Hurling & Camogie

Fermanagh's second-half surge is enough to see off Longford

Fermanagh captain Rian &Oacute; Buaigh had the evidence of his exertions on his shirt for all to see following the win over Longford in the Allianz National Hurling League Division 3A final<br />Picture by Sportsfile&nbsp;
Fermanagh captain Rian Ó Buaigh had the evidence of his exertions on his shirt for all to see following the win over Longford in the Allianz National Hurling League Division 3A final
Picture by Sportsfile 
Fermanagh captain Rian Ó Buaigh had the evidence of his exertions on his shirt for all to see following the win over Longford in the Allianz National Hurling League Division 3A final
Picture by Sportsfile 

FERMANAGH had to wait for 46 minutes before hitting the front for the first time in Saturday’s NHL Division 3B final, but the Erne men’s powerful second-half performance overshadowed Longford’s sparkling opening half at a windswept Markievicz Park.

Backed by the wind in the first-half, Longford were 1-1 ahead before Fermanagh registered their opening score, a Francis McBrien point after six minutes. Longford’s Bart Hanley raised the first flag of the half with a point before a Cathal Mullane goal put the Leinster side in a commanding position.

A second goal by Mullane sent Longford into a seven-point lead but a well-taken 10th minute goal by Fermanagh captain Ryan Bogue put the brakes on Longford’s runaway start. But the Leinster men still held a seven-point advantage entering the closing stages of the half.

Conor O’Shea struck for a Fermanagh goal on 28 minutes, reducing the half-time deficit to three points, 2-6 to 2-3. Joe O’Brien, Longford’s top marksman with 1-4, pounced for their third goal five minutes into the second-half.

But eight Fermanagh points without reply rocked Longford, who had too much ground to make up at that stage enabling Fermanagh to hold on for a deserved victory.