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.