Football

Bogey team Laois aiming to storm Fortress Brewster

Fermanagh's Ryan Jones in action during their recent win over Meath at Brewster Park <br />Picture by Philip Walsh
Fermanagh's Ryan Jones in action during their recent win over Meath at Brewster Park
Picture by Philip Walsh
Fermanagh's Ryan Jones in action during their recent win over Meath at Brewster Park
Picture by Philip Walsh

Allianz National Football League Division Two: Fermanagh v Laois (Sunday, Brewster Park, 2pm)

IT'S not just the fact that these are currently the division's bottom two teams that makes Sunday's tussle such an intriguing encounter.

Fermanagh put a perfect recent home record in league and Championship on the line against a county they haven't beaten in more than 20 years. Something has got to give in that regard.

The Erne men have once more made Brewster Park a fortress, winning all seven major matches there since Antrim triumphed in a high-scoring thriller in the 2014 Ulster SFC, by 2-18 to 3-13.

The last meeting with Laois also came that year, an All-Ireland Qualifier defeat, again in a score-fest, the hosts hanging on for a 1-19 to 2-15 victory. Arguably, that was the first building block for last year's progress under Pete McGrath, offering hope Fermanagh could compete in the Championship, even though it was their 10th defeat in 11 games at that level.

Having beaten Louth, Tipperary and Limerick in the league in Enniskillen last year, Fermanagh added the scalps of Antrim (twice) and Roscommon there in the Championship. Meath were the latest visitors to leave the Erne county empty-handed, beaten 0-10 to 0-6 in round two of the league, so the hosts will see Laois as eminently beatable.

Laois, though, will have no fear of Fermanagh, having won that 2014 clash as well as league meetings in 2009, '03 and '01, the last of those a five-point success at Brewster. Mick Lillis' men will also be buoyed by their recent displays. They were poor in their league opener, well-beaten at home by Galway, but then won in Armagh before battling gamely to a three-point loss to Tyrone last Sunday.

The O'Moore county have plenty of big men, including Colm Begley, Brendan Quigley, John O'Loughlin and captain Donie Kingston. Fermanagh may well note that none of those first three-named featured in the 1-13 to 0-15 win at the Athletic Grounds, where the Erne men were narrowly beaten by a last-gasp Stefan Campbell point last Saturday night.

That one score highlighted the tight margins of this division, making the difference between fourth place and seventh spot for Fermanagh. Similarly, while Sunday's winners would jump closer towards survival, the losers would slip closer to the drop.

Fermanagh's priority must be to improve their scoring return, their tally of 1-32 the joint lowest in the division; Laois have registered 2-37. On the upside, no team in Division Two has conceded fewer points than the Erne men, just 29. The problem is they have shipped four goals so far, albeit three of them in the opening defeat in Derry. The fourth made the difference between winning and losing against Armagh.

Defensive solidity was key to the Erne men's promotion last year - just four goals conceded in seven group games, one of those in a dead rubber away to Clare. Likewise in the Championship, with only top teams Monaghan and Dublin (twice) finding the Fermanagh net in six outings.

Laois' goal concession this year is strikingly similar to Fermanagh's - three in that opening loss to Galway and then one - decisively - in last weekend's defeat by the Red Hands.

Laois can certainly pose problems and it would be no surprise if they maintained their hoodoo over their hosts, but Fermanagh's strong support can help them to yet another home win in Brewster Park.