Fermanagh Football & Hurling

[FermGael]

17/8/12 20:00  Lisnaskea (1/4 )v Newtownbutler  (10/3)    Draw (8/1) 

Local derby tonight.  Being played in Enniskillen which should suit Lisnaskea.  Both teams will be missing key players.
Mark Lyttle is suspended for Lisnaskea and Paul Johnston is injured..
Lisnaskea have a good mix of youth and experience and some really talented forwards in Cecil and Aidy Lyttle. Newtown will be heavily depending on Carson and Monaghan.  They will need to try and frustrate Lisnaskea and defend in numbers and keep in touch.  They were very lucky to get past Irvinestown in the first round and i think Lisnaskea will progress

18/8/12 19:00  St Patricks(4/7)  v Enniskillen(  7/4  )        Draw (13/2 )
   
The battle of 2 teams in division 2.  St Pat's have been in great form this year in division 2 this year.  They are top of the table and will get promoted.  Have only been beaten once this year and that was by Enniskillen.
Enniskillen are lying 3rd in division 2 this year and have had a up and down year.  Beat By Maguiresbridge and Kinawley but have also have beaten St Pat's.
Hard to know but 4/7 is a bit short on St Pat's.  The Gaels are a good price at 7/4 and i think they will sneak this one by a point or 2.

19/8/12 15:30  Tempo(5/6) v Derrygonnelly (6/5)    Draw ( 13/2)

Tempo will be fancied to beat Derrygonnelly but i am not so sure.  Derrygonnelly are an experienced outfit and they will miss the suspended Kevin Cassidy.  Ryan Jones played really well in the midfield against Roslea and I except him to do the same here.  In Michael Jones Derrygonnelly have a player  who can keep Daryl Keenan underwraps and Jonny McGurn can can do damage for Derrygonnelly in the full forward line.  In last years championship semi final Teemore were 8 points done, put Barry Owens in full forward and Tempo collapsed. Ward will also be a handful in there as well. 
Think Derrygonnelly will win this.

Erne Gaels(2/5 ) v St Josephs Irvinestown (9/4)   Draw 15/2 
   
St Josephs should win this.  Seem to be a well drilled outfit and have been preforming really well in the league.  Joint top at the minute.  Erne Gaels had a good start to the league but have fallen away in recent weeks.  Now back in the relegation fight.  Ederney should have too much. 

I think the 4 games in the Intermediate will go with the favourites.  Cannot see any upsets there at all.

Intermediate Football Championship - Quarter Finals

Belnaleck v Maguiresbridge Kinawley 17/08/2012 19:00
Kinawley v Aghadrumsee Lisnaskea 18/08/2012 17:30
Brookeboro v Teemore Brewster Park 19/08/2012 14:00
Derrylin v Coa Irvinestown 19/08/2012 17:30


 
   

[Christmas Lights]

Lisnaskea 1/4 tonight against Newtown without Mark Little 

Surely that cant be right? Where are you getting these odds?

[FermGael]

took them from paddy power at lunchtime.

Newtown nave lost a few players to emigration and kevin connolly is in the states for the summer.

[sammymaguire]

Semi-Finals Line-up

Lisnaskea v St Pats
Tempo v Erne Gaels

Intermediate
Teemore v Bridge/Belnaleck
Coa v Kinawley

Erne Gaels upset the apple cart yesterday evening, I would say a few St Joes men waking up this morning with a fair few regrets 

Other than that, everything went as expected... St Pats looked good against the Gaels so Skea will need to improve to get past them, which I don't think they will and I would expect Tempo to reach their first final in a long time. Could be Tempo's year...

[FermGael]

Canavan issues a warning

Taken from http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/gaa/fermanagh-players-will-have-to-erne-their-place-canavan-16208057.html#ixzz264bVQSRL

Peter Canavan has issued a warning for his Fermanagh players for the forthcoming season that the work undertaken this year will be nothing compared to the next step.

The 2003 All-Ireland winning Tyrone captain was appointed manager of neighbouring Fermanagh in late November last year, leaving him with very little time to conduct a trials process before shaping his squad. The procrastination in his appointment - which was delayed as the county held an outside inquiry into well-documented team matters in 2011 — also scuppered the crucial prehabilitation strength and conditioning work.

Talking about the level of demands placed on players by counties such as Dublin and Donegal at the Ulster Bank GAA Force chat night in Killyclogher, Canavan said: "We haven't, so far, made those demands on Fermanagh players — getting up at 6.30am to get a training session before their days' work, and as soon as you come in again, getting into the car to go to training — doing that maybe three times a week.

"Now, we are ready to move onto the next stage in Fermanagh and there's going to be serious commitment required by everyone involved in the team.

"For various reasons some players can't commit and a lot of times it's not my decision, it's often their decision.

"Certainly, the players that I want from now on will be committed 100%."

Last season started brightly for Canavan and Fermanagh, with early wins over Antrim and Queen's in the Dr McKenna Cup, as well as the encouraging pointer of a stirring comeback against Tyrone.

To the fore of those efforts was full-forward Seamus Quigley, who hit 1-8 in the first two games against Antrim and Queen's. The talented Roslea man then went on to accumulate 5-43 in their National League campaign, as they clinched promotion out of division four.

However, as the Championship match first round game against Down approached, Quigley missed training on more than one occasion.

He lost his starting place for the Down game but was introduced in the second half. Before the first round qualifier game against Cavan, he withdrew from the panel, citing an inability to continue his commitment to the panel.

Responding to a question from the audience about the possible return of who could only be interpreted as Quigley, Canavan took an overview of the panel as a whole, stating: "It's the start of a new year and the principle we had last year was that the best players in Fermanagh hadn't been putting themselves forward.

"It's the same in Tyrone and it's the same in a lot of other counties, sometimes that's not the case and there are players unable to make the sacrifices and commitment needed to compete at senior level."

He continued: "We're not talking about one player, we are talking about three or four players in Fermanagh who are in that at the minute; for different reasons they can't make the sacrifices necessary."

Accompanying Canavan on stage was Down forward Danny Hughes, who spoke about stay-away players.

"As a county player, if a man like Peter Canavan came in and was good enough to take over your team, anybody who couldn't give the commitment shouldn't be playing.

"I would say that there should be no question that if Peter Canavan came in and invited players onto the Down panel and the commitment wasn't there, then that doesn't say much for them as a person."

After the way in which Donegal have swept to their second successive Ulster title and reached the All-Ireland final, Canavan realises the critical importance of physical preparation and is looking to implement similar practise in the Erne county ranks.

"Donegal are yards ahead of anybody else in terms of their physical fitness and the demands that he [Jim McGuinness] has placed on those players," he said.

"It's not a coincidence that they dominate teams in the second half, they are stronger and fitter."

Canavan also revealed that he has no ambition to eventually take over as Tyrone manager, preferring not to tread on the toes of his former manager and clubmate, Mickey Harte.

"It's certainly a challenge where I am at the minute, but I think there's a man there who is more than capable of it. To be honest, it's not a dream. Going up the Hogan Stand as a player to lift the Sam Maguire, that was a dream.

"From my own point of view, I'd sleep every night if I didn't get to manage my county."



Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/gaa/fermanagh-players-will-have-to-erne-their-place-canavan-16208057.html#ixzz264bVQSRL

Good to hear.  Get players who are 100% committed and ditch the bluffers.

Also after this weekend games i think Leon Carters should be sounded out.
I know he is playing soccer for Ballinamallard but he was immense yesterday for Coa. 
Big physical player who is comfortable on the ball.

Thomas Campbell also played well for Tempo at full forward.   Worth a look as well.
Apart from that it was the usual suspects.

[wanderer]

Good to hear.  Get players who are 100% committed and ditch the bluffers.

Also after this weekend games i think Leon Carters should be sounded out.
I know he is playing soccer for Ballinamallard but he was immense yesterday for Coa. 
Big physical player who is comfortable on the ball.

Thomas Campbell also played well for Tempo at full forward.   Worth a look as well.
Apart from that it was the usual suspects.



Thought Carters was brilliant yesterday but from what I have seen of him that was an exception rather than the norm. If he could put that in every week in league games (as well as championship) he would be county material without a problem

Campbell was excellent at catching and showing yesterday, maybe needs another year or so at club level bulking up? and then he could be a handful.

as you say apart from that it was the usuals

[FermGael]

http://www.hoganstand.com/Fermanagh/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=177750

Gallagher grew up supporting Donegal
19 September 2012


Rory Gallagher says he grew up supporting Donegal, despite hailing from just over the border in Fermanagh.

The Belleek native enjoyed a stellar career with the Erne County before joining Jim McGuinness' management team two years ago, having moved to Killybegs where he manages the local SuperValu.

"It (his home) was right on the border. We had a farm of land that went into the south," he told The Irish Daily Star.

"We'd have gone to loads of Donegal matches as kids. I went to the All-Ireland final in 1992 with my parents and my brother. And we were at the homecoming in Bundoran. That's only eight miles from us.

"Fermanagh were having minimal success. Between 1983 and 1999, we only won two championship games. So as kids on the border, we would have always followed what the Donegal team was doing.

"Most of the big club games were played in Donegal town, and that was only 20 minutes' drive away. We'd go there to watch the likes of Aodh Ruadh, Naomh Columba, Killybegs and Kilcar - the strong club teams at that time.

[Home of the champs]

How is Teemore performing this year. Is paddy doing a good job with them?

[FermGael]

well having watched the double header in pomeroy yesterday i would not be so sure.
The standard i witnessed in both senior and intermediate games yesterday was poor.
Winter football will suit Teemore. The game was over as a contest yesterday after 15
minutes. They play a very direct brand of football, are very physical, and have alot of
experience. Would not rule them out.

[wanderer]

Big match tomorrow night, and a very hard one to call.

Lisnaskea are hard to predict and no matter what happens they will be able to hold their heads high, I just wonder if the will to win will be too much and they make mistakes trying too hard

Tempo are hard to judge. They really fell apart last year in the 2nd half against Teemore when they were well in control. Will the expectation be too much for them

[sammymaguire]

I reckon Tempo will run it close this year

Ya heard it here first 

[FermPundit]

Superb highlights of the county final from the BBC Sport website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/northern-ireland/19801092

[FermGael]

Teemore and Newtown relegated from division 1.
St Pat's and Kinawley promoted from division 2.

All over for the year in Fermanagh except the county board have decided to have top 4 play offs in the 2 divisions. Crazy idea. Let the team who tops the league on points get the trophy and let the club player have a bit of a break. And maybe next year start the leagues abit earlier and make sure the club footballer gets regular games. The tail is wagging the dog.

[FermGael]

Might as well chat to myself this weather.

Anyway provisional league fixtures are out:


ALLIANZ NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE


SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3 (2.00 unless stated)
Div 3:  Wicklow v Fermanagh

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9 (7.0 unless stated).
Div 3: Fermanagh v Roscommon.


SATURDAY, MARCH 2 (7.00 unless stated)
Antrim v Fermanagh.


SATURDAY, MARCH 9 (7.00 unless stated).
Div 3: Fermanagh v Monaghan.


SATURDAY, MARCH 16 (7.00 unless stated)
Cavan v Fermanagh

SUNDAY, MARCH 24
Fermanagh v Sligo

SUNDAY, APRIL 7 (3.00 unless stated).
Meath v Fermanagh




Very difficult fixture list.
4 Saturday games as well.
4 away fixtures and 3 home games again. 

Tough away fixture to Wicklow to start off with.

Come to think of it none of the fixtures are easy.
We would need to be sure of our place in the division before the last game.
Survival in division 3 would be a good achievement this year.

[Pragmatist]

I am now convinced that the naysayers have been right all along. For years I tried to promote the idea that we can improve players' decision-making on and off the ball, their movement off the ball, their positional sense, their timing of runs and their abilities to adapt to different game plans and attacking options. The truth is that for 90% of players we cannot!!
They bring with them their own inbuilt cerebral limitations for these skills and we can labour for as long as we want and convince ourselves we see glimmers of hope, but the fact is that they will revert to type more often than not.
Just get them as fit as possible, as well-conditioned as possible and as technically proficient as possible and forget the rest.