Round-up: Plenty of upsets in round one of football championships

The opening round of the Smith Monumentals Intermediate Championship and Fresh Today Junior A Championships provided some interesting results with Drumkeerin and Aughavas laying down an early marker with big results.

In the Fresh Today Junior A Championship, Eslin came close to shocking newly crowned Division 3 champions Aughnasheelin as it took a late goal for the Green & White side to get across the line.

Drumkeerin, semi-finalists in 2025, secured a comprehensive 3-19 to 2-9 victory over Carrigallen on Saturday to open their campaign in style while 2025 Junior Champions and Connacht Junior finalists Aughavas secured a come-from-behind two-point victory over their predecessors as junior champions in Bornacoola.

The Bors, Division 3 finalists, had a four-point lead at the halftime break thanks to two pointers from Cian Mallon and Ronan Mulligan, but a red card for former County star Damian Moran early in the second half proved to be a turning point as Aughavas surged to take the victory.

Next weekend sees a big clash between Annaduff and Gortletteragh in Mohill’s Shane McGettigan Park on Friday evening while there is a north Leitrim derby between St Patrick’s Dromahair and Melvin Gaels in St Osnat’s community field on Saturday.

The second round of the competition takes place over the weekend of August 21-23, with Melvin Gaels hosting Drumkeerin on Friday August 21, with Aughavas hosting Annaduff, Gortletteragh in a big derby with Bornacoola and St Patrick’s Dromahair on the road to Carrigallen on Saturday, August 22.

In the Fresh Today Junior A Championship, Aughnasheelin needed a late goal from Conor Cullen to edge Eslin 1-15 to 1-14 in an exciting encounter. Eslin, who hadn’t won a game in the league, defied expectations and pushed the newly crowned Division 3 winners all the way to the finish line.

Aughnasheelin led 0-9 to 0-8 at the halftime break but they could never pull away from the Eslin men until Cullen found the net. Even then, Eslin refused to lie down and struck for a late goal to leave the issue in doubt until the final whistle sounded.

Division 2 finalists Kiltubrid had a big win over Mohill’s second string, winning 2-21 to 0-16, in Group 1 while Drumreilly beat their Ballinamore neighbours 2-12 to 1-5 to open their campaign with a win while Ballinaglera prevailed 1-17 to 1-9 over Glenfarne Kiltyclogher on Saturday evening in Blacklion.

Next weekend sees Mohill take on fellow second string side St Mary’s Kiltoghert on Sunday while Eslin host Kiltubrid in Group 1. Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins will host a Cloone side in their first outing while Ballinaglera and Drumreilly can make an early claim for group 2 supremacy in St Hugh’s Park on Sunday.

In the Connacht Gold Senior Championship, Friday sees a derby and a battle of the champions as Leitrim Gaels hosting Allen Gaels while Saturday sees Mohill on the road to Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins and St Mary’s hosting Aughawillan, all at 7 pm.

Both Fenagh St Caillins and Glencar Manorhamilton will be anxious to pick up a first win when the north Leitrim side travel to Pairc Sean O Laodain on Saturday, both sides having lost narrowly last Saturday.