Senior League A
Armagh Harps 2-13 Killeavy 1-11
Two injury times goal secured victory for Armagh Harps and fought off a sticky Killeavy team who were always in touching distance of the hosts. Killeavy went in front with just one minute of normal time left to play but couldn’t hold on to their lead as Gareth Swift and James McCoy hit the net in the final moments.
Tommy Turley opened the scoring with a pointed free after Charlie Vernon, who constantly drove the Harps forward from his centre half back position, was fouled. Killeavy answered back eight minutes later and soon led as Conor O’Neill knocked over two points, both from the dead ball.
The game was 15 minutes old when the first score from play came, a point from Joe McElroy who turned inside his marker and swung over a great point to tie the game. Cathair McKinney put the minimum between the sides in Killeavy’s favour while Conor Magennis could have put his side further ahead, but the woodwork came to the rescue for the harps.
Shane McKeown levelled the game but also passed up a glorious goal opportunity. Joe McElroy’s pass across the face of game left McKeown with an open net, but the big full forward palmed the ball over the bar to give Harps a one point advantage. Tom O’Kane exchanged scores with Conor O’Neill but a scoring burst lasting four minutes saw the Harps stretch away just before the interval. James McCoy, Declan McKenna and Tom O’Kane all split the posts to see the Harps take a 0-8 to 0-4 lead.
Caolan McConville got Killeavy back into contention straight from the throw in with a point before Daniel Darragh narrowed the gap to two. The margin was doubled once again with Tom O’Kane and Shane McKeown hitting a point each before Ben Hughes left just three points the difference 13 minutes into the second period.
Tom O’Kane continued to torture the Killeavy rear guard with his movement and pace causing serious problems all afternoon, his brace was matched by Conor O’Neill and Caolan McConville. Ben Hughes fired over his second point as Killeavy moved closer to the home side, now trailing by two.
They were soon ahead when Hughes turned provider, allowing Conor Magennis to steal throw on goal and blast the ball to the back of the Armagh Harps net with a cool finish. With time almost up, the Harps were presented with a perfect opportunity to tie the game, but substitute Gareth Swift couldn’t make the most of the opportunity, his free dropping short.
The Harps luck was in however as James McCoy was fouled in the square after trying to regain possession and Swift made no mistake with the penalty, smashing the ball home to fire the home side into the lead. Killeavy pressed hard as they tried to steal something from the game but a James McCoy goal in the 63rd minute secured victory for Armagh Harps, winning 2-13 to 1-11.
Senior League B
Granemore 0-15 Madden 2-13
The hosts Granemore saw their two point half time lead vanish with two second half goals for Madden, the first and last scores of the second period. This result sees the sides sit on 16 points each as both teams still have an opportunity to reach the top of the senior division, although Granemore have the upper hand as they have an extra game to play.
Liam Grimley pointed a third minute free to open the scoring before points from Jason O’Neill and Kieran Toner gave Granemore a slight advantage. Aron McKenna exchanged scores with Toner as did Ciaran Rafferty with Brendan Boylan before a three point scoring spree from Eoghan O’Neill (2) and Liam Doyle gave Granemore a 0-7 to 0-3 lead.
Madden came bouncing back into the contest with a purple patch of their own, Conor Grimley, Aron McKenna and Ciaran Rafferty all raising white flags before the final score of the half fell to Louis Hughes, his point seeing Granemore lead at the half time break by two points, 0-8 to 0-6.
Niall Grimley’s move to the edge of the square paid dividends as he hit the net 60 seconds into the second half. Jason O’Neill levelled matters but two points from Grimley along with another from Conor Grimley saw Madden take control of the contest. Jason O’Neill kept Granemore in touch but Joe Sheridan and Niall Smith points meant Madden kept their lead.
Niall Smith split four Granemore points from Liam Doyle (2) Jason O’Neill and Marty Carr with Madden just edging ahead by the minimum with time almost up. Aron McKenna and Kieran Toner traded scores before Joe Sheridan hit the Granemore goal to see out a four point victory for the visiting side.
Elsewhere Pearse Ogs remain top of the table and favourites to win the division, with their 10th win of the campaign, this time against Sarsfields, seeing out a 1-15 to 2-11 win. Clann Eireann kept their promotion hopes alive with a 0-13 to 1-7 win over Annaghmore on Saturday night. Sarsfields have a slight chance of remaining in the senior league for next season but will need to beat St Peter’s next week and hope Annaghmore lose to Granemore.
Intermediate League A
In the only game of the Intermediate League Shane O’Neill’s narrowly overcame St Paul’s by a point, 2-12 to 2-11 as Shane O’Neill’s remain in the hunt for a top four position, sitting in 5th place just one point behind Whitecross. St Paul’s on the other hand sit 2nd with their fate in their hands; a win next week will guarantee promotion.
Junior League
Clonmore lost for the second game in a row, and only the second time all season, against Killeavy IIs on Sunday on a 3-16 to 0-6 score line, although Clonmore have already been crowded league Champions. With Forkhill winning the lower section of the Junior League on Friday night, the rest of Sunday’s games were dead rubbers, with Dorsey and Corrinshego beating St Patrick’s IIs and Collegeland.
