Universal Graphics Junior Football Championship Preliminary Round

Blackhill 1-13 Killeevan 0-6                                      24/5/14

Blackhill took the first step towards reaching another JFC Final when they eased past Killeevan in Drumhowan on Saturday evening. Blackhill were on top throughout and even when Killeevan briefly threatened a comeback at the end of the third quarter and the mid-Monaghan men were reduced to 14 men, a soft goal killed the game off. Colin Woods, Ryan, Dónal and Ciarán Courtney and Dermot Daly were influential for Blackhill, while Kevin McGinn, Ryan Tierney and Noel Smith were best for Killeevan.

Noel Smith and Dermot Daly swapped points from frees in the opening exchanges, before Daly’s midfield partner Anthony Courtney kicked the first score from play for Blackhill. Daly added a point after good work by Andrew Burns and Hugh Byrne, before Colin Woods got on the end of a high ball from Byrne to open his account. Colin Woods added a fine score to finish a counter-attack led by Dónal and Ryan Courtney and although Smith replied from a 40-metre free after a foul on Paul O’Reilly, Ciarán Costello and Byrne combined to set up a Darren Woods point that left Blackhill ahead by 0-6 to 0-2 at half-time.

Smith flicked an Ian Larmer shot over the bar in the first minute of the second half, but Colin Woods replied from a 30-metre free after a foul on Ciarán Courtney and he added a well-taken effort from play, following a one-two with Ryan Courtney. Darren Woods fisted over after Anthony Courtney had caught the following kick-out and Ciarán Courtney added his name to the scoresheet after good approach play by Ryan Courtney and Colin Woods, who increased his tally after a quick Daly free had released Ryan Courtney. Kevin McGinn got two points back for Killeevan – the second a good score from distance – and Smith converted a 30-metre free for a foul on Iain McConnon, before Blackhill had Burns sent off on a second yellow card. Last year’s runners-up pulled away, however, when a 50-metre free by Daly dropped through Ryan Casey’s hands and into the net. Daly pointed a 45-metre free after a foul on Ciarán Courtney and Colin Woods finished off the scoring with a terrific left-footed effort from play. Blackhill await the winners of Drumhowan v Toome in Round 1A.

Blackhill: D McDermott; Shane Courtney, D Courtney, G McArdle; R Courtney (Capt.), R Craig, C Costello; A Courtney (0-1), D Daly (1-3, 1-2f); A Burns, D Woods (0-2), C Courtney (0-1); Stephen Courtney, C Woods (0-6, 1f), H Byrne.

Subs: E Byrne for Stephen Courtney, J Daly for H Byrne (both 53 mins), N Donnelly for R Courtney (57), P Daly for D Woods (58), S Connolly for D Daly (61).

Killeevan: R Casey; G Graham, C Corr, P Graham; I McConnon, K McGinn (0-2), R Tierney; G Hughes, P O’Reilly; F Smith, D Flynn, V Martin; N Smith (Capt., 0-4, 3f), I Larmer, D Conlon.

Subs: K Mooney for Larmer, D Clerkin for Hughes (40), C Kilpatrick for Clerkin (57), M McPhillips for McConnon (58).

Referee: H McKenna (Monaghan Harps).