Intermediate Championship
Keady 0-13 Middletown 0-7
The rough and tumble nature of this encounter was exactly what as expected, for at least thirty minutes anyway.
Hard hitters were the name of the game around the centre of the field as both teams aimed to get a stranglehold in that area.
The first half may have been low scoring, but the game was close with some great football thrown in.
Jack Molloy handed Keady the initiative as early as the second minute before Conor Corvan doubled his sides advantage.
Middletown not only got back on level terms, but scores through Martin Moan (free), Chris McCann, Odhran Curry and Cathal Carvill put John Murtagh’s side ahead.
The margin could have been more however, as McCann’s effort was a shot intended for goal, but a spectacular Aidan Clifford save meant Middletown would have to settle for a point.
Ryan Donnelly swung over a free to reduce the gap before the water break while the sides shared a score each, Odhran Fullerton and Patrick McBride cancelling each other out.
Then came a major turning point in the contest, Martin Moan was sent to the line for a black card offence just before the short whistle.
Middletown would now be forced to play with fourteen men for the first ten minutes of the second half.
Keady really used their extra man to their advantage as they rallied off three points in the opening quarter to take a 0-7 to 0-5 lead.
Cathal Carvill tried to halt the momentum with a point but the Keady tails were up, Conor Hughes and Fullerton carried on their sides momentum.
Moan slashed over a free, but it wasn’t enough to get back into the game as Keady continued to drive forward in search of scores.
And they found the last four of the game. Conor Corvan hit his second, while Fullerton, Dylan McKenna and Neasan O’Dionn all found their range as well.
The win sees Keady through to the quarter finals where they will now face the challenge of Ballyhegan with a spot in the final four the prize for the winner.
Carrickcruppen 3-8 Collegeland 0-8
Goals win games and that was certainly the case in Ballymacnab on Sunday afternoon as three majors helped Carrickcruppen advance to the last eight of the competition.
Eoin Woods and John McCullough sent their side on their way with two first half goals, while Woods again hit the net near the end of the game.
Collegeland made the brighter start, last season’s All-Star goalkeeper Niall Brady smashing over a free four minutes in.
That would be the only time Collegeland got their noses ahead however as Woods raised the first green flag of the day with the next attack.
A converted mark from Stephen Loughran extended the Camlough sides lead while Shane Donnelly offered the Collegeland response.
McCullough was then on target to allow ‘Cruppen some breathing space, as they now led 2-1 to 0-2 after ten minutes.
Shane Donnelly slotted over two frees to keep Collegeland in contention, but Woods had the final say of the half, ‘Cruppen ahead 2-2 to 0-4 at the break.
Bill Geoghegan sides landed the first two points of the second period with Richard Keenan finding the target on both occasions (frees).
Niall Brady popped over two more dead ball efforts before a long-range Eoin Woods score sent ‘Cruppen five points ahead.
Tyrone McGeary and Keenan traded scores while Jason Kelly also got his name on the score sheet for Collegeland.
Then came Eoin Woods’ second major and whatever slim hope Collegeland had of mounting a comeback was well and truly flattened.
Tiernan O’Hare tagged on another late point for the victors, to see them storm through to the quarter finals with nine points to spare.
St Paul’s 1-14 Tir na nOg 0-11
The all Lurgan clash of St Paul’s and Tir na nOg took place on Sunday afternoon and six points separated the sides by the end of the contest.
Eoin McConville claimed the games only goal and it was the decisive score on the day, as it gave St Paul’s a foothold in the game.
It came on the 13th minute of the opening half and St Paul’s looked like they might run away with it, leading 1-2 to 0-1.
Tir na nOg did haul themselves back into contention and were back on level terms by the 25th minute of the opening half.
St Paul’s did see the opening period out stronger with four points in the final quarter, leading 1-7 to 0-8 at the midway point.
By the water break, St Paul’s had extended their advantage to six and held on to that margin to gain access to the quarter finals of the Intermediate Championship.
Junior Championship
Eire Og 0-8 Lissummon 0-6
The Eire Og following that departed Keady on Sunday afternoon done so with a huge sigh of relief, knowing things could have gone a whole lot different.
No doubt the Lurgan side were the better team in the opening half, having built up a five-point lead and playing the better football.
Eire Og hit the final score before the interval, in the 31st minute and incredibly would have to wait until the 33rd minute of the second half to raise their next white flag.
Four points was all Lissummon could rattle together in the second period, although they had the majority of possession.
Three crucial chances from placed balls told the tale for Lissummon and they will look back on this tie as one they could have squeezed through.
The sides squared off with a point apiece before Eire Og found their stride, stringing together the next four scores.
Conor Martin, Paul Creaney, John Cochrane (free) and James McKee all found the target to give their side a 0-5 to 0-1 lead.
Lissummon dangerman Peter Quinn swung over a huge score with his left peg but Eire Og claimed the last two scores, both frees by Cochrane, to lead 0-7 to 0-2 at the break.
Steven Matthews nailed an early point before Eire Og were reduced to 14 men with over 20 minutes remaining.
Padraig Rodgers grabbed a real captains score while two Michael McCaffery points got Lissummon back to within one.
That’s as close as they could get however, and Eire Og claimed the final score of the afternoon with Ciaran Ryan registering his first.
The Lurgan side now head for a tough quarter final clash as they will have to battle it out with Forkhill next weekend for a semi-final spot.
Dorsey 1-9 Killeavy II 0-10
It was the introduction of Gary Mackin that helped turn the tide in Dorsey’s favour when they overcame Killeavy on Sunday.
It was tip and tuck throughout, with the sides on level terms at the midway stage of the contest, both teams registering 0-4 in the opening period.
Dorsey sprung Mackin from the bench and the corner forward was involved in all of there scores in the second period.
The substitute earned a second half penalty, near the end of the game, with Brendan Watters converting from the spot to give Dorsey a 1-9 to 0-8 lead.
Killeavy tagged on the final two scores but it wasn’t enough to trouble the winners who now face Belleek in next weekend’s quarter final.
Crossmaglen II 0-18 Redmond O’Hanlon’s 0-16
The Rangers set up a quarter final clash with Derrynoose after they scrapped through a tight affair with O’Hanlon’s on Sunday.
The sides were evenly matched early on, but four first half points from Callum Kieran was enough to had Cross the half time lead, 0-10 to 0-6.
O’Hanlon’s came roaring back in the second period and eventually got back on level terms with both teams in with a real chance of getting a result.
Five unanswered points from Crossmaglen swayed the game back in their favour but O’Hanlon’s refused to raise the white flag and kept battling.
They couldn’t get the scores to level matters and Crossmaglen edged through to the last eight with a two point win.
