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In The Irish News on March 30 1997: Fermanagh's rise continues with Under 21 win over Tyrone

Rory Gallagher helped Fermanagh under-21s to beat Tyrone. Picture by Seamus Loughran
Rory Gallagher helped Fermanagh under-21s to beat Tyrone. Picture by Seamus Loughran Rory Gallagher helped Fermanagh under-21s to beat Tyrone. Picture by Seamus Loughran

FERMANAGH’S footballing future continued on a upward spiral when their U21s further consolidated the county’s improving fortunes by winning a place in the provincial final with a well merited victory over Tyrone in Omagh.

It maintains the momentum started at senior level in recent months and appropriately enough it was two senior players who were instrumental in carving out the deserved win over their neighbours.

Rory Gallagher and Kieran Donnelly dictated matters up front as Tyrone struggled to find their attacking rhythm in the absence of injured senior star Gerard Cavlan.

His free taking skills were badly missed and would undoubtedly have diminished the impact of two Fermanagh goals in quick succession midway through the first half.

Andy Moohan shot confidently past Patrick Laird for the first in the 19th minute and straight from the kick-out Gallagher intelligently slipped the ball to Donnelly for the second.

The Ernemen led by two at half-time and hung on to win by 2-7 to 1-9.

Fermanagh: P Baird, M McClave, R McEnhill, D Campbell, M Miller, R Johnson, K Duffy, L McBarron, K Donnelly (1-2), B McKenna (0-1), S Maguire, T Brewster, R Gallagher (0-3), A Moohan (1-1)

Tyrone: P Laird, T Donnelly, V Teague, F Coyle, E O’Neill, B Meenan, K Devlin, M O’Neill, B Eccles (1-0), B McLoughlin (0-1), D Gillis, N McSorley, S Douglas (0-7), S Carr, B McGuckian (0-1)

Subs: N Woods for Gillis and C McCullagh for McLoughlin

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ANTRIM almost blew a commanding 12-point lead as they eventually bagged their first National Hurling League points yesterday in Tralee but scraped a 2-11 to 3-12 win in the end.

In an amazing second-half Kerry, pointless also after their first two games, stormed back into a game they were totally out of in the first 30 minutes.

Antrim veterans like Terence McNaughton and Gary O’Kane, so dominant in the first 30 minutes were made to look decidedly shaky as Antrim collapsed under a second-half Kerry onslaught.

Antrim’s early dominance was on the back of three rapid-fire goals from Aiden Delargy, substitute Mark McConnon and Gregory O’Kane but it was the wily work of veteran centre-forward Gary O’Kane that really had the home defence at sixes and sevens.

Two early second half goals from Kerry put the wind up their visitors but a late Paul Jennings score squeezed Antrim safely to victory.

Antrim: S Elliot, S Mullan, S Bailie, S McIllhatton, P Jennings (0-1), T McNaughton, R Donnelly, J Connolly, E Graham, C McCambridge (0-5 all frees), Gary O’Kane (0- 2), SP McKillop (0-2), A Delargy (1-1), Ruairi McNaughton, Gregory O’Kane (1-1)

Subs: G Maybin for Graham, P Graham for Delargy, M McConnon (1-0) for R McNaughton

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THERE was a deep, underlying depression among Cavan supporters who had made the long journey to Dean McGlinchey Park, Ballinascreen on Saturday at the end of their Ulster under-21 semi-final meeting with Derry, where the defending champions suffered a 3-11 to 2-8 defeat.

There is little doubt that this Derry team must be fancied to not only emulate Cavan’s success at provincial level but to go all the way and capture the All-Ireland crown.

An early Seanie McGuckin goal set the tone for Derry and they built a 2-6 to 0-2 interval lead, with Michael Gribben grabbing the second major.

Adrian McGuckin netted the third goal in the second half after Cavan had cut the gap to five midway through the half. Their goals came from Jason Reilly and Dermot McCabe.

Derry: S O’Kane, S Donnelly, D O’Neill, M Kelly, P McFlynn (0-1), S Lockhart (0-1), E McGilloway, E Muldoon (0-1), J McBride, A McGuckin (1-0), S McGuckin (1-2), G Doherty, B Kearney, J Cassidy (0-1), M Gribben (1-5)

Subs: P Wilson for E McGilloway, K Heaney for G Doherty

Cavan: A Donohoe, P Murphy, M Reilly, A Oates, C Walsh, B Donohoe, C McCarey, D McCabe (1-1), F Reilly, M O’Rourke, A Forde (0-4), D Keaney (0-1), L Reilly (0-2), C Collins, J Reilly (1-0)

Subs: T Reilly for Collins, S Donnelly for F Reilly, C McGovern for O’Rourke