A sharper, more clinical Blackhill got their Junior championship campaign off to a winning start when they proved too strong for an error prone Eire Og, in this entertaining if never spectacular contest, that was played in greasy conditions, with intermittent rain in McKeown Park, Drumhowan on Sunday evening last.

Eire Og got off to the better start and opened an early two points lead but by half-time Blackhill had turned it around completely to lead by six points, a goal by Philip Donnelly in the twenty-seventh minute a crucial part of that score line.

Eire Og enjoyed their best period in the game in the opening stages of the second-half when they hit an unanswered 1-2 to reduce the margin to the minimum, but Blackhill reasserted their earlier superiority and with more economical use of chances they closed it out with six points to spare.

Teams and Scorers: Blackhill: Michael Shevlin, Ryan Courtney, Donal Courtney, Thomas Courtney, James Daly, Shane Courtney, Matthew McArdle, Hugh Byrne 0-3, Dermot Daly, Anthony Courtney, Andrew Burns 0-1, Tommy Geehan 0-2, Jason Finnegan, Philip Donnelly 1-1 (0-1’45), Michael Geehan 0-4 (1f). Subs: Stephen Courtney for M McArdle, Paul Finnegan for A Burns.

Eire Og: James Morrow, Stephen Kerr, James Leonard, Conor Toal, Corey McAree, Andrew McMahon, Darach McCluskey, Ronan Cassidy 0-1 (f), Calvin Carlisle, Conor Leonard, Paul Monaghan 0-1, Rigan McAree, Kian McAree, Ryan Sherlock, Michael Tierney 0-3. Subs: Fearghal Sheridan for R Sherlcok, Darren McMahon for A McMahon, Francis McMahon 0-1 for J Leonard, Christopher McGorman for C Toal (Black Card).

Referee: Jason McAndrew (Ballybay).