Football

Fermanagh player ratings: O’Brien the pick of the Ernemen on otherwise disappointing day

Home side struggled against rampant Armagh attack

Fermanagh at the start of the Ulster GAA Senior Football Championship Quarter Final between Fermanagh and Armagh at Brewster Park, Fermanagh on 04-14-2024. Pic Philip Walsh
Fermanagh at the start of the Ulster Senior Football Championship Quarter Final at Brewster Park on Sunday Picture: Philip Walsh

Ross Bogue: Could do very little to prevent the three goals and actually made a fine save from an Andrew Murnin shot, but Jarly Og Burns was on hand to poke it home. 6

Lee Cullen: Seemed to swap man-marking job with his brother Che having initially picked up Rian O’Neill. Cullen was his usual brave self. 6

Che Cullen: Had a lot of work do to in the full back line but battled hard back there. The one thing the Cullens can never be questioned on is their heart and Che showed that on Sunday. 6

Oisin Smyth: Should have rattled the net inside in the first five minutes having climbed above Blaine Hughes to claim possession, but Aaron McKay blocked the shot on the goal line. 5

Declan McCusker Drove at the Armagh defence a couple of times but the Fermanagh captain didn’t have the desired impact on the game. 5

Shane McGullion: Pulled off a superb block on Conor Turbitt at one stage but McGullion, like a lot of the Fermanagh defenders, found Armagh’s movement hard to track. 6

Cian McManus: Started in the half forward line but was replaced by Josh Largo Ellis after 22 minutes of action and didn’t make an impact. 5

Ronan McCaffrey: Fermanagh won 75 per cent of their own kickouts and McCaffrey battled hard around the middle of the field. 6

Joe McDade: Like his midfield partner, McDade performed fine on the Fermanagh kickouts but struggled to really get into the game. 6



Conor McGee: The Ederney clubman was fouled for the Fermanagh point, tapped over by Sean Cassidy, but didn’t get on the scoresheet himself. 6

Conor McShea: Fermanagh’s centre half-forward worked hard throughout the game and was a constant option for kickouts. He chipped over a good score in the second half. 6

Fionan O’Brien: One of the positives from an otherwise forgettable day for Fermanagh was O’Brien’s display. He top scored with 0-3, including a superb score in the second half. 7

Ultan Kelm: Kelm’s early black card handed Armagh the initiative and ultimately decider the game. Kelm did show serious intent when re-introduced but it wasn’t enough to affect the outcome. 6

Garvan Jones: Failed to get on the scoresheet in a poor outing for Jones. He passed up some opportunities with a few wild shots and was eventually replaced. 6

Sean Cassidy: A lone ranger up top at times, the service to Cassidy wasn’t great early on when Fermanagh were still in contention, but he did chip in with two frees. 6

Substitutes

Josh Largo Elis: Made two appearances, coming on as a blood sub before permanently entering the fray and he paid a vital interception late on that led to a Fermanagh score. 6

Conor Love: Finished the game as Fermanagh’s joint-second top scorer as he kicked two-points after replacing Garvan Jones. 6

Brandon Horan: Had an involvement in Ultan Kelm’s second half point but struggled to get his hands on the ball. 6

Jonathan Cassidy: Cassidy didn’t see much possession after coming on for the final ten minutes, replacing Oisin Smyth. 6

Darragh McGurn: Didn’t really get into the action but the Fermanagh faithful will be delighted to see McGurn back on the pitch. 6