FERMANAGH manager James Daly says his side’s 3-10 to 0-6 win over London in their final Division Four group game on Sunday was an anti-climax as they were forced to wait the outcome of the group’s other game between Antrim and Carlow.
The Erne County did what they had to do and that was defeating London but their fate was in the hands of fellow Ulster side Antrim, who they needed to win to ensure Fermanagh progressed to the Division Four knockout stages.
The direction of that game unfolded very quickly with Antrim building up a healthy half-time lead that certainly put Fermanagh at ease with one foot in the semi-final and with a comprehensive Antrim win, 6-16 to 2-7, Fermanagh claimed the runners-up spot in Group A.
They now face Leitrim, managed by former Fermanagh manager Johnny Garrity, in the semi-final on Sunday March 26.
“It was a bit of an anti-climax our game because we didn’t know what was happening. We felt Antrim were going to beat Carlow but we felt we needed to put a bigger score up than we did. We were by far the better team but we are struggling a bit at the minute putting the ball over the bar. But we are absolutely delighted to get over the line,” said Daly.
“I had the game on going down the road, watching it and I think it was fairly evident early on that Antrim were going to win the game so we were just happy about that.
“We are looking forward to it [semi-final], it’s going to be a good game. When you start off the league campaign that’s what it is all about, making the semi-finals and also we should be getting more girls back and we are looking forward to it now. We have a three-week gap now to prepare.”
London got the first score of the afternoon with a point from captain Cliona Towhig in the fourth minute. Fermanagh replied immediately through a Roisin O’Reilly free and they took the lead two minutes later when Laura Grew found the back of the net.
From there, Daly’s side never looked back and they led 1-4 to 0-2 after 16 minutes, Danielle Maguire, O’Reilly and Maguire (free) again putting the home side five points ahead.
Roisin Kelly replied for London but two Maguire points from frees pushed their lead out to six and at the break they had a healthy 1-6 to 0-4 advantage.
London started the second half as they did the first with a point, this time a Clara O’Brien free adding to their tally in the 37th minute. However, with two players in the sin bin for the visitors, did little to help their cause and 2-3 without reply in a dominant final quarter helped Fermanagh to a 13 point victory.
Aoife Flanagan, who had been on the pitch just seven minutes, grabbed their second goal and she followed that up with a point in 51st minute.
An O’Reilly free was followed by a third goal for the Erne County, Courteney Murphy, on target in the 57th minute while Flanagan raised another white flag to bring her own tally to 1-2 in 20 minutes.
London to their credit kept going and Roisin Considine got a sixth point for them but O’Reilly and Fermanagh had the last say with a final point.
