Irvinestown 0-09 Lisnaskea 1-06

Irvinestown and Lisnaskea began their championship campaigns with a draw at a hot and sunny St. Molaise’s Park on Saturday evening.

Just one point was the difference when the sides met in the league and it looked as if Shane McDermott’s side were set to record another narrow win until a Hayden Lynch penalty tied the game in the closing minutes with the game’s only goal.

You could label the first-half of Saturday’s game as a classic opening championship encounter, with both sides keen not to give away possession resulting in just two points for either side in 30 minutes.

Jarlath Maguire would kick the opening score, after seven minutes, with a right-footed effort from range.

James Duffy would increase the Irvinestown lead just past the 15-minute mark, this time with a left-footed looping kick from the right-hand side.

Both teams would send free-kicks wide to keep the scoring low as Gary Maguire was unable to land as well as Lisnaskea goalkeeper Ethan McCaffrey with efforts from around the ‘45.

The visiting side would get off the mark in the 19th minute as Justy McDade would convert a free from closer in and Damian Óg Kelly almost equalised a minute after but his shot crashed back off the inside of the left post.

Hayden Lynch would level the game in the 23rd minute as he shot on the turn and watched the white flag wave.

The next four points wouldn’t be as long to wait for as they came in the first eight minutes of the second half.

Maguire pointed two early frees in between a Ronan Ormsby score to make it, 0-05 to 0-02.

Justy McDade pulled one back before Josh Largo-Elis went on a run down the left wing and cut inside to fist over from an angle.

Paul Leonard then came up from the back and spun around to fire over and open up a four-point lead.

McCaffrey split the posts with a free off the ground and Justy McDade made it a two-point game with just over 10 minutes to go.

McDade landed his second free in between two from Maguire, to make it 0-09 to 0-06.

The Emmets stayed in the game, against a team that may be most people's favourites for the intermediate title, and John Reihill’s side were rewarded for their efforts with just over two minutes of normal time to go.

The lively Kelly got a pass off to the on-running Joe McDade and he swung a right leg at the rolling ball, only to feel a touch from an Irvinestown defender and go down as referee Paul McCarney signalled for a penalty.

Hayden Lynch held his nerve and found the bottom left corner despite goalkeeper Shea Mulligan diving the right way.

Irvinestown had a late chance to win it, with a free from a tough position, but Ormsby’s effort went right and wide.

Emmets' boss John Reihill said after the game: "Draw game probably fair enough result.

"Happy enough with first game and getting draw against Irvinestown who got promotion in the league.

"We grafted well, had some good possession but can certainly improve in our attacking play as a 1-06 score line won’t win too many games."