Sligeach v Fear Manach

[FermPundit]

So Fermanagh make the short trip to Sligo this weekend hoping to make it five victories out of five on their quest to gain promotion to division 2. Although Fermanagh haven't been playing to their full potential so far this campaign they have shown marked signs of improvement under the guidance of Malachy O'Rourke. Sligo have been very disappointing this year, especially the last day out against near neighbours Leitrim. What are the thoughts of Sligo fans? I would have thought Sligo would have kicked on from their impressive Connacht championship win of last year. Is there renewed hope within the county after the u21 win over Galway at the weekend? Are there many u21 panelists on the senior panel?

[magpie seanie]

The U-21s play again on Saturday and if they win the final is the following week. If they lose we may see one or two of them introduced as subs on Sunday.

I'll try to explain things about Sligo. We're not a good league team and haven't been for many years. I have many theories on why this is the case but I don't really know enough to expand on them so I'll just leave it at that. This time last year we were in dire straits after a bad start to the league and only just avoided Div 4. It had no impact on our summer performance so don't rate us by the league. I don't worry too much about it but with the penalty of no qualifiers if you slip into Div 4 then its important to avoid it. All this adds up to making this practically a must win game for Sligo. I do expect a much improved performance and I think we will be there or thereabouts come the final whistle on Sunday. The management need to get rid of some of the lightweights on the team/panel and really go for it from the off. Can't believe I'm about to type this - bring Seán Davey on ten/fifteen minutes into the second half to lift the crowd and the team and hopefully we'll get a few breaks and snag the points. Saw Davey and Karol O'Neill have a great duel on Sunday with both playing well. If there's 15 better players than them in the county then we're going places. Fermanagh are going well so it will be very difficult. I just hope our greater need is the telling factor.

[FermPundit]

I feel this will probably be Fermanagh's toughest game in the group. I know we still have to play Down away but I just feel ourselves and Sligo are too evenly matched sides. I'm a little concerned that some of the media are starting to talk us up a little. We'll probably go into the game on Sunday as favourites which doesn't really suit us. This is a huge game for both counties. Sligo will be looking to restore some pride after the Leitrim defeat and avoid relegation to Division 4 whereas Fermanagh need victories in their next 2 games to avoid needing to beat Down in Newry on the last day of the league campaign. I would be hopeful enough that the incentive of promotion should see Fermanagh through on Sunday but there'll only be a point of two in it at the end of IMO.

[inisceithleann]

I attended my first game of the season in Lisnakea on Saturday, and I was impressed with the team's performance. It was very workman like, which is what you want at this time of the year. Ryan McCluskey was outstanding at CHB and Mark Murphy has grown into a great midfielder. You'd have to fancy Fermanagh to win against Sligo. I like many others have been surprised by Sligo's poor form this season, but I suppose it's a bit like Fermanagh in 2005 after reaching the All-Ireland Semi-Final the previous season. It's very hard to keep those expectation levels up. However Sligo must definitely do not want to be playing Division 4 football next season, so it certainly makes for an intriguing encounter.

[SLIGONIAN]

Anyone outside the county expectations may be higher but I think everyone in Sligo expected us to struggle. Last yr was a very similiar pattern. Really last yr for me wicklow away was our best performance, even better than connaght final...but every league game up to that was pure useless football, frustrating to watch similiar to this yr. Then we didnt play all that great against NY or ros, even against galway we played bad especially in the forwards and then Cork was dire again. It worries me slighty that Sligofans think when summer pitches etc sligo will come good. Did we really come good last yr performance wise? Im not sure. Our Full back line saved us in the summer. My point is even in CSFC our performances were dire (except Galway 1st half and last 20 against ros) and werent a huge improvement on the league especially in the forwards. Most complete performance was wicklow we were 15- 6 up with 60mins gone in aughrim in winner takes all.

We are kinda in a similiar situation now to the wicklow game (backs against the wall) so maybe we may just spring a suprise. The thing that annoys me most with Sligo is that if you judged this Sligo team on every game one would have to say it performs poor regurlaly but odd time does play well especially last 2 yrs. More honest we are I believe maybe all the rest of connaght are right in that last yrs connaght championship was poor. We are consistently poor so our players are proven them right. Although I do believe with the right management there maybe is alot more in this team. Looking at the u21s every attack had purpose, organisation and support play. Every kickout was fought for. No cheap scores given away. Kudos to o flatherty. Can we say that about our seniors? Zero consistency last 2yrs in NFL and championship for me if we are honest. We are bit like a kinder suprise you never know what you'll get but more often than not your left disappointed.

As a st molaise gaels man it pains to me to say this. We have 2 players on senior panel but watching the u21s there are far better players not on the panel from bigger clubs. Gilmartin, Gaughan, coen, ogrady and henry. Doesnt really make sense to me.

[Gold]

Hope ferm win this weekend--they played some nice football in skea on sat although Limerick were as poor as i have seen--desperate.

Mark Little and Eamon Maguire never stopped and covered every inch of the pitch. McCluskey was v. good, Lyons tight enough and Murphy great before he went off. Paul Ward looked sharp after his introduction and McIlroy took a few nice scores.

What about the announcer at the Lisnaskea! She wasnt exactly a fluent Irish speaker

Also..was any one else charged £1-50 for a match program that "price £1" printed on the front and inside had the wrong team listed--also had a league table that said Ferm had yet to play a league game and also had a loose sheet of paper inside with the "correct team line-ups" (even these were corrected by our fluent Irish gael over the tannoy)

Classy touch when the anthem stopped working after the first word and started again mid-way through!!

Fermanagh were workmanlike and efficient with their possession and i wish them well!

[Teeling Gael]

As a st molaise gaels man it pains to me to say this. We have 2 players on senior panel but watching the u21s there are far better players not on the panel from bigger clubs. Gilmartin, Gaughan, coen, ogrady and henry. Doesnt really make sense to me.

Think its a fair point Sligonian. Would always have considered both the St Mholaises Gaels guys as backs rather than forwards also despite their U21 positioning. One of my difficulties with the senior setup this season is actually with the selectors. Cant understand how you can change manager and yet keep the same selectors that existed under the previous regime. This is no reflection on the selectors who I believe were pivotial last summer but to me it is football suicide to change managers but keep the same selectors. To circle my point , i think the Mholaises Gaels players made the senior squad on the back of good performances with the County Junior team last summer under last years regime.

Finally , on a previous thread , a Mayo poster posed the question " Has Tommy Jordan been found out ? ". Think its a fair question. Hopefully this is just our traditional early season form coupled with a later than most counties training start but by Castlebar in June ( hopefully) , the Mayo faithful will be calling on his appointment as Mayo manager. However dont think the sideline has been particuliarily good to date during the league and Jordan did get this job on the back of Crossmolinas success .That was backboned around 2 of the most gifted players of their generation nationally and a fistful of inter county players to boot so at this moment in time its a fair point to query Jordans ability at this level also.

[inisceithleann]

Hope ferm win this weekend--they played some nice football in skea on sat although Limerick were as poor as i have seen--desperate.

Mark Little and Eamon Maguire never stopped and covered every inch of the pitch. McCluskey was v. good, Lyons tight enough and Murphy great before he went off. Paul Ward looked sharp after his introduction and McIlroy took a few nice scores.

What about the announcer at the Lisnaskea! She wasnt exactly a fluent Irish speaker

Also..was any one else charged £1-50 for a match program that "price £1" printed on the front and inside had the wrong team listed--also had a league table that said Ferm had yet to play a league game and also had a loose sheet of paper inside with the "correct team line-ups" (even these were corrected by our fluent Irish gael over the tannoy)

Classy touch when the anthem stopped working after the first word and started again mid-way through!!

Fermanagh were workmanlike and efficient with their possession and i wish them well!

We are an amateur organisation, and the county board didn't let us down on Saturday. The treatment of the anthem is always a disgrace at many grounds including Skea on Saturday. As for the Fermanagh PRO, she switched between English and Irish in the same sentence. It's not really a criticism, but if you don't speak Irish don't try and use it. It sounded awful.

[tintin25]

Fermanagh should really beat Sligo judging by performances to date but I'd be worried that Sligo's need is greater to win this game than ours.... and has been pointed out already we don't handle the favourites tag too well. I see Lyons has be used at FB now, possibly the ready replacement should Owens not feature this year? (What is the situation with Owens anyway?). I take it that Paddy Mohan didn't really do enough to take the FB slot? Why wasn't Keenan playing on Sat?

[FermPundit]

Fermanagh should really beat Sligo judging by performances to date but I'd be worried that Sligo's need is greater to win this game than ours.... and has been pointed out already we don't handle the favourites tag too well. I see Lyons has be used at FB now, possibly the ready replacement should Owens not feature this year? (What is the situation with Owens anyway?). I take it that Paddy Mohan didn't really do enough to take the FB slot? Why wasn't Keenan playing on Sat?

Paddy Mohan started most of the McKenna cup games at full back but as far as I know he hasn't featured in the NFL so far. I think he's a decent player but he might just lack a yard of pace for inter county level. He marked Paddy Bradley in the McKenna cup semi final and did extremely well so I wouldnt rule him out as an option at full back just yet. We need a strong squad and options for every position is essential. Shane Lyons had a great game on Saturday and barring injury or loss of form he appears to have nailed down the full back position. I'm not 100% sure regarding the fitness of Barry Owens. He's a massive loss to the team but his health comes first and I'm sure he'll only return once he gets the all clear from the doctors.

I haven't a clue why Mattie Keenan wasn't starting at the weekend but he's bound to have been injured to have not featured at all. I was impressed with the performance of James Sherry at midfield. If he stays injury free I believe he's a great addition to the team. When Marty returns from suspension he's likely to partner Womble in midfield. As a result I reckon Sherry should be tried at full forward or even leave Sherry at midfield and try Marty on the edge of the sqaure. Johnny McGurn and McBarron have struggled at this position so I think we still need to look at alternative options.

Regarding the set-up in Skea at the weekend I was also shocked to see the admission fee rise from £8 to £10 within just one week and don't get me started on the programmes. This simply isn't good enough. The sooner we get back to Brewster park and get a bit of organisation and consistency back in place the better!

[SLIGONIAN]

Ive heard that O Hara appeal on sending off was successful which makes him eligible for fermanagh. Need to get this confirmed as its only a rumour at the min. But a welcome one if true.

Any other Sligo lads hear anything?

[magpie seanie]

O'Hara's red card was overturned on video evidence which is great news. Its just a pity that little pup that lay down to get him sent off (before getting a standing ovation for that) won't be punished. A big boost for our lads going into such a crunch tie. Hopefully we got O'Neill and Phillips involved in the action too as well as Davey and that alone will make us considerably better than we were the last day.

[jjjshabadoojnr]

Good news alright MS. Something has to be done about this blatant body check tackle in Gaelic football when the man in possession offloads and goes to re-recieve. O'Hara has been a victim of this allthrough his career and it seems to wind him up when these lads go unpunished. Could not make Carrick, but heard something along those lines happened, ie he took out the man before he could be body checked and the man went down like a woman.  Heading to Kiltoom tomorrow, hopefully the young lads can show the same grit and determination as against Galway. I am hoping for a serious backlash from the seniors against Fermanagh. Hope they have the fire back in the belly. Dont want Louth away ending up as a do or die game!

[ExiledGael]

High-flying Fermanagh have made four changes from the side that beat Limerick last time out for Sunday's NFL meeting with Sligo.
Fergal Murphy replaces Chris Breen in goal, Declan O'Reilly takes over from Niall Bogue at left corner back, while Ciaran McElroy and Paul Ward are named in attack in place of Matthew Keenan and Patrick Cadden.
Fermanagh (SF v Sligo): F Murphy; S Goan, S Lyons, D O'Reilly; D Kelly, R McCluskey, T McElroy; M Murphy, J Sherry; C McElroy, S Doherty, M Little; P Ward, J McGurn, E Maguire.

Know nothing on the O'Hara incident but it will be a good challenge for our quite inexperienced midfield duo to control him, glad to see him play.
Good enough looking side again for Fermanagh. Glad to see Doc getting achance at centre half as he's struggled on the wing of late but it's unfair to judge him out of position. Paul Ward deserves his chance for his club form, though he's another forward in the Fermanagh mould, small, nimble and pacey. McGurn needs to put in a performance soon, haven't been impressed with him since he scored 0-4 in Kerry two years ago. A lot of people in the county have been calling for him to be included, put up or shut up time. He could be the powerful forward we need up there, but I have my doubts. Fermanagh to win, just.

[SLIGONIAN]

Ya thats great news alright. I honestly didnt think hed get off (given the amount of reds he gets) but fair play to CB must of put up a good case. That one decision could be the difference in us staying up or not. Now we have some chance.

Although Id agree to have phillips or oneill in CHB but can the management be stupid enough to put mcnamara in there AGAIN???

Huge weekend for Sligo football. Massive game tomorrow. This is a very strong Rosscommon team, with shine, cregg, kenny etc it will be great result if we can beat them, on the seniors I havnt a clue how we will do. What Sligo will turn up? Louth are strong at home and longford away aswell. We must win. The inconsistency is huge worry.