Round-up: Derry, Armagh, and Fermanagh win in Dr McKenna Cup
Darragh McGurn, Fermanagh, and Peter Corrigan, Cavan, in Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup action. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup
Derry 2-16 Antrim 0-7
Armagh 3-10 Down 0-10
Fermanagh 1-12 Cavan 1-10
Derry put themselves in a strong position to qualify for the Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup semi-finals with a comfortable 2-16 to 0-7 win over Antrim at Owenbeg.
Antrim started brightly with points from Marc Jordan, Pat Shivers and Patrick McBride, but Paul Cassidy and Ethan Doherty began to find the range for the home side, with Cassidy’s delightful two-pointer easing them into a 0-6 to 0-3 lead by the 18th minute.
Dominic McEnhill ended a lengthy scoreless spell for the Saffrons with a converted free, before another Oak Leaf flourish saw Mark Doherty and Ethan Doherty nudge them four ahead.
But just two separated the sides at the interval, after John McDade arrowed over a two-pointer, Derry ahead by 0-9 to 0-7, before they tightened their grip on the game with a Paul Cassidy goal on 47 minutes.
It was a cruise to the close as they landed points through Niall Toner, Sean Kearney and Conor McAteer, followed by a debut goal from substitute Ruairi O Mianain in stoppage time.
Armagh remain in contention for the last four following their 3-10 to 0-10 defeat of Down at the Box-It Athletic Grounds.
Oisin O’Neill fired over a couple of early scores, with Pat Havern on target at the other end for the Mourne men.
It was Armagh who ended the opening quarter with a narrow two points lead after O’Neill slotted a penalty to the net.
Havern’s two-pointer kept the visitors in touch, but Tiernan Kelly fired home a second Orchard goal on 28 minutes, and a Blaine Hughes ’45 sent them in with a 2-5 to 0-6 interval lead.
A 1-1 salvo from Sean Conlon stretched the advantage to seven, and they were never troubled as they reached for the finish line with scores from Kely, Greg McCabe and Cian McConville.
Fermanagh sent Cavan crashing out with a 1-12 to 1-10 success at Tempo as they started their campaign on a high.
Fermanagh’s Cain O’Brien and Garvan Jones traded early points with Cormac O’Reilly, before Caoimhin McGovern smashed home a brilliant Cavan goal on 13 minutes.
Two more O’Brien efforts and a Jones point had the sides level, but a Paddy Lynch two-pointer gave the home side a slight edge as they went in at half-time with a 1-7 to 0-7 lead.
A revitalised Erne side hit the lead early in the second half as Stephen McGullion grabbed a goal, followed by a Declan McCusker point.
The Breffni men went back in front through Ryan Donohoe, but Declan Bonner’s men finished strongly with scores from McCusker, McGurn (two-pointer) and Jones.
