Lory Meagher Cup: Fermanagh 3-12 Warwickshire 2-7
IT was an emotional day for Fermanagh hurlers as they earned their first win of the season just eight days after the their team-mate Shane Mulholland died in a car crash.
Fermanagh boss Seamus McCusker paid tribute to his players after a game that saw them out-hurl Warwickshire for much of the 70 minutes.
''I have a lot of pride in those boys. It was a very difficult week for the team, obviously nothing compared to the grief that Shane's family is feeling, but that was tough and it will continue to be very tough for us but I am so proud of the team,'' said McCusker.
''We couldn't ask for any more from them."
Fermanagh were to come out of the blocks with all guns blazing and they blitzed the visitors for the first 25 minutes hitting 2-09 to Warwickshire's solitary goal.
JP McGarry netted the first goal for the home side when he collected a neat pass from Brian McLaughlin before driving home to the corner of the net. His brother Kevin McGarry, who has returned to the green and white following a number of years with Portaferry and Down, had got the first two points of the game.
At corner forward Ciaran Corrigan was proving impossible to tie down and he rounded his marker before driving home his sides second goal.
Warwickshire were finding it difficult to get going but David Millea did excellently to divert a shot into the Fermanagh net.
The same player grabbed a second and three quick points had only six points between the sides at the break. The visitors notched the first two points of the second half but Fermanagh reestablished their dominance with Declan McGarry and Daniel Teague in particular a driving force.
The latter scored two super points and another surging run through the middle set up Corrigan for his second goal and Fermanagh's third to put the game beyond doubt.
John Duffy was also much to the fore in the second half. His ability to win primary possession along with his dead ball accuracy was key to this victory.
Fermanagh now travel across the Irish sea for a clash with Lancashire on Saturday.
"We know what it is like to travel so that should not be an issue. There is a fair bit of organising involved in it but the county board have been very good in everything that we have asked of them," McCusker said.
Fermanagh: M Curry, D Teague, D McGarry, F Bannon, T Cleary, M Slevin, K Kehoe (0-1), J Duffy (0-4, 0-3f), D Teague (0-2), JP McGarry (1-0), K McGarry (0-2), A Breslin, C Corrigan (2-1), S Curran, B McLaughlin (0-1)
Subs: B Duffy for D Teague (23), D Curran for Cleary (43), O Russell for Duffy (64), P McGolderick for S Curran (69), C Rice for K Kehoe (69)
Warwickshire: M Cremin, D Sheedy, D Kennedy, C Brough, J Meagher, K Courtney, S Conlon, C Robbins, S Hennessy (0-1), E McCabe (0-4 0-3f), J Reddan (0-2), C Moran, D Milea (2-0), J Bergin, C McBride
Subs: P Crehan for Moran (63), J Quinn for Brough (68)
Yellow cards: S Conlon (23), (66)
Red cards: S Conlon (66)
Referee: K Brady (Louth)
