were on the ropes for the first time in the game as a Colm McGoldrick free preceded Coleraine's second goal. When Claudy conceded possession along the left, Coleraine moved quickly, cutting through the Mitchel's with a lovely move that ended with Colm McGoldrick teeing up Barry Daly who arrived right on cue to roll a low finish into the net for 2-04 to 0-10.

It was game on but Claudy, after Blaine Carlin had watched a superb left footed effort come back off the inside of the post, fashioned the best move of the game.

Carlin was involved again,. surging forward along the right to find Liam Connolly who fooled everyone inside O'Cahan Park by picking out a sublime pass to Jamie Brown instead of shooting. The corner back had appeared from nowhere and it seems Connolly was the only man to spot it but Brown gathered and finished excellently to restore Claudy five point lead at 1-12 to 2-04.

Colm McGoldrick (free) and Aidan mcGonigle responded with scores before, on 46 minutes, the game's pivotal passage. Ruairi Mooney called an attacking mark wide on Coleraine's left but his shot was awful, so much so that Claudy gave it up as a wide. But not Colm McGoldrick!

The forward managed to keep it in and the ball was fed centre where Sean Leo McGoldrick went down as he tried to break past two Claudy defenders. There didn't look much in it but referee Cassidy, who had a great view, pointed to the spot and Colm had his second goal of the game.

Crucially, seconds later Coleraine had the lead for the first time since the 13th minute as Dara Mooney shot them one point up.

Back came Claudy, Eoghan McGahon this time showing the nerve to level the game once more with seven minutes left and it looked like anyone's game.

That anyone, however, was Colm McGoldrick. With all around him rushed, the coolest man in O'Cahan Park twice took possession 35m from goal and sent a beautiful shot between the posts for a two point lead Claudy would not be able to recover.

They tried but Armstrong's long range score was fittingly the last act on the scoreboard as Eoghan Rua's experience saw them over the line.

They will need improvement in the next round if they are to seriously challenge but they know how to win championship matches and that knowledge proved critical once again.

Claudy deserve all the plaudits coming their way and this young side has quite a future in front of it but , for now, it's only 'what if'.

Claudy scorers: Jamie Brown (1-0), Conor Gormley (0-1), Shea Kerrigan (0-2, 1f), Liam Connolly (0-2), Aaron Donaghy (0-1), Oran Armstrong (0-4, 3f), Shea Dalton (0-2), Eoghan McGahon (0-2)

Eoghan Rua scorers: Colm McGoldrick (2-6, 2pens, 3f), Barry Daly (1-0), Dara Mooney (0-2), Aidan McGonigle (0-1), Ciaran McGoldrick (0-1)

Claudy: Kieran Reilly, Jamie Brown, Ross Stevenson, Cory Armstrong, Blaine Carlin, Fionan Smith, Aaron Donaghy, Eoghan McGahon, Stephen Farren, Paddy Hargan, Shea Dalton, Conor Gormley, Liam Connolly, Shea Kerrigan, Oran Armstrong. (Subs) Darrell Devine for S Farren, 52mins;

Eoghan Rua: Liam McGoldrick, Ciaran Lagan, Barry McGoldrick, Barry Daly, Ciaran Lenehan, Ruairi Mooney, Ciaran Mullan, Niall Holly, Shay McLaughlin, Aidan McGonigle, Sean Leo McGoldrick, Devlin Donnelly, Ciaran McGoldrick, Colm McGoldrick, Mark McTaggart. (Subs) Liam Ferris for M McTaggart, HT; Dara Mooney for D Donnelly, HT; Paul Daly for C Lenehan, HT.

Referee: Barry Cassidy