Grange 1-12 Granemore 2-11
It certainly wasn’t as easy as many suggested, but Granemore started their championship campaign with a win over Grange.
The home side had their noses ahead as the came neared it’s end, but last years beaten finalists finished strong.
Granemore tagged on five of the final six scores to edge ahead at full time by just two points.
Grange, minus star man Ethan Rafferty, opened the scoring through Justin Kieran before Ryan Rafferty rattled the net.
Louis Hughes added a point from the dead ball, which was cancelled out by a lovely score from Oisin Campbell.
A well worked Granemore move up the field finished with their second goal in a matter of minutes. Karl McQuaid rattled the net after great work from Michael King.
Ben Toal responded with a free for the home side and a huge Odhran Rafferty score from distance narrowed the gap.
Odhran Doyle pointed to keep Granemore ahead before Grange hit a purple patch, hitting three of the next four scores.
Two of those came through Kieran, while Pete Carr ahead one for the visitors. Daire Mallon chipped over the final score of the half, with Grange trailing 0-8 to 2-3.
Hughes made two the margin after the turnaround but Toal matched his effort at the other end of the field.
Marty Carr also traded scores with Toal before Hughes split the posts once again to keep Granemore on top.
But Grange stormed into the lead as captain Mallon finished low to the net to put his side ahead by one-point.
Toal added another to stretch their lead to two but Granemore raised their game and two Marty Carr scores tied things up.
Doyle put Granemore ahead before the midfield pairing of Brendan Boylan and Pete Carr put them two in front.
Miceal McKenna claimed the final score of the evening, but that was as close as Grange could get, with two the difference in the end.
