Blackhill (Monaghan) 1-16, Maguiresbridge (Fermanagh) 0-9.
Monaghan Junior champions Blackhill got their Ulster club championship campaign off to the best possible start when they proved too strong and too adept in most departments for Fermanagh champions Maguiresbridge in what was ultimately a fairly one sided encounter that was played in blustery conditions in Inniskeen yesterday.
The game was originally fixed for Clones but with the Monaghan senior championship final being staged at the premiere provincial venue the game was switched to Inniskeen.
Maguiresbridge started well and in fact opened a two points lead after about six minutes, but Blackhill soon got into their stride with the Geehan siblings, Tommy and Michael causing all sorts of problems, and they soon overturned that two points deficit to go a point ahead approaching the end of the third quarter.
The crucial score in the first half though was a goal by Tommy Geehan after some ten minutes that helped Blackhill establish a foothold and from there on they took an increasing grip on proceedings.
Blackhill led at half-time by 1-6 to 0-5 and then turned to play with the strong breeze in the second-half, using that to good effect to exert increasing pressure on an increasingly beleaguered Maguiresbridge defence.
The Fermanagh’s men’s cause wasn’t helped though when they were reduced numerically during the second half and a degree of frustration crept into their play with the result that indiscipline saw them give away vital frees that were converted mostly by Dermot Daly and Andrew Burns.
By the three-quarter way stage. Blackhill more or less had matters wrapped up, restricting their opponents to a mere four points in the whole second half while registering ten themselves as they ran out comfortable and fully deserving winners with ten points to spare at the finish.
Maguiresbridge finished the game with thirteen players after Caolan Duffy was dismissed on a second yellow card and substitute Andrew Breslin walked on a straight red.
Scorers: Blackhill: D Daly 0-5 (3f), T Geehan 1-1, M Geehan 0-3, A Burns 0-2, J Finnegan, G McArdle, C Courtney, H Byrne and P Donnelly 0-1 each. Maguiresbridge: D Teague 0-3 (3f0, M Teague 0-2, L McCusker 0-2, C Duffy 0-1, C Corrigan 0-1. Referee: C Annetta (Tyrone).
