IF it wasn’t for the COVID pandemic and an untimely hip injury, Ultan Kelm could have been plying his trade in Australian Rules – but instead he is playing out of his skin for Fermanagh in a new attacking role.
The 22-year-old proved to be the Ernemen’s wrecking ball in last weekend’s last-gasp win over Antrim at Corrigan Park, scoring a brilliant second-half goal that ignited the visitors’ comeback.
“Ultan’s game has really evolved,” said Fermanagh boss Kieran Donnelly.
“He would have started at half-back with us but he’s played further up the field with Erne Gaels and he’s brought that quality and is also a game-changer. We feel as if we need as many of them higher up the pitch as we can.”
While Kelm lauded the “hand of [Sean] Quigley” that turned last Saturday’s game on its head, the wing-forward was the best player on the field and is hoping to carry that form into Sunday’s home tie against winless Tipperary.
“Playing further forward is different,” said Kelm.
“I’ve probably played in every position at this stage. I don’t really care where I play but you could be anywhere on the field and that’s the way it needs to be nowadays.”
Kelm also noted the “freshness” new coach Ronan O’Neill has brought to the Fermanagh table.
A friend of Kieran Donnelly’s, the former Tyrone attacker has been adding value to the Erne attack this season, with Kelm joking that the Fermanagh players used to watch the St Enda’s Omagh clubman when they were growing up – even though O'Neill's still only 31.
“We all know the kind of player Ronan is, very stylish, he’s the forward that we would have watched growing up because he’s that bit older than us!
“But seriously, I’m playing in a role I’m not used to, so Ronan’s great to bounce questions off and he gives you that wee bit of insight as he’s played in Division One and has won Ulster Championships for so many years, so having him in with us is refreshing.”
Fermanagh sit behind Division Three leaders Cavan having won three games out of their first four with Tipperary (h) Westmeath (h) and Cavan (a) still to come.
While Kelm, Sean Quigley, Aidan Breen and Darragh McGurn bring plenty of quality to the attack, it has been Fermanagh’s never-say-die spirit that sees them in the promotion hunt.
They nipped Down in the final throes of last month’s encounter in Ederney and trailed Antrim by eight points in the second half before coming back to win by one in the fifth minute of stoppage-time.
“You look at the scoreboard against Antrim at one stage and you probably felt we were out of it,” said Kelm, whose proposed move to AFL outfit Fremantle Dockers in 2021 was derailed by a hip injury.
“But we go to the final whistle and we know anything can happen, just like the previous week against Down. We never really died and the bench gave us that lift.
“The League is such an important competition. A few years ago we were pushing to get up to Division One and that’s where we want to be again because we feel we can compete in the higher divisions. But getting up there is hard especially if you lose one game. It can be the difference but hopefully on the last day of the division we’ll have a say.”
