Allianz National Football League Division Three North: Fermanagh 1-15 Longford 0-18
From Andy Watters at Brewster Park
FATHER Brian Darcy, the high priest of Fermanagh football, strolled by as a group of fans in green lamented a frustrating display from their team at the back of the Brewster stand at half-time on Saturday.
The Ernemen began brilliantly with a first minute goal from Sean Quigley but they missed two other chances, ran out of ideas, sat off their visitors and generally let them back into the game. By the interval, Longford were a point ahead and the Fermanagh faithful were, understandably, getting jittery.
“Ah Father Brian, you’re away to pray,” joked a smiling lady.
What might he have prayed for?
‘Dear Lord, please tell our boys to kick the ball to the forwards’ would have done for starters.
Whether prayers were said or not, the hitherto misfiring Ernemen found the energy to raise their game and the ambition and confidence to attack in an entertaining second half and in an edge-of-the-seat injury-time finish they deservedly claimed the point they needed to progress to a promotion semi-final against Offaly on June 12/13.
The spirit Fermanagh showed to force a stalemate at the death will sharpen their focus as they prepare for the promotion semi-final against the southern section winners.
“We got there in the end,” said manager Ryan McMenamin.
“We made hard work of it. We have a lot to work on, we’re definitely not the finished product but it’s nice to see that we’re going some way towards wanting to play front-foot football.
“I’m proud of the boys, we were down to 14 men (Chris Snow was black carded) at the start of the second half but we did well, we dogged it out and got the result and that’s what we wanted.”
Longford manager Paraic Davis was content with the spirit his men displayed.
“We’ve taken a lot out of that game because I was beginning to wonder after Derry and Cavan (to a lesser extent) was that performance in us,” he said.
“To come here and get 18 points is excellent, it’s a pity we didn’t cross the line but Fermanagh dug in too to get their point.”
McMenamin could not have wished for a better start. Darragh McGurn pumped a high ball in to the area and Quigley beat beefy marker Andrew ‘The Bull’ Farrell to it and applied a neat finish. He continued make hay in the early summer sun with three frees and all Longford could muster was a placed-ball score from Jamie Smyth.
But the loss of Stephen McGullion, subbed after he was booked, seemed to unsettle the team and, with Eoin Donnelly and Brandon Horan both out injured, Longford took control at centrefield where Darren Gallagher was outstanding.
Fermanagh’s early momentum evaporated. Darting runs in the inside forward line were ignored and they played the ball tediously across the Longford defensive line, then lost patience and kicked possession away. They allowed Longford to settle and grow in confidence and Smyth kicked his third free just before water break.
He grabbed Snow’s restart immediately after it and played in Barry McKeon and his score, another Smyth free and a Rian Brady point left it level. Tiarnan Bogue and McGurn threw off the shackles with fine scores for the home side but Fermanagh had goalkeeper Snow sin-binned in the dying seconds of the half for a foul on Michael Quinn.
Referee Liam Devenney decided Quinn wasn’t in a goal-scoring position so there was no penalty but Smyth’s free after Snow’s infraction meant Longford led 0-10 to 1-6 at the interval.
“There’ll not be 50 at the next match nevermind 500,” observed a pessimistic fan at the break.
How wrong was he? The second half included 17 scores and was terrific entertainment.
Points from Dessie Reynolds, Smyth and Gallagher had the visitors 0-13 to 1-7 ahead when McMenamin threw in Ultan Kelm and Enniskillen Gaels midfielder Richard O’Callaghan.
Both played their parts in Fermanagh’s fightback.
The Ernemen have plenty of workers in the half-back/half-forward area but they were lacking inspiration until Kelm’s introduction and his pacey break through the middle earned a free Quigley converted to level at 1-11 to 0-14. Then O’Callaghan picked out McGurn who composed himself and split the posts to edge his side in front.
Quigley added another but the game was an end-to-end shootout by that stage and Longford levelled with points from Joseph Hagan and Rian Brady. Momentum swung again when Gary Rogers kicked out at Luke Flanagan right under the nose of linesman Ciaran Brannigan and was red-carded with five minutes to go.
Aidan Breen popped up on the right to kick his second point of the game but Brady tied it again with Longford’s 10th free of the game.
Gallagher missed a chance as the game progressed into six minutes of injury-time but he grabbed the ensuing kick-out and slipped in Darragh Doherty who punched the air when his shot sailed over the bar.
He thought he had won it for Longford but there was final kick in the Ernemen.
Kelm, just back from injury, left scorched earth behind him as he raced through the Longford defence and passed to Ciaran Corrigan.
He had possession, fumbled it, then won it back and somehow worked it to Kelm who tried to fist a point. It was drifting wide but Quigley was waiting at the back post and a Roslea right hook almost burst the ball as it whizzed over the bar.
Fermanagh prayers answered.
Fermanagh: C Snow; A Breen (0-2), J Cassidy, L Flanagan; K Connor, J McMahon, K McDonnell; D Leonard, S McGullion; C Corrigan (0-1), T Bogue (0-1), J Largo-Ellis; D McCusker, D McGurn (0-3), S Quigley (1-8, 0-5 frees)
Subs: C Love for McGullion (14), S McNally for Love (37), U Kelm for Bogue, C Love for McNally (45), R O’Callaghan for D Leonard (50), McGullion for McGurn (65)
Yellow card: McGullion (8)
Longford: P Collum; P Fox, A Farrell, C P Smyth; G Rogers, M Quinn, D Reynolds (0-1); D McGivney, D Gallagher (0-2 frees); D Mimnagh, B McKeon (0-02), L Connerton; R Smyth (0-8 frees), L Moran (0-1), R Brady (0-2, 0-1 free).
Subs: J Hagan (0-1) for L Connerton (52), D Doherty (0-1) for R Smyth (54), S Kenny for D McGivney, I O’Sullivan for B McKeon (63).
Yellow card: A Farrell (33)
Red card: G Rogers (65)
Referee: L Devenney (Mayo)
Attendance: 500
