Division 1A
Maghery 0-13 Killeavy 1-10
County Champions Maghery got their 2021 season up and running as they hosted Killeavy on Saturday evening.
The sides played out an even enough affair, but it was the home side who were chasing the game in the final moments.
James Donnelly rattled the net for Killeavy in the second half which gave them a foothold, but they couldn’t hold on to secure the two points.
Oisin King was incredibly lively during the opening moments and got the away side off the mark with two early score (one free).
Stefan Forker quickly got his team back on level terms, swinging over a tight angled free before doing likewise from open play.
The sides continued to exchange scores with Miceal McNamee’s free being cancelled out by a huge Brian McIlmurray effort.
Points from Daniel Darragh and another unbelievable strike from young King had Killeavy two up, but the deficit was one at the water break thanks to a Kevin Robinson free.
Robinson notched on his second straight from the restart before Oisin Cushnahan had Maghery ahead for the first time in the game.
Stephen Cusack and Robinson (free) sandwiched another McNamee score as Maghery led by two at the break, 0-8 to 0-6.
The young corner-forward Robinson nailed another dead ball before picking up and black card and leaving the action for 10 minutes.
With the extra man Killeavy pressed hard and were able to close the gap with points through Callum O’Hare and Conor Magennis.
The visitors then shot ahead when James Donnelly earned a great turnover in attack and crashed the ball past the Maghery net-minder.
Two pointed frees from the county champions got them back on level terms, with Forker and Cusack splitting the posts.
King and Forker split the last four points of the game with the latter claiming the score that finished the game and earned Maghery a share of the spoils.
Granemore kept their unbeaten start to the season intact with a win in the only other game in Division 1A at the weekend.
The hosted a Crossmaglen side that had tasted defeat on the opening day of the season and were hoping to bounce back.
And they looked like doing so as Cian McConville and Dara O’Callaghan goals had the Rangers in front 2-5 to 0-4 at the break.
Granemore came out a transformed side after the restart and three second half goals helped them earn a 3-9 to 2-11 victory.
Division 1B
Grange and Mullaghbawn met in the only outstanding tie in the division and played out a close contest on Sunday afternoon.
They split five goals between them, but it was Grange who edged through, winning in the end 3-10 to 2-10.
This now leaves four teams on nine points at the top of the division and should leave some fascinating ties coming over the next few weeks.
Junior Division
Forkhill 0-16 Thomas Davis 0-7
Forkhill got their second win in a row when they were nine points better off against Thomas Davis on Friday evening.
The 2020 Junior Champions opened the scoring through Cormac Toner and Oisin Flynn before two David Murphy points levelled the game.
The Thomas Davis captain Murphy continued to display his accuracy from the dead ball and helped his side into a 5-3 lead by the 20th minute.
Five Cormac Toner points along with scores from Owen Donaghy (2), Ciaran Smith and Eoghan Roe O’Neill helped Forkhill take the initiative at the interval, ahead 0-12 to 0-6.
The home side started as they finished and were well on top during the second period, holding the opposition to a single score.
Toner rattled over the first two scores of the second period while Conaill Devin stretched the lead to nine.
Devin chipped over another from the dead ball while David Hankin got Corrinshego’s only score of the second period near the end of the game.
Mullabrack 1-7 Dorsey 1-7
These sides couldn’t be separated after sixty minutes of action and both teams will be happy to pick up their first points of the year.
Conor Moley traded scores with the home side early on before Paudie Mackin and Eugene Casey had Dorsey ahead.
Mullabrack got back into the contest just before the half time break with a well worked goal, but the teams continued to share blows after the restart.
Casey, Moley and Aidan Mackin all pointed for the visitors before Kevin Kelly rattled the net for the Emmets.
Neither side could find the game winning score and a share of the spoils was a fair result by the time the final whistle sounded.
Redmond O’Hanlon’s 2-12 Newtown 1-13
Redmond O’Hanlon’s squeezed out St Michael’s Newtown on Sunday in the first outing of the year for both teams.
Charlie Magill rattled the net in the opening period to give the home side a 1-9 to 0-6 advantage heading into the second period.
Newtown hit back with a three-pointer of their own after the throw in and they came roaring back into the contest.
Their hard work was undone however when Magill stepped up to net from the penalty spot and have O’Hanlon’s a 2-12 to 1-13 win.
Derrynoose also picked up two points on Friday night as they turned over travelling side Clady, with 15 points the difference at the final whistle.
Three goals from Pearse Lennon (penalty), Tommy Farrell and Damian McGrane helped Derrynoose see out a 3-14 to 1-5 win.
Crossmaglen IIs were the better side when they hosted Belleek on Sunday evening and two goals helped the Rangers pick up the two points on offer.
Both Rico Kelly and Caolan Dooley hit the net for the Cross Juniors who saw out a well earned 2-12 to 0-10 victory.
