Football

Devenish scrape into Fermanagh SFC decider

Quinn Building Products Fermanagh Senior Football Championship semi-final: Tempo 0-8 Devenish 0-9

DEVENISH yesterday booked a place in the final of the Fermanagh SFC for the first time in 19 years with a single-point win over Tempo at Brewster Park.

In this, their centenary year, they will meet either Derrygonnelly or Roslea in the final as they go in search of their first title in 21 years.

Tempo reduced the score to the minimum from a neat Ryan Bogue point with 10 minutes left on the clock, but that was to be the last score of a tense game that included four minutes of injury-time.

The Maguire’s will look back on this game with plenty of regret as they missed a number of goal chances over the course of the 60-plus minutes. The teams were level at the break, sharing 10 points. Devenish had worked their way into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead inside the first 15 minutes.

Terry O’Flanagan, who was to be impressive throughout at centre half-forward, got them off the mark with a neat score following good play from Barry Mulrone and Chris O’Brien. Lorcan McStravick equalised for Tempo with a free, with Jason Love and Anthony McGuinness both notching scores in reply.

Before all those scores, however, Daryl Keenan had hit the post with a chipped effort for Tempo. A poor short kick-out found its way to Keenan, but his deft effort found the woodwork rather than the net.

That would have given Tempo an ideal start to proceedings but they played some good football in the first half.

McStravick hit his second of the day from a free and the talented minor skimmed the post himself just moments later when he collected a crossfield ball to good effect but his hammered drive just failed to find the target.

Devenish came back strong and hit two points in quick succession to put three between the sides, with Gavin Gallagher and Terry O’Flanagan on target.

But for the final seven minutes of the half it was to be Tempo who would dominate, hitting three points without reply.

Daryl Keenan, Damian Kelly and Ryan Ingram were all on target to leave the sides all square at the break. Marty O’Brien and Aidan Breen were enjoying a titanic battle in the middle of the field, with O’Brien leaving the Devenish defence to pick up the dangerous Breen.

The second half was to follow a similar pattern to that of the first with Devenish again jumping into an early advantage. Custodian Thomas Treacy strode forward to loft over a 45, with the effervescent O’Flanagan then putting two between the sides with another excellent score from play.

Devenish could have been further ahead but for the outstanding play of Conor Foy in the Tempo defence and, in truth, this was a game where defences were putting a lot of pressure on either forward line.

One man who was excelling under that pressure was McStravick for Tempo who was a livewire throughout and he was denied by Treacy with a fine save after a searing run along the end-line.

Aidan Breen and Ryan Breen, with a cracking effort from distance, restored parity for the Maguire’s, but crucially they could never get their noses in front, with the diminutive Martin Doherty doing sterling work in Devenish’s defence.

With the game in the balance, it was the Garrison men who once again secured a foothold, pegging two consecutive points. Gavin Gallagher scored the first when there was perhaps a half-chance of a goal and this was followed up by Love with his second of the game.

The next score came from the boot of Bogue, but it was to be the last of the game as Devenish stood firm.