Football

Fermanagh boss McMenamin happy to try out young talent

Fermanagh manager Ryan McMenamin is bringing through more young players.<br /> Picture: Cliff Donaldson
Fermanagh manager Ryan McMenamin is bringing through more young players.
Picture: Cliff Donaldson
Fermanagh manager Ryan McMenamin is bringing through more young players.
Picture: Cliff Donaldson

GETTING your chance with the county senior side is something that should stick with you and it certainly does for Ryan McMenamin.

The Fermanagh boss may be mostly associated with Mickey Harte for their triumphs together with Tyrone, but it was Art McRory who first called him up to the Red Hands set-up.

`Ricey’ recalled the influence of the great Dungannon man both before and during Fermanagh’s extraordinary comeback win over Roscommon in Division Two on Sunday.

“I told the boys a story on Friday night about what Art McRory said to me one time – `County football’s like a bus, you have to put your hand up if you want to get on it; if you don’t, it’ll drive on past you.’

“I reminded the boys at half-time that the bus was kind of driving on past them here.”

At that stage Roscommon did seem to be disappearing off into the distance, surely heading home with a comfortable victory in the bag/ boot.

Fermanagh were trailing by nine points to three following a dreadful first period against the Connacht champions – but the hosts got motoring and eventually edged to a dramatic win, 0-13 to 0-12.

McMenamin was pleased to include a number of youngsters in his starting side, bringing in Eoin Shiels and Lorcan McStravick, adding to the likes of Shane and Stephen McGullion, and Jonny Cassidy and Ultan Kelm who featured last year.

“We’ve a very good young team with a lot of pace in it, but we didn’t show enough in the first half.

“Young boys like Eoin Shiels, the McGullions, Ultan Kelm, are going to make mistakes, but you have to give them a chance to grow. They have to be playing games.”

When mention was made of the youthfulness of the Fermanagh bench, McMenamin laughed – and indicated there were youngsters likely to be involved this year: “In fairness, it makes me feel bad. It’s a young bench but people have to start somewhere.

“We also have some U20s - Brandon Horan, Sean Cassidy, we’ve wee ‘Callum Cub’ [Callum Jones] to come in as well.

“We’ve a nice age profile and you have to start somewhere in county – if we waited for all the oul boys to go I wouldn’t have got my chance at county football. You always have to think of the future.”

Even in the present McMenamin is optimistic about what Fermanagh can offer – as long as they are positive and have belief:

“Attitude is massive to do anything in life. In my opinion they’re as good as anything that’s out there. Fermanagh people have an awful thing of underselling themselves. We’re happy to see what they can do, although it’s still the first week of February.”

Indeed there are still five League games to go, but turning what looked a certain defeat into an unlikely victory is a result that changes the picture for the better for Fermanagh, agreed McMenamin:

“Roscommon bottom of the table on one point and almost everyone else on two just shows the competitive nature of this division.

“It’s going to be a dogfight – it was always going to be a dogfight, that’s the bottom line. Nobody wants to play tier two football, everyone wants to play tier one football. On the day I think we showed we can play tier one football.

“It’s gonna go down to our attitude over our last five games, three at home and two away. Westmeath are a very good team, they’re probably disappointed at throwing away a five-point lead against Cavan.

“Playing in the top 16 is the sort of place you want to be. These are the sort of days you enjoy playing – it kinda makes me want to come out of retirement”.