JFC ROUND-UP: No major upsets on opening weekend

Paul Fitzpatrick

It was a busy weekend of action in the Cully's Craft Bakery Junior Football Championship, which threw in yesterday.

In the opening game for 2018, Kilinkere’s Peter McCabe finished with a tally of 3-3 (3-1 of which arrived in the first 15 minutes!) as his side defeated Mountnugent by 5-14 to 4-10.

Killinkere were in front by the unusual scoreline of 5-6 to 0-6 at the break (Ciaran Sexton and Ciaran Cusack raising the other green flags) but leaked four goals in the second half, with Ciaran Caffrey bagging a penalty for Barry Crowe’s men.

Knockbride also showed a penchant for goals in their win over Munterconnaught. A penalty from Philip Rogers and two brilliant individual goals from Ciaran Smith helped them into a 3-0 to 0-1 lead just 12 minutes into their clash.

By half-time it was 3-3 to 1-3, the lively Sean Hendrick bundling home the Munchies’ goal, and Knockbride were always able to keep their opponents at arm’s length.

With Patrick Rogers excelling and Peter O’Reilly doing well in a sweeper role, Knockbride were in command before Munterconnaught – for whom powerful full-forward Kent Fadoju stood out along with Hendrick – finished strongly to cut the gap to two with a late goal.

Denn turned on the style with a brilliant second-half performance to see off Kildallan at Terry Coyle Park. Playing with the wind, the Ballyconnell side were on top for long spells in the first half, with Ryan O’Neill kicking 0-5 as they pulled four points clear.

However, a lucky goal by former county player Mossie Corr just before half-time levelled matters at the interval and Denn were much better after the break, with Colin Kiernan flicking a brilliant goal, Thomas Edward Donohoe adding another and Cavell Keogan kicking seven points as they sent out a message to all of the other contenders for the title with a 3-20 to 0-18 victory.

Meanwhile, in Lavey, Drumlane hit the net five times as they ran out 27-point winners over Maghera. The Milltown men, ranked among the favourites for the Sean Leddy Cup, took their first win by 5-19 to 0-5, having been 3-11 to 0-2 in front at half-time.

Elsewhere, Templeport got off to a great start, racing into a 1-4 to 0-1 lead, and rode their momentum to an eyecatching win over last year’s finalists Drumalee, for whom Cian Byrne stood out with a 0-10 haul. The St Aidan’s held on in a nervy final few minutes to come through by 2-10 to 0-14.

Shannon Gaels (pictured above) defeated Corlough by 2-14 to 1-8 in a west Cavan derby in St Mary's Park, Swanlinbar.

The Drung v Kill match was postponed as a mark of respect following the untimely passing of Karen Jackson (RIP).