REIGNING champions Slaughtneil eased their way to a second win of the group stages with a 3-22 to 0-7 win over Banagher on Saturday at Owenbeg.
There was a 2-1 brace from Gerald Bradley on his first championship start of the season, with Shea Cassidy hitting his second goal of the campaign.
The Emmets started with eight of last year’s county final team. Of the newcomers, youngsters Conor Coyle, Fionn McEldowney and Cahal McKaigue were all blooded into the side.
Banagher came into the game on the back of an excellent performance in their win over Lavey but were without goal-poacher Ciaran Lynch.
A goal in the opening quarter from Bradley had Slaughtneil on their way to a 1-12 to 0-4 interval lead.
Banagher were reliant on scores from Darragh Cartin and Shane Farren, with the winners in control of the game.
Bradley and Cassidy added second-half goals with Fionn McEldowney, Brendan Rogers, Sé McGuigan and Cormac O’Doherty – who finished with 0-11 – keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
In the first game of Saturday’s double-header, a late Paul Cleary point helped Ballinascreen to a 1-15 all draw with Lavey.
It sets up the Ballinascreen visit of Banagher in round three as a crunch game to decide who advances to the semi-finals, with Slaughtneil long odds-on to top the group.
Fintan Bradley landed eight points for Lavey and the sides were point for point for much of the first half before a Cleary penalty edged Ballinascreen into a 1-7 to 0-8 interval lead.
Lavey hit early points in the second half before Aimon Duffin’s goal shot them ahead, 1-10 to 1-8.
Reece McSorley and substitute Conor Murtagh helped Ballinascreen back on level terms.
Lavey hit the front twice as the game veered down the stretch but Cormac Gough and Cleary were on target to earn a share of the spoils for Ballinascreen.
A goal late in the first half from Oisin O’Kane put Swatragh on their way to a comfortable 6-15 to 1-6 victory over an injury-plagued Eoghan Rua at a rainswept Portstewart on Sunday.
Some excellent defending from Ben Kearney closed down the early home attacks with Sean Martin Quinn, Cathal Quinn and O’Kane hitting points for Swatragh.
With seconds to the interval Cahal Murray’s attempt dropped shot with O’Kane getting a deft touch for Swatragh’s opening goal on the way to a 1-12 to 0-4 half-time lead.
The rain began to pelt down early in the second half but Sean Francis Quinn finished Swatragh’s second goal after an initial save from Eoghan Rua goalkeeper Paddy Mullan.
Kosta Papachristopoulos hammered a close-range free to the net, through a ruck of players, but the home side – who had Thomas Magee sent off – only managed a point for the remainder of the game.
The Davitt’s closed out the game with goals from Sean Martin Quinn, Dominic Bradley and substitutes PJ O’Connell and Fintan McGurk.
Sunday’s game between Kevin Lynch’s and Na Magha game was postponed due to a bereavement in the Kevin Lynch Club.
Group A
Round two Eoghan Rua 1-6 Swatragh 6-15
Na Magha v Dungiven (postponed)
Round three (first-named teams at home)
Sunday, September 8 (2.30pm)
Swatragh v Na Magha; Dungiven v Eoghan Rua
Group B
Round two
Lavey 1-15 Ballinascreen 1-15 Slaughtneil 3-22 Banagher 0-7
Round three (first-named teams at home)
Sunday, September 8 (2.30pm)
Lavey v Slaughtneil; Ballinascreen v Banagher
