Messages

Dessie Dolan is a p***k

Absolutely deflated after that. We deserved so much more than that. Aidan O'Shea hang your head in shame and McQuillan also.
We may not have won the game without the penalty decision but who knows. It was there for taking when O'Shea threw himself to the ground. The constant patronising of Fermanagh is really annoying also but I suppose that's to be expected from RTE.

Donegal will obviously be a force in Ballybofey but I feel this will be the first Championship match of the year to be in the melting pot with 10 minutes to go. Fermanagh have a settled side with everyone knowing what their job is and guaranteed to give 100%. We have 3/4 genuinely top quality footballers who if on form will make us a match for Donegal.

It is very hard to gauge where Donegal are at based on the league performances. Very poor towards the end of the campaign which could mean their legs are going/hunger is no longer there or it could simply just mean they had achieved the goal of maintaing Division one status and turned attention to the championship.

Midfield could be an area Fermanagh have success with if we can put the squeeze on the kickouts and force them to kick long as much as possible. As FermGael mentioned, it would be a bonus if Murphy is deployed in midfield as it would take away from their scoring threat.

Hopefully the rain stays away and we have a free flowing match with plenty of scores but I feel it is more likely to be a tight and cagey affair.

In no particular order.....

* Fermanagh's run to the AI Semi Final in 2004. We should have done the business the first day v Mayo however.
* Darren Clarke sinking the winning putt in the 2006 Ryder cup and the emotional scenes during the aftermath.
* Shane Horgan's try v England to secure the triple crown.
* Ireland's performances in World Cup 2002 after the madness in the build up.
* Shane Long's winning goal v Germany.
* Padraig Harrington winning the Open in 2007 and the Ladybird moment with his son.
* Lionel Messi.
* The Armagh and Tyrone rivalry in the late 90's to mid 2000's when both were at their peak.
* Chelsea winning the Champions League in 2012.
* Leicester City winning the Premier league.

I'm sure there are a lot more that escape me at the moment.

http://cricfree.sx/sky-sports-5-live-stream

Stunning performance from Ireland so far

[An Ulster title is a distinct possibility for this group of players should they actually believe it!]

Lads Dublin were going at approx 60% yesterday. The only worry I'd have about them is can they press the accelerator up to 100% when they need to, and maintain at that level for a 70 minute game against a real contender. They knew that had that game won after 15 minutes, similar to their other games this year. I wouldn't be basing my opinion of how they'll do against Mayo/Donegal on that basis. As I said, there may be lingering doubts about them being able to hit their straps when they need to from the start, but I wouldn't worry on the basis that Fermanagh hung around.

On that note, and I don't want to be hard on Fermanagh who tried really hard, but was anyone else slightly disconcerted to see the smiles and laughs from them after the game? I know they were huge outsiders and probably relieved they didn't get a beating like Kerry gave Kildare, but that was an All Ireland Quarter Final, and the losing team were beaten by 8 points, and would have been much more but for a couple of lucky goals, by a team operating at probably 60% intensity.

I understand the pride that they kept trying, but if you are essentially not within an asses roar of really competing with the team that just beat you in an All Ireland Quarter Final, should you be laughing and smiling?

I'm not trying to be hard on them, and I'm not suggesting my own county would have done in anyway any better, but I thought this Fermanagh team had a bit more oomph in them than that. I thought it was a bit worrying from a competition standpoint. Would Fermanagh be that blasé about losing by 8 points to Donegal?

And I think some of the media comment is patronising at best.

Couldn't agree any more AZ

I couldn't disagree more. If it's their attitude you're casting aspersions on then show me a team this year who've achieved more from so relatively little?

I must have missed what fermanagh achieved.

I thought they had beaten antrim at home twice twice, robbed a depleted Roscommon team in the last few minutes,  beat a westmeath team coming off a tanking and shorn of their two best players and avoided a 20 point tanking in the 1/4 final because of a combination of luck,  atrocious refereeing & a sedate opponent.

Enlighten me

Bored tonight or just simply in a bad mood?

We lost to Dublin but we lost putting up a fight which is a lot more than can be said for the majority of Dublin's conquests. We realise exactly where we are at in Fermanagh. We know our current limitations. This does not mean we do not want to challenge for honours but we know it will be difficult given how the larger counties are financed. This will not stop us trying and will not make us roll over to the likes of Dublin.

To say our opponents were operating at 60% is an insult to Fermanagh and also is simply not true. Dublin were not allowed to play their all concurring style of football they get away with in Leinster and they rarely do against Ulster opposition. Their players were somewhat rattled towards the end (despite the scoreline) and so too were a lot of their fans.

This Fermanagh team have ability and a superb attitude. They are very young and the majority of the panel were having their first Championship year. To say that they have not achieved anything in gaining promotion to Division 2 and winning 4 championship matches is absolute madness. Against Westmeath we lost 2 key players to black cards early on and lost our captain to injury - this should have stretched our panel more than our opponents 2 injurys but it didn't. The defeats to both Dublin and Monaghan will have taught the team an awful lot.

Anyway, whether or not you agree is not important. What is important is that we build on this year and raise our expectations further again. An Ulster title is a distinct possibility for this group of players should they actually believe it!

Ah here - delude yourself about the year all you want but leave the fairytales out

Ok, so the year as a whole was not a posititive one for Fermanagh in your opinion? How so?

You criticise the players for looking happy in defeat but when I suggest they push on for an Ulster title you dismiss it as an impossibility?

I really do not know what to say to that....

Lads Dublin were going at approx 60% yesterday. The only worry I'd have about them is can they press the accelerator up to 100% when they need to, and maintain at that level for a 70 minute game against a real contender. They knew that had that game won after 15 minutes, similar to their other games this year. I wouldn't be basing my opinion of how they'll do against Mayo/Donegal on that basis. As I said, there may be lingering doubts about them being able to hit their straps when they need to from the start, but I wouldn't worry on the basis that Fermanagh hung around.

On that note, and I don't want to be hard on Fermanagh who tried really hard, but was anyone else slightly disconcerted to see the smiles and laughs from them after the game? I know they were huge outsiders and probably relieved they didn't get a beating like Kerry gave Kildare, but that was an All Ireland Quarter Final, and the losing team were beaten by 8 points, and would have been much more but for a couple of lucky goals, by a team operating at probably 60% intensity.

I understand the pride that they kept trying, but if you are essentially not within an asses roar of really competing with the team that just beat you in an All Ireland Quarter Final, should you be laughing and smiling?

I'm not trying to be hard on them, and I'm not suggesting my own county would have done in anyway any better, but I thought this Fermanagh team had a bit more oomph in them than that. I thought it was a bit worrying from a competition standpoint. Would Fermanagh be that blasé about losing by 8 points to Donegal?

And I think some of the media comment is patronising at best.

Couldn't agree any more AZ

I couldn't disagree more. If it's their attitude you're casting aspersions on then show me a team this year who've achieved more from so relatively little?

I must have missed what fermanagh achieved.

I thought they had beaten antrim at home twice twice, robbed a depleted Roscommon team in the last few minutes,  beat a westmeath team coming off a tanking and shorn of their two best players and avoided a 20 point tanking in the 1/4 final because of a combination of luck,  atrocious refereeing & a sedate opponent.

Enlighten me

Bored tonight or just simply in a bad mood?

We lost to Dublin but we lost putting up a fight which is a lot more than can be said for the majority of Dublin's conquests. We realise exactly where we are at in Fermanagh. We know our current limitations. This does not mean we do not want to challenge for honours but we know it will be difficult given how the larger counties are financed. This will not stop us trying and will not make us roll over to the likes of Dublin.

To say our opponents were operating at 60% is an insult to Fermanagh and also is simply not true. Dublin were not allowed to play their all concurring style of football they get away with in Leinster and they rarely do against Ulster opposition. Their players were somewhat rattled towards the end (despite the scoreline) and so too were a lot of their fans.

This Fermanagh team have ability and a superb attitude. They are very young and the majority of the panel were having their first Championship year. To say that they have not achieved anything in gaining promotion to Division 2 and winning 4 championship matches is absolute madness. Against Westmeath we lost 2 key players to black cards early on and lost our captain to injury - this should have stretched our panel more than our opponents 2 injurys but it didn't. The defeats to both Dublin and Monaghan will have taught the team an awful lot.

Anyway, whether or not you agree is not important. What is important is that we build on this year and raise our expectations further again. An Ulster title is a distinct possibility for this group of players should they actually believe it!

Yes but a few points.

What earthly benefit/pleasure will the Fermanagh team and its supporters derive from a crushing defeat on Sunday?

It's clear you are a WUM and to your credit you've given me a few laughs with your ramblings but this had to be commented on.

With comments like that you are obviously not the most loyal Armagh supporter around and would not even consider going to support your county in a match they are expected to lose badly.

Like it or loathe it but Fermanagh and Armagh are on a very level playing field at the moment. On current form we are probably the slightly better side but we'll not go there. With this in mind, if the roles were reversed and Armagh were due to face Dublin this weekend would you not be prepared to go support them when they most need it? (In spite of the lack of an "earthly benefit/reward")

Our young squad of players will benefit from the experience of playing at Croke Park in front of a full house against an excellent team. After all, they may never have another opportunity to have the pleasure of sharing a football pitch with the likes of Dublin should this proposed 2nd tier competition come to fruition.

[Seamus]

Don't get me wrong I'm delighted for Fermanagh and I hope they put it up to Dublin and win.

I just know that we (Antrim) currently have better players than they do yet we cannot get them on the field--that's what is frustrating.

Fermanagh are united whereas we are not, hence we are nowhere and they are in Croker on Sunday.

Fear manach Abu!

This always seems to have been the problem with Antrim, whether it is solely the County Board's fault or if it comes down to attitude problems is open to interpretation.

Every county will have players who will not commit for one reason or another, a County of Antrim's size (in comparison to Fermanagh for instance) should be able to cope with this. When players are missing they automatically become better players than what they actually are in the mind of supporters. There is nothing to suggest Antrim have any better players than Fermanagh. Last years Ulster Championship defeat was as much down to Fermanagh not coming out of the stalls until the damage was done and tactical naivety (surprisingly) from Pete as it was down to Antrim's good play.

We have at least another 5 players not on the panel who would challenge for starting spots but for one reason or another they are not there - Seamus and Conor Quigley are prime examples but for completely different reasons. It is up to the management and squad to pull together and become stronger as a whole.

I know it's come up before but I never saw an answer.
Is there any possibility that Seamus Quigley could be pulled in again or have all bridges been burnt?
If he was in any sort of form he would be some addition to the forwards.

I think the ball is in Seamie's court. If he sorts himself out, displays the attitude required and is prepared to put in the same level of effort the rest of the boys do then he would be welcomed back I am sure.

Don't get me wrong I'm delighted for Fermanagh and I hope they put it up to Dublin and win.

I just know that we (Antrim) currently have better players than they do yet we cannot get them on the field--that's what is frustrating.

Fermanagh are united whereas we are not, hence we are nowhere and they are in Croker on Sunday.

Fear manach Abu!

This always seems to have been the problem with Antrim, whether it is solely the County Board's fault or if it comes down to attitude problems is open to interpretation.

Every county will have players who will not commit for one reason or another, a County of Antrim's size (in comparison to Fermanagh for instance) should be able to cope with this. When players are missing they automatically become better players than what they actually are in the mind of supporters. There is nothing to suggest Antrim have any better players than Fermanagh. Last years Ulster Championship defeat was as much down to Fermanagh not coming out of the stalls until the damage was done and tactical naivety (surprisingly) from Pete as it was down to Antrim's good play.

We have at least another 5 players not on the panel who would challenge for starting spots but for one reason or another they are not there - Seamus and Conor Quigley are prime examples but for completely different reasons. It is up to the management and squad to pull together and become stronger as a whole.

I don't begrudge Fermanagh their place in the AI quarter final and would like nothing better than to see them beat Dublin,but like Armagh last year,they are there due to the luck of the draw.Cavan were quarter finalists two years ago,Armagh were there last year,what has either done since?

Totally agree. The draw couldn't have been kinder to Fermanagh.. 3 home games against below average teams. Someone mentioned that they "nearly" beat Monaghan.. were they not beaten by 10 points?
Tony is just adding reality here. Like him I would be delighted if they do well against Dublin and will be cheering them on, but as to how they got here? Good management, good support, average players all pushing in same direction and VERY LUCKY DRAW!

Rossies by 5 or 6. Can't believe the hype around Fermanagh. People saying they're "going well" and they're "on a good run". They've beaten Antrim twice. That's it! id say they'll get a rude awakening today

Oh he's back with more disparaging remarks about this Fermanagh side. I don't believe CK has commented on a Fermanagh match thread since he predicted a "rude awakening" against Roscommon who he now dismisses as "below average".

Maybe it would be better to focus on your own county team's shortcomings which were more than evident in the Connacht Final than to run down a team who have done nothing except beat what has been put in front of them, bar Monaghan.
There are a lot of begrudgers out there with an apparent element of the green eyed monster when it comes to brave, little Fermanagh reaching an AI quarter final.

Anyway, on Sunday we are rightly huge underdogs and in all probability will lose the match. This will not stop me travelling to Croke Park on Sunday with optimism to support the team which has given us a great summer so far and has created a real buzz and positivity around the county - something that a second tier competition will simply not do, no chance!

We have a sprinkling of very good players in key areas plus a handful of extremely underrated players (such as James McMahon, Niall Cassidy and Damian Kelly) and one thing is for sure we have a panel full of extremely dedicated and disciplined players who will be proud to represent their county in Croke Park on Sunday and will not give up no matter how things are going.

This young group of players will have learned a lot this year and will learn a lot more this Sunday and in our division 2 campaign this week. Hopefully the squad will stick together and can deliver our long awaited first Ulster title. We can only hope!

I watched the game back myself last night also. We were definitely nervous for the first 30 minutes and it appeared that the expectation to win from within the county and also from being favourites was weighing on the players. In past Fermanagh teams that would have been enough to have us beat. However, this team seem to be made of different stuff and it is in no small part to Pete McGrath. The man is a legend and we are very lucky to have him. Any county in Ireland would be in my opinion.

Tomas Corrigan has been our main man in the last 2 matches, he has really stepped up and grown into a quality player. Ok granted Westmeath appeared to roll over and concede defeat as soon as we got our noses in front but it was a good win nonetheless. What pleased me the most was how we lost 3 of our main players (Marty O'Brien, Ryan McCluskey and Eoin Donnolly) early on in the match but the subs proved that there is some strength in depth there.

Obviously Fermanagh have it all to do and there has probably never been such a David v Goliath contest at this stage of the Championship but we will give it a real good rattle I feel and will not lie down which is what seems to happen in Leinster. No matter what happens on Sunday this has been a great experience for such a young squad and we can only get better as a result of it.

Fear Manach Abú!

I can't make the game today due to a Christening but hopefully I can catch it on the radio. Q101.2 do not appear to be covering it, nor do Radio Ulster. Does anyone have any idea of a radio station that will be broadcasting this? Thanks in advance...

Wylie is a big loss, but unlike a few years ago we have a strong panel and plenty of solid options in defence. It won't be the difference between winning and losing on Sunday anyway.

You could play my mother at full back and still win on Sunday! But further down the line it will cost you. Ulster final for example, Wylie on Murphy would be a key duel. No matter who you have in reserve I doubt if you have another Drew Wylie.

Just a tad disrespectful! However Fermanagh have always played better when huge underdogs so I'll take that. Maybe I'm blinkered but I feel we have a chance. The bookies, while having Monaghan as warm favourites, do not appear to share your apparent view that this will be a facile victory for them.