Football

Fermanagh can't cope without quality they've lost says McGrath

Fermanagh on the warm up pitch before taking on Derry during their NFL match at Brewster Park on Sunday. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
Fermanagh on the warm up pitch before taking on Derry during their NFL match at Brewster Park on Sunday. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin Fermanagh on the warm up pitch before taking on Derry during their NFL match at Brewster Park on Sunday. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin

AMID the disappointment of relegation back to the third tier, Fermanagh boss Pete McGrath conceded that the county couldn’t cope with losing the calibre of player they have lost this season.

Their defensive retirements were widely overlooked in winter but the absence of Niall Cassidy, Damian Kelly and Marty O’Brien told on them as they slipped out of Division Two after a two-year stay.

McGrath also pointed to the loss of Richard O’Callaghan, who played the deep midfield role last year, while Tomás Corrigan’s calf troubles kept him out of their final two games, both of which they lost.

His brother Ruairi has missed the entire National League campaign after the Kinawley man required surgery on a shoulder injury sustained in last year’s intermediate club final.

“You can talk about Tomás Corrigan not being there, Ruairi Corrigan missing the entire League, Ryan Jones missing the first couple of matches, and the people who have retired and are in Australia,” said McGrath.

“Marty O’Brien, Damian Kelly, Richie O’Callaghan was a defensive midfielder, they’re gone.

“We tried to compensate and put things in place where you don’t leak goals, but we leaked two today, three last week, four against Kildare and one against Clare. You could say that has been our Achilles’ heel

“Maybe Fermanagh football just can’t cope with those absentees. Maybe we just can’t cope because when you lose such a tight game like [against Derry], yeah, your mind turns to the one or two guys who aren’t here that you know would have made a difference.”

McGrath has brought Fermanagh a long way in his three-and-a-half years in charge, taking them to an All-Ireland quarter-final in his second season.

That came on top of promotion and they solidified their place in Division Two last year before offering a stern examination of both Donegal and Mayo in last year’s Championship.

This has been a more difficult year so far, and the Bryansford native admits that he faces a job now to rejuvenate the players and mount a bid to reach the ultimate aim he has held for them - a first ever Ulster title.

They begin with could be viewed as a daunting test against an in-form Monaghan side in the preliminary round in just under seven weeks’ time.

“That’s always the challenge for any manager, to pick himself up, pick the team up and go forward. That’s what we have to do, there’s no other choice.

“[Relegation[ is a blow. It’s a big blow. There’s no point trying to dress it up any other way.”