Limavady Wolfhounds promoted to senior football for first time in 32 years

Limavady 1-19, Greenlough 0-9

Limavady Wolfhounds are back in Derry senior league football for the first time since 1993 after being crowned Division Two champions following a most impressive win over a Greenlough team who were going for a sixth successive league victory.

A minute’s silence was observed before throw in to remember Philip McLaughlin who was on the Wolfhound’s first adult team in 1981. Sadly Philip at the age of 80, was laid to rest just two hours before the start of the game.

Declan Toner’s Wolfhounds employ a simple system. Former Derry minor goalie Oran Hartin looks for the tall Harry McLaughlin with his pin point kick-outs and he starts or finishes attacks. With a line of players over six feet tall up the centre, the new league champions dominated the high ball and made the best use of possession. They kick passed impressively and their finishing was of a standard that Jude Donnelly’s side simply could not match.

Past Limavady teams have been accused of lacking belief in their own ability but this 2025 vintage looks different with the intermediate championship right around the corner. The Wolfhounds had to win this game to take the league title as not far away at Foreglen the Banagher team who were just a point behind Limavady won their game but had to settle for a promotion/relegation play off with Ballinderry.

Toner would have been pretty familiar with a number of the Greenlough players having coached them at St. Connor’s, Clady where he has been on the teaching staff for quite a few years.

Greenlough were never going to win the game but they should have been a lot closer, their finishing was poor in the extreme and luck deserted them completely in the wind assisted second half when a stubborn goalpost got in the way of two goal chances.

The early stages were cagey with neither team anxious to take any risks but from the second minute when Cormac Quigey opened the scoring the winners were never headed despite the efforts of Niall Loughlin, Shea Birt and Jude Moore.

A patient build up saw the Plunkett’s draw level through Niall Loughlin but points in the 11th and 12 minutes from Ruairi Hasson and Harry Butcher started a period of domination for the home team despite a Paul Quinn score in reply.

When Cillian Moore missed a straightforward free for Greenlough the feeling among the big crowd was that the Wolfhounds were on their way to Division One. A fine individual point by Jude Moore kept his side on the coat tails of the game.

Quigley, the Wolfhounds top scorer, was not getting on the ball as much as usual with former Derry half back Brian Og McCallion dropped back from midfield to mind the ‘square’ and keep him outside the danger area. That all changed in the second half.

With the score at 0-4 to 0-2 with 20 minutes gone Limavady took complete control. Harry McLaughlin sent over a two pointer and Ruairi Hasson hit a nice score from a tight angle. Quigley hit a superb score to open up a seven point lead. Shea Birt reduced the margin to six but a Harry Butcher score in the second minute of added time left Limavady leading by 0-10 to 0-3 at the break.

With the breeze in their favour a Greenlough comeback was not out of the question but when Niall Louglin’s effort came off an upright and Richard King scored at the other end, it was always going to be a struggle for Jude Donnelly’s mixture of youth and experience.

Goalkeeper Hartin continued his exhibition of accurate kicking out to McLaughin and Tom Deery in the middle of the field and when Greenlough did get into scoring positions chances went with the wind.

A superb low finish to the net following King’s point left it an 11 point game but to their credit Greenlough kept pushing forward. Ruairi Hasson came close to another Limavady major but young Greenlough net minder Ryan O’Neill pulled off a point blank save.

Greenlough began to push forward a lot more but that just left more space for the winners to work in though a brace of points from Jude Moore and Shea Birt were just rewards for their efforts over the hour.

A Harry McLaughlin catch and transfer brought a quick response through Harry Butcher. At the other end Niall Loughlin then saw another effort come off a post and go wide. Soon after Cormac Lagan did likewise.

Superb long range points by Harry McLaughlin and Cormac Quigley, who was finding space on the wings, made the score 1-15 to 0-6 with 12 minutes remaining. Butcher and the promising Darragh Deehan then left 14 points between the teams before substitute Aaron McGregor and the rampaging McLaughlin completed the Wolfhound’s tally.

Despite the lost cause Greenlough kept battling with points from Jude Moore, Loughlin and Birt but it was never going to make any difference to the final outcome. #

The Limavady players got a huge cheer from their big support at the end of the game as senior football returned to the Roe Valley for the first time in 32 years and quite a few players from that era were there to witness it!

Limavady scorers: Cormac Quigley (1-4) Harry McLaughlin (0-4,1tp), Harry Butcher (0-3) Oisin Hasson (0-2tp), Ruairi Hasson (0-2), Darragh Deehan, Richard King, James McAleese and Aaron McGregor (0-1) each.

Greenlough scorers: Niall Loughlin and Shea Birt (0-3 each), Jude Moore (0-2) and Paul Quinn (0-1).

Limavady: Oran Hartin, Jonathan McStravick, Ben Deery, Darragh Deehan, Fintan McIvor, Manus Quigley, Oisin Hasson, Tom Deery, Harry McLaughlin, Harry Butcher, Richard King, James McAleesse Ruairi Hasson, Cormac Quigley, Eunan McLaughlin. (Subs) Kieran McGlinchey for J McAleese (51), Aaron McGregor for R Hasson (55), Sheagh McLaughlin for E McLaughlin (58).

Greenlough: Ryan O’Neill, Patrick McPeake, Brian Og McCallion, Christopher Kearney, Patrick Kinoulty, Paul Quinn, Jude Moore, Jack McCann, Enda McNally, Cathair Kearney, Shea Birt, Niall Loughlin, Cillian Moore, Christopher Maguire, Cormac Lagan. Subs Joe Kearney for E McNally (inj 20), Roger McCann for C Maguire (32).

Referee: Barry Cassidy (Bellaghy).