St Kevin’s 3-13 Inver College 1-07

St Kevin’s began their Ward Cup journey with a win over Carrickmacross side Inver College in Aghabog on Tuesday.

Charlie Rooney scored two goals while Callum Connolly Bannon netted a first-half strike as the Lisnaskea school eventually ran out 12-point winners.

Teacher and manager Tony Collins said it was a tighter affair than the scoreboard suggested: “First game out, it was pleasing, a lot of mistakes made.

"The scoreline didn’t really do the game justice, I thought it was tight enough. It was physical, obviously with Monaghan, a physical brand of football, it was a tough encounter.

"But, good to get off with a win and we have three more games, which we’d like to win otherwise you won’t finish in the top two and get into the quarter-final.

"So, it’s a good start anyway.”

St Kevin’s were unable to make it out of their group last year but have given themselves a good chance with an opening-day win.

They face Breifne College in two weeks’ time before final games against Beech Hill Monaghan and St Mogue’s Bawnboy.

“Again we came up against them in an Ulster final in the Mulholland Cup, the same bunch of players, maybe a year’s difference between those guys but we’d know a fair bit about them. They’d be a tough enough outfit to crack, they’d be strong enough,” Collins added.

St Kevin’s took a 1-07 to 0-02 into halftime with Callum Connolly running onto the end of a pass and bearing down on goal before finding the top corner with a pinpoint strike for the opening goal of the game.

In the second half, a long ball in from Daire Chapman was gathered by Charlie Rooney who turned his man and rocketed in a shot that came off the bottom off the crossbar and hit the roof of the net.

Rooney grabbed his second goal when he interchanged a couple of passes with Bannon and slotted home.

Inver’s goal was an own goal as the Lisnaskea side’s goalkeeper had a kick come off his own post and into the net.

While Rooney ended with two goals, Bannon scored 1-02. Chapman hit three points, as did Ben Caughey.

Dara Treacy scored two points while there were also solo points from Ryan Hannigan, Oisin McPhillips and Darragh McCabe.