By Shaun Casey

SCOTSTOWN will be aiming to make it two from two when they travel to Aughnamullen this weekend. The reigning champions got their title defence underway in round one with a victory over Ballybay.

The sides were evenly matched early on, as you’d expect in a contest between the two most recent holders of the Mick Duffy Cup, before Scotstown put some daylight between them to lead 0-8 to 0-5 at half time.

That was as close as the men in maroon got to the current champions and seven points in total from sharpshooter Jack McCarron helped David McCague’s men see out a first-round 0-12 to 0-7 victory.

In the same group, Corduff are also hoping to make it back-to-back wins as they travel to Ballybay. Seamus McEnaney’s side squeezed past the challenge of Cremartin with just two points to spare in round one.

Cremartin held a slender one-point lead as the sides left the field at the interval, with the scoreboard seeing them 3-2 ahead.

An improved second-half showing from the home side saw them take charge of the contest and Corduff eventually opened up some breathing space between the sides. Cremartin grabbed a late goal through Jack Carragher, but it wasn’t enough.

In Group Two, last year’s Intermediate champions Killanny take on Clontibret and both sides are also looking to build on opening day victories. Killanny picked up a one-point win over Donaghmoyne last week, while Clontibret defeated Inniskeen.

Killian Collins claimed the all-important three-pointer for Killanny in the first half, but Doanghmoyne responded with a Stephen Finnegan goal . Killanny finished with a flurry and that was enough to seal a first ever win in the Senior Championship.

Clontibret also upset the odds when they travelled to Inniskeen and overturned last year’s beaten finalists. Two second-half goals from Darragh Hughes were the key scores in their 2-10 to 0-14 victory.

John McEntee’s Inniskeen, who now travel to Latton, were three points in front when Hughes first rattled the net. The visiting side never looked back and while Inniskeen had a goal ruled out for square ball at the death, Clontibret had done enough.

Clontibret could be without Conor McManus as he picked up an injury at Grattan Park.