Derry Junior Football Championship: Ballymaguigan and Craigbane progress to quarterfinals

Ballymaguigan progressed to the quarterfinals, maintaining their 100 percent record as they look to defend their Junior Football Championship (JFC). 

The 2023 champions impressively beat Lissan by a scoreline of 4-10 to 1-10, continuing their incredible goal-scoring form as they have hit the back of the net 11 times in their last three victories. 

Elsewhere in Group A, Moneymore moved to second place in the group with a commanding victory over Ardmore on a score of 8-17 to 0-1. 

This disappointing performance from Ardmore saw them eliminated from this season's championship, with the club failing to taste victory yet across both the league and championship. But next season is always a fresh beginning. 

Doire Trasna have given themselves the slimmest hopes of progressing with a 0-10 to 0-10 draw with city rivals Sean Dolans. Two victories in their final two games are the only way they will progress, while also hoping results go their way. 

This is a disappointing return to what promised to be a championship full of optimism after an emphatic league campaign that saw them finish third, pushing for promotion to the intermediate league. 

Meanwhile, Sean Dolans have continued their fight to defy the pre-championship conditions of being eliminated easily, as they remain well in the fight to progress to the quarterfinal. 

In Group B, Craigbane continued their march towards the championship as they emphatically beat Drum. 

The 2022 champions put Drum to the sword as they won on a scoreline of 3-24 to 1-3. The home side will have felt they could have scored more, with the club being wasteful with their chances, possibly due to a little complacency knowing from early on that the victory was secure. 

Drum remained disciplined throughout the match and kept plugging away, but knowing they were up against a side that will be in the conversation for the championship, it was always going to be difficult, with the loss seeing the seven-time junior championship winners eliminated from this season's competition.

Elsewhere, Slaughtmanus secured another victory, this time against Glack on a scoreline of 1-14 to 2-10. 

Slaughtmanus roared into a comfortable first-half lead, taking full advantage of the strong breeze they had. Eamon Deery scored the league-champion's goal with a long ball forward that was caught by the wind and surprised the Glack goalkeeper, as neither he nor Deery expected it to hit the net. But at the break, the Tamnaherin side led 1-9 to 0-3. 

But in the second half, Glack came out looking to make a game of it, as they scored two goals and a point in the opening minutes of the second half.

Slaughtmanus struggled to find their rhythm from the first half and can count themselves lucky to have secured the victory, whereas the visitors will rue the result as they failed to complete the comeback despite an impressive second-half reaction. 

James McQuillan will be relieved that his side secured victory but will be concerned about the attitude switch, but more importantly, he will be worried about the injury to the classy Christopher Deery, who picked up a serious-looking knee injury. 

Meanwhile, Magillian all but secured their place in the quarterfinals with their draw against Doire Colmcille on Thursday on a scoreline of 1-9 to 1-9.