There were opening wins for Antrim, Fermanagh and Tyrone in yesterday's Barrett Sports Lighting Dr McKenna Cup games across Ulster. Goals proved the difference in Liam Bradley's Antrim getting their 2010 campaign off to a winning start as they handed Derry a 3-7 to 0-15 defeat at Casement Park, Belfast. After a poor first-half display, majors from Michael McCann and Michael Magill sent the hosts in level. In the second-half, the Saffrons outscored their opponents by 1-3 to 0-5, with substitute Ciaran Close netting the goal late on for the hosts to help cancel-out the points of Eoin Bradley, who very nearly put his father's team to the sword with an impressive tally of 0-7. However, scored from Paddy Cunningham, Eoin O'Neill and Magill and a missed free from Charlie Kielt in the third minute of added time down the other end, made sure Antrim held on for the narrowest of victories. In Omagh, Tyrone's young guns taught the students of St Mary's UC a lesson with a resounding 0-26 to 0-10 win at Healy Park. Stephen O'Neill, Brian McGuigan and Kyle Coney combined for 0-14 to help send the Saints packing, as the home side took in an unassailable 0-14 to 0-2 lead at the break. St Mary's enjoyed a much needed mini-revival early in the second-half, with substitute Brian Doyle firing over some nice points, but Mickey Harte's team soon got back into their rhythm as substitutes Kevin Hughes and Tommy McGuigan, along with defenders Sean O'Neill and Martin Swift all raised white flags to help insure a 16-point margin would stand between the teams come the long whistle. In the day's other game, Fermanagh edged out a 14-man Monaghan side at Brewster Park, Enniskillen, where the visitors faced an uphill battle after the first-half dismissal of Dick Clerkin. Clerkin, who started in the number three jersey, received a straight red card from Down referee Ciaran Brannigan after a foot-high challenge on Fermanagh corner-forward Aidan McCarron. The Currin clubman now faces an automatic one-month suspension, which will see him miss out on the rest of the Farney County's McKenna Cup campaign as well as the opening round of the National Football League. It was Fermanagh that had looked the hungrier side throughout this encounter, with James Sherry starring at centre-field and Matthew Keenan, Ryan Carson and Damian Kelly lashing over the scores to put the Ernesiders five in front with just over 20 minutes remaining. Monaghan's forwards were restricted to the same kind of scoring and only through the frees of Hugh McElroy and a quick point from substitute Benny McKenna could they stay in touching distance, but a Farney goal never looked likely and Malachy O'Rourke's team weren't going to be troubled bar that. Tweet

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