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Watson star of the show for Warwickshire as the Exiles see off Fermanagh

 Fermanagh defender Diarmuid Russell tries to check the advances of Warwickshire sharpshooter Liam Watson (right) during Saturday’s Lory Meagher Cup clash at Brewster Park        Picture: Jason Moncrieff
 Fermanagh defender Diarmuid Russell tries to check the advances of Warwickshire sharpshooter Liam Watson (right) during Saturday’s Lory Meagher Cup clash at Brewster Park        Picture: Jason Moncrieff  Fermanagh defender Diarmuid Russell tries to check the advances of Warwickshire sharpshooter Liam Watson (right) during Saturday’s Lory Meagher Cup clash at Brewster Park        Picture: Jason Moncrieff

Lory Meagher Cup round three: Fermanagh 3-9 Warwickshire 6-16

WARWICKSHIRE manager Tony Joyce was a satisfied man at the final whistle in Brewster Park having watched his side record their third straight win in the Lory Meagher Cup. 

Only a single point separated the sides on 48 minutes, but the Exiles finished the game in devastating fashion, scoring 3-8 as Fermanagh managed only 0-2 in reply. 

“It didn’t look great with 20 [minutes] to go, but the lads stepped up and had a real purple patch and knocked in a few goals so I’m absolutely delighted with the win,” Joyce explained. 

Former Antrim star Liam Watson was the star of the show for the winners,  hitting 3-9 in an all-round performance that demonstrated his undoubted class. 

Scores from play and frees flowed for the


full-forward, but it would be unfair to characterise this Warwickshire team as a one-man band. They had impressive figures all over the field, a point Joyce alluded to at the full-time whistle.

“There is plenty of talent in this team and if one man is not playing well somebody else will step up,” he insisted.

“To be fair the squad has been working hard all year and we could not ask any more of them.”

The game itself was a real rip-roarer for the first three quarters with Fermanagh giving as good as they got. 

In Sean Corrigan they had a dangerous forward of their own. And in the first half he was free-scoring, hitting an excellent goal and also drilling a penalty over the bar. 

Watson raised two green flags for the visitors with John Duffy slipping past his marker to hammer home Fermanagh’s second major of the day. 

Watson and JP McGarry exchanged goals just after the break as Fermanagh worked their way back to just a point down, but they could never restore parity. 

From the moment Watson spotted Shane Caulfield with a quick free for a point, Warwickshire took over. 

Paul Uniacke left Fermanagh spinning with a hat-trick of goals in just seven minutes. The big number eight pushed forward and alternated between the full-forward line and midfield and the Erne defence failed to get to grips with him as he finished with aplomb on all three occasions. 

“Fermanagh really pushed us here in Brewster and we expected that,” said Joyce.

“We had a really tough game here in the League and it was the same today and the boys really dug deep there in the end.

“It would be a fantastic achievement to reach Croke Park. We still have two games to go and we are going out to win them both and see where that takes us.”

For Fermanagh manager, Sean Duffy, the loss signals the likely end of the road in this year’s Lory Meagher.

“We were right there for a long time but they just finished much the stronger. We won’t be looking for any excuses though. The better team won and that is just the way it is,” he conceded.

Fermanagh: M Curry; D Teague, D Russell, A Breslin; F McBrien (0-1), M Slevin, M Teague; C Corrigan, R Bogue; J Duffy (1-0), S Curran, B McGarry (0-1); C McShea (0-1), JP McGarry (1-0), S Corrigan (1-6, 0-4 frees) 

Subs: T Cleary for Slevin (13), E Cleary for Duffy (25), J Gavin for Curran (31), A Magee for McShea (34)

Yellow cards: S Corrigan (30) (69), A Breslin (48)

Red cards: S Corrigan (69)

Warwickshire: M Cremin; D Bruen, W Allen, M O’Reagan; J Collins, P Hoban, D Kennedy; P Uniacke (3-0), K McGee; I Dwyer (0-2) S Caulfield (0-2), C Robins; S Hennessey (0-3, 0-2 frees), L Watson (3-9, 0-5 frees), P Crehan. 

Subs: C McBride for Robins (59), R Curley for Kennedy (62), C Brown for Watson (66)

Yellow cards: Hoban (30), Watson (48)

Referee: K Brady (Louth)