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Wins for Antrim, Tyrone and Fermanagh as just 3 McKenna Cup clashes go ahead

There were six games scheduled in total before late postponements.

JUST THREE OF the scheduled six Dr McKenna matches went ahead in Ulster today.

The meetings of Armagh and Derry, Down and Ulster University and Monaghan and Donegal were all postponed due to frozen pitches.

Of the three clashes that went ahead, there were wins for Antrim, Tyrone and Fermanagh.

There was no shortage of goals in Belfast as Antrim beat Cavan on a scoreline of 4-11 to 2-13.

Cavan were quickest off the mark as Bryan Magee had a fisted effort in the back of the net after just two minutes. Antrim soon settled into the game with goals from Paddy McBride and Conor Murray propelling them into a 2-6 to 1-6 half-time lead.

On the restart, the Breffni came closer in touch with substitute Niall Clerkin impacting immediately but the Murray brothers — Ryan and Conor — combined to make it four goals for the Saffron.

Conor Murray Conor Murray hit two of Antrim's goals. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Niall McKiernan stepped up to bag one for Cavan while Conor Brady and Enda Flanagan chipped in with points but Murray and Paddy McBride split the posts late on to hand Antrim a four-point win.

Elsewhere, Fermanagh scraped past Queens by the slimmest of margins at Brewster Park to make it two wins from two.

It took the eventual winners 25 minutes to open their account and from there Conall Jones inspired as they battled back to cancel out Niall Keenan’s early Queens goal. By half-time it was a one-point game, Emmet Bradley impressing for the university who led 1-4 to 0-6.

The second half was tit-for-tat but the returning Seamus Quigley turned the game in Fermanagh’s favour and put his side three points ahead from the penalty spot as the clock ran down.

Bradley’s late effort put one between the sides yet again but Fermanagh just about held on to win by 1-10 to 1-9.

The third Dr McKenna Cup throw-in of the day between Tyrone and St Mary’s was delayed but it was the latter who raced into the lead early on in Coalisland.

Peter Harte was the man to step up and lead Tyrone’s first-half fightback. On 22 minutes, Ciaran McLoughlin slotted home to give Mickey Harte’s charges a narrow lead but Jarlath Og Burns hit back soon after at the other end.

The Red Hand ran out five-point winners by the full-time whistle, with Tiarnan McCann and Mattie Donnelly getting on the scoresheet.

Results:

  • Antrim 4-11 Cavan 2-13
  • Fermanagh 1-10 Queens 1-9
  • Tyrone 1-16 St Mary’s 1-11

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