Lavey over come Na Magha but positives as senior hurling championship returns to city

Na Magha 0-10, Lavey 0-15

Championships are about results but occasionally, just very occasionally, the significance of the event outweighs the outcome of a fixture.

On Sunday, there was no fairytale victory for Na Magha against Lavey but the significance of the fixture should not be lost amid that disappointment. The return of the Senior Hurling Club Championship to Derry City is a huge step forward for the small ball game in the Oak Leaf county and that particular win is all of Na Magha's own making.

That shouldn't sound patronising. It's not meant as another empty plaudit for a gallant city side after a brave defeat. Dee Doherty and his players weren't just making up the numbers here, they were fighting right until the final whistle .

And while this battle may have been lost, the signs are the war is being won.

A first appearance by a Na Magha reserve side for more than a decade in Sunday's curtain raiser highlights the work being done off the field with the impressive numbers in the club's underage structure offering real cause for optimism.

But that's the future and against Lavey, Doherty and his players were only interested in the here and now. To that end, a five point defeat was a setback but it was a setback punctuated by positives.

Lavey may not be the force they have been over recent years but even without Eamon McGill, Erin's Own have the type of championship pedigree Na Magha are aiming to emulate. Level at seven points a-piece at the interval, the visitors' greater experience pushed them over the line but there was nothing comfortable about the win.

Indeed it took a superb late block from full-back James Crawford and a brilliant last ditch interception from Dara McPeake to stop Na Magha grabbing the goal which would really have thrown the cat among the pigeons.

In Deaglan Foley and Fintan Bradley, both sides possessed free-takers of the highest quality with the former grabbing all 10 of Na Magha's points on the day and therein lay the problem. Shorn of the considerable talents of Alan Grant among others, the Ballyarnett side were short in attack with players filling unnatural gaps or still learning the game at this level. Three or four points from a more potent inside line could have turned a tight game like this on its head.

At the other end, the Na Magha defence was superb. Lavey never got as much as half a goal chance with Robbie Hegarty, Diarmuid Shiels and Mark McShane excellent and Fearghal McAneney in front of them probably the best player on the pitch.

Na Magha did struggle with puck outs though, Barry Robinson's clearances too often finding a hand in orange but Lavey never capitalised and entering the final quarter, there was only one point in it as Na Magha trailed 0-10 to 0-11.

Four points in the following 10 minutes, either side of the water break, from Bradley, Ryan McGill, Paddy Henry and Ciaran Henry eventually put pay to home hopes as Na Magha chased goals by dropping high balls in on top of a well marshalled Lavey back line. It was a tactic which Na Magha probably should have tried once or twice in an opening half in which the sides were never far apart.

Ryan McGIll shot Lavey into a first minute lead but Foley had levelled from the first of seven first half frees before two minutes were on the clock.

Liam Murphy, Bradley (3f, 1 forty-five) and McGill continually edged Lavey ahead but there was never more than two points in it as each time Na Magha responded through Foley to ensure parity at the break.

The second half appeared to be following a similar pathway until Lavey's four point burst opened up the first daylight of the afternoon for either side. It proved enough enough to get :Lavey over the line but not by much with plenty of positives for Na Magha as they face up to final group fixtures against Ballinascreen and Slaughtneil.

Na Magha scorers: Deaglan Foley (0-10, 10f)

Lavey scorers: Fintan Bradley (0-7, 7f), Ryan McGill (0-4), Paddy Henry (0-2), Liam Murphy (0-1), Ciaran Henry (0-1)

Na Magha: Barry Robinson, Robert Hegarty, Diarmuid Shiels, Mark McShane, Brendan Douban, Fearghal McAnaney, Tomas Lally, Breandan Quigley, Bliadhan Glass, Padhraig Nelis, Deaglan Foley, Michael Lynch, Tim Rankin, Daryl Connolly, Connor Shiels.

(Subs) Aaron Campbell for T Lally (inj), 33mins;

Lavey: Michael Taggart, Dara McPeake, James Crawford, Dominic Duggan, Dermot O'Neill, Colm Dillon, Brendan Laverty, Colm Murphy, Chrissy Henry, Ryan Mulholland, Fintan Bradley, Liam Murphy, Ciaran Henry, Paddy Henry, Ryan McGill.

(Subs) Kevin Toner for R Mulholland, 10mins; Shane McGill for B Laverty, 45mins; Odhran Waldron for L Murphy, 50mins; Cahal O'Loan for P Henry, 55mins; Danny Shaw for D Duggan, 55mins.

Referee: Aidan McAleese