Division 1A
Pearse Ogs 1-10 Maghery 0-10
Pearse Ogs captured a huge result on Sunday when they defeated the defending league Champions Maghery.
James Freeman rattled the net with the first score of the game and this helped the hosts keep their opponents at arm’s length for the remainder of the contest.
The Duffy brother Anto and Paul matched two scores from Maghery while Conor Clarke and Justin Graham handed the Ogs a 1-4 to 0-2 lead.
Maghery tagged on the final point of the half but it was the home side who were the most comfortable at the break.
The visitors hit a brace to close the gap while two more scores from Paul Duffy (both frees) and Justin Graham’s second left the game double scores, 1-7 to 0-5.
Anto Duffy traded points with the Loughshore men before Niall Boyle hit a mighty point to keep the Ogs on top.
Vincy Brady struck the final score of the contest as the home side held on to their three-point margin to pick up their first points of the season.
Division 1B
Cullyhanna 1-11 Annaghmore 0-9
St Patrick’s Cullyhanna carried on their winning momentum this weekend as they saw out another close contest.
Annaghmore were the visiting side and the better team during the opening 15 minutes, stealing into a 5-1 lead.
Cullyhanna began get to grips with the game and pulled the gap back to two at the break, Annaghmore ahead 0-6 to 0-4.
Aodhan Conlon swung over a nice score at the start of the second half before Kieran Hoey struck the only goal of the contest.
The hosts were the dominant side in the second period and had opened up a margin of five points by final whistle.
Clann Eireann also picked up their first points of the 2020 season when they saw off Mullaghbawn 3-13 to 2-9.
A point separated the sides at the interval but a goal straight after the break handed Clann Eireann some breathing space.
Mullaghbawn did close the gap to three nearing the end of the contest but another major for the hosts allowed them to come away with a seven-point win.
Division 2A
Culloville 0-8 Sarsfields 3-17
Sarsfields bounced back from their opening day defeat in emphatic fashion as they saw off Culloville on Sunday afternoon.
John Kingham matched the away sides early score, but the High Moss men took total control of the contest, hitting 1-6 without reply, Thomas McAlinden grabbing the goal.
Cathal Hatzer pulled two back for the hosts before the break as Sarsfields had built up a ten-point lead by the short whistle, 1-10 to 0-3.
Fin Gregory got Culloville off the mark with a point in the opening minute of the second half while Colin Hoey also pointed for the home team.
Points from Cathal Hatzer and Shane Carragher were matched by the away side before they raised two more green flags.
Paul McGaughey and Paul McGeown both hit the net, McGeown’s major a thing of beauty as he ignored the new advanced mark rule to bury the ball past the keeper and see out a comfortable win.
St Paul’s 1-11 Whitecross 1-15
Whitecross made the trip to Lurgan on Saturday evening in search of their second win of the league campaign.
The visiting side got off to a great start with Cormac Mulligan hitting the net with the game just 45 seconds old.
The St Killian’s men meant business and rushed into a six-point lead during the first quarter, outscoring the opposition 1-6 to 0-3.
The home side came roaring back into the contest with a mighty goal scored from 20 yards to reduce the deficit to three.
The St Paul’s momentum carried on after the water break and they saw out the half with four points to tie the game at the interval, 1-7 each.
Whitecross nudged ahead once again with Cathal McSherry using the advanced mark to his advantage as he slotted over a score.
It was nip and tuck in the third quarter as the teams exchanged points before the away team eventually started to pull away.
Scores courtesy of Anthony McCann, Niall Boyle, McSherry and Mark Shields left Whitecross four-point winners and they now side top of the league after two games.
Elsewhere in the division, Clan na Gael welcomed Shane O’Neill’s to Davitt Park on Sunday afternoon for the second round of the league.
These sides meet in a few weeks’ time to open the Intermediate Championship, so there was always going to be some needle in the game.
Unfortunately, as the match was getting hot and heavy, the referee deemed fit to abandon the game fifteen minutes into the second half.
Clan na Gael were ahead by two points heading into the final quarter when the referee halted proceedings.
Division 2B
Carrickcruppen 2-16 An Port Mor 2-8
An Port Mor made the journey to Camlough on Sunday in search of their second win of the season.
The hosts played with a strong wind for the opening 30 minutes and made their advantage show on the score board.
Tiernan Kelly found the net for the hosts during the opening exchanges as they established an early lead, ahead 1-5 to 0-1 midway through the half.
A second Dara McKenna free was the only other score of the half for the Blackwatertown men, while the home side had Eoin Woods and Aaron Anderson to thank for their scores.
Carrickcruppen had built up a ten-point margin by the time the referee blew the short whistle, ahead 1-9 to 0-2.
Two frees at the start of the second half gave Port Mor a little hope, but it was short lived as a Tiernan Kelly goal from the spot all but ended the contest.
Goals from the away side came through Ross Gribben and Cormac Kieran (penalty) but it was too little to late as Carrickcruppen were already sure of picking up the points.
Ballyhegan 2-8 Keady 2-14
Keady remain top of Division 2B as they picked up their second win of the year, this one away from home on Sunday evening.
Ballyhegan fought hard throughout but just didn’t have enough to earn something from the contest as Keady pulled away in the final 15 minutes of the game.
It was nip and tuck up to that point however with the sides on level terms five times throughout the game.
Odhran Fullerton was a bright spark for Keady early on and his first score was cancelled out through a Patrick Marley free.
Ballyhegan shot ahead when livewire James McCormack squared possession to the waiting Conor Williamson, who had the easy job of palming the ball to an open net.
Keady fought back brilliantly and were back on equal terms within five minutes with Eugene McDonnell, Jack Molloy and Conor Renaghan chipping in with scores.
The sides traded points, with some magnificent scores on show, before Ballyhegan edged ahead with their second goal of the game.
James McCormack this time got the final touch, after he saw his penalty expertly saved by Padraig Donnelly, but was on hand to smash home the rebound.
Keady raised a green flag of the own when Jack Molloy sent through Fullerton, who slotted the ball past the Ballyhegan number one to give Keady the lead at the break, 1-7 to 2-2.
By the 50-minute mark, the sides were evenly matched, 1-11 to 2-8, before Keady began to pull away and look for the finish line.
Fullerton was again on hand to bring his personal tally to 1-3 while Jack Molloy continued to burst forward at every opportunity and got his award with a game-winning goal.
Keady now had the ascendancy and chipped over the final two scores of the day to see out a hard-fought four-point win.
How the Junior Division looks after the weekends action.
