Fermanagh Football & Hurling

[sidestep]

 
can't understand how wee doc and phildy don't make that list
two of the most gifted players to take the field in fermanagh

[FermPundit]

can't understand how wee doc and phildy don't make that list
two of the most gifted players to take the field in fermanagh

Excuse my ignorance, but who is wee doc and phildy??

[keeping an eye on things]

I think sidestep is referring to Eamon Doherty (wee Doc) and Aidran Campbell (phildy).  Eamon was the first man to captain Tempo to championship success in the early 70's and Phildy was probably the most talented player on that team that went on to further league and championship success (unfortunately no Tempo teams have managed this feat since!!!).  They probably weren't included as I think (sidestep might be able to put me right on this !!) they only played for Fermanagh at underage level up to under-21, like I said not 100% on this!  Phildy is a brother of Ciaran the full-back on the '82 Ulster final team

[Caid]

I think I heard Peter Quinn say one time that Adrian Campbell was the msot talented footballer he played against

[FermPundit]

I think I heard Peter Quinn say one time that Adrian Campbell was the msot talented footballer he played against

How come he didn't play for Fermanagh at senior level?

[keeping an eye on things]

How come he didn't play for Fermanagh at senior level?
[/quote]

Not a 100% sure on this but think it was because he moved to America.  From all accounts he was a tremendously naturally talented player, who would have been the creative drive of that successful team in the '70s.  Also if rumour is to be believed he new how to have a good time when not playing, however, think he did play for Fermanagh seniors but not for a lengthy spell due to emigration.

[Fermanaghandsam]

Anybody going to Cork this weekend??

Its will be very tough to get anything from this game, but heres hoping!!!!

[FermPundit]

Anybody going to Cork this weekend??

Its will be very tough to get anything from this game, but heres hoping!!!!

Yeah, heading down to Cork tomorrow morning. This is an extremely difficult game of Fermanagh but at the same time no one expects them to get a win, so the pressure is off. In the last league game against Meath, Marty McGrath made a big difference in midfield. In his holding role, he allowed James Sherry to move forward. This is a role Sherry feels more comfortable with. Up front, Shane O'Brien has shown moments of real quality. However, other players such as Enda Ferris and Seamus Ryder need to make bigger contributions. Both players inexperienced at this level, so lets hope they improve as they year goes on.

Overall, I think Fermanagh have a chance of causing an upset on Sunday but I would expect Cork to win by 5 points.

[Caid]

Well FP - how was todays performance and the Cork trip?

I see Daryl Keenan scored - how did he play?

[FermPundit]

Well FP - how was todays performance and the Cork trip?

I see Daryl Keenan scored - how did he play?

Great weekend, Caid. The journey back up the road today was tough going but the trip was well worth it.

There was about 200 Fermanagh people down for the game.

Daryl came on for his bro in the second half and he played really well. He scored two points, one with each foot.

The overall performance today wasn't too bad but we still have the inability to convert possession into points on the score board.

[Caid]

BY DAMIAN CAMPBELL

CORK ..................................... 0-10

FERMANAGH ........................... 0-7


Fermanagh slipped to their second defeat in the league when they had a fruitless journey to Pairc Ui Chaoimh, losing out by three points to home side Cork.

This away tie always had the appearance of being one of the toughest assignments that the Erne side would have to face, the league record against the Rebel county not good, but by the time that the interval was reached, Fermanagh had certainly put themselves into a very promising position.

So much so that a win was on the cards for despite facing into the breeze they had more than held their own, going in at the break trailing by just a point on a scoreline of five to four.

An upset in the making but unhappily for Fermanagh they found themselves unable to push on from that and they failed to maintain the brisk and purposeful approach that had served them well over the opening thirty five minutes.

That approach had seen them play an intelligent brand of cohesive football, ever present support for the man in possession as the ball was worked forward out of defence.

But a greater mix in the style of play would perhaps have paid better dividends and the team failed to build on what had been an encouraging first half performance for this was a game which might have been won.

Cork increasingly took a command of matters and they were to be the stronger side from there on though they were never to edge themselves into what could be called a comfortable position. With just a slender gap always separating the sides, Cork only momentarily managed the insurance four point margin, the game could always have served up a surprise Fermanagh goal.

And a drawn tie would have been a tremendously good result for Fermanagh. But the outcome was a defeat, though a lot of encouragement can be taken from the seventy minutes.

Getting anything here would have been a major bonus. Instead there was the fact that the team was always in the chase against one of the division's presumed strongest sides and Fermanagh can now look with reasonable confidence to collecting a better return in the remaining four ties, beginning with next Saturday night's clash in Brewster Park with Armagh.

It was Cork who made the initial running and they had early scores from Donncha O'Connor but Fermanagh bounced back with scores from James Sherry and from advancing half back Thomas McElroy to tie matters up on eleven minutes.

The trend of the opening half had been set and there was little to separate the teams with Fermanagh looking comfortable on the ball as they played with fluent precision. Not a lot by way of scoring from either side but Fermanagh did come very close indeed to snatching what would have been a huge score.

Defender Shane Goan made headway beyond the half way line and eventually the centre came in to full forward Seamus Ryder whose fisted attempt was somehow clawed away to safety by full back Noel O'Donovan.

O'Donovan had earlier been foraging himself as he knocked over a 16th minute point for the home side who at this stage were finding it all a bit of a struggle against an Erne opposition who had settled down well to the business in hand.

Shane O'Brien was to shoot two Fermanagh points, one from a close in free, the other a finely judged effort from open play out on the wing and Fermanagh were clearly in this game with every prospect of pulling off an upset.

Cork, despite the promptings of their talismatic centre back Graham Canty, were laboured though they did edge the interval lead with a pointed free from Conor McCarthy as the interval approached.

Just a point adrift, Fermanagh had to be optimistic as the game resumed, but the push never materialised and it was Cork who stepped up the tempo of their performance. They strode through for a three point haul, scores from Daniel Goulding (free), substitute Paul Kerrigan and Donncha O'Connor putting them four in front on the fifty minute mark.

Cork were now the sturdier side but they weren't in sufficient command to make it an anxiety free closing spell.

The introduction of Daryl Keenan gave the Fermanagh attack an injection of fresh pep and Keenan was to mark his presence with a two point return. Shane O'Brien also popped over a free and at one stage the lead had been trimmed down to a mere two points.

Cork might well have put the game beyond doubt when a defensive misunderstanding in the Fermanagh defence saw a great chance fall to Paul O'Flynn but Hugh Brady managed to rescue the situation with a goal line clearance.

So it remained in the balance, the possibility of a snap Fermanagh goal, keeping the issue alive and the Cork support ill at ease.

Final score of the game did go to the concerned home side, John Hayes steering over the team's tenth point of the afternoon and Fermanagh were once again left to seek out a match saving goal but the opportunity to collect it was never seriously threatened.

Cork have picked up five points from six and are on course for promotion, Fermanagh with just two from six are now in the relegation zone but they will have been heartened by the way that they pressed Cork at this away venue.

Back on home soil next Saturday with familiar foe Armagh the visitors, Fermanagh can genuinely anticipate a victory that would mean survival in this ultra competitive league is well within reach.

[gaahead2008]

What's your views on tomorrow night u21 match? are you quietly confident?
there's a good feeling in down for this one, I think we might just edge it!!

[ExiledGael]

Not much going on in here lately, but it's not hard to see why. U21s beat last week and the seniors beaten every week. Don't suppose anyone was down in Laois? Seems to be conflicting reports as to who scored the goal, Daryl Keenan or Ferris.
Anyway that must have been a second second quarter to the game to concede something like nine points on the spin?
Conceding 23 points in any game is brutal and not like us but I really think we can take something from Kildare this week.
Apparently Marty was yellow carded again, doesn't that mean he now faces a suspension?
He'd be a huge loss against a very tough Kildare side. Ryder doesn't seem to feature much now but Shane O'Brien and Daryl Keenan will now almost certainly be on the Championship squad. Good to see Bogue back playing, wonder how far away Owens is now.
McCluskey still has maybe two months of action with Portadown to play and McCabe nearly the same. Would be a terribel blow to fall straight back into Division Three, it's a real gluepit as Down are proving.
Don't feel too confident for the year ahead but there's always hope when the ground hardens.

[Erne Gael]

I wasn't at the game butI think it was ferris who set up the goal.
marty was sent off again meaning two yellows in as many weeks meaning 1 match ban.
The forwards recorded their highest score in quite a while then to concede 23 points does not help.
I wonder should mal have started the players that came on as the scored 8 points between them
(m little 3, c mcelroy 3, r keenan 1, d kelly 1)

[Erne Man]

Made the trip to Portlaoise on Saturday to see the worst Fermanagh performance in a long time. Totally off the pace in all sectors of the field, and given a complete run around by to be fair, an average Laois team. Without wanting to go into a lot of detail - Laois cleaned up around the middle of the field, where Clancy was excellent, and in Munnelly and Tierney they had 2 excellent forwards. Tierney was outstanding and gave both Goan and Jones the runaround - he reminded me of a young Raymie Gallagher - all left foot but a real class act.

Don't know what happened - although we were in the game up until about the 20minute mark we were always way off the pace. Laois play a very open brand of football and used the big pitch to absolutely tear us apart - we were opened up so many times, and if they had really been clinical could probably have had 2or3 goals, but instead settled for a multitude of  points.

Our defence was atrocious - even reliable heads like Lyons and Goan were well short. We were second to the ball, made the wrong decisions and gave away a serious amount of ball. Where Laois had yards of space - our frowards were standing on top of each other. Blobby again impressed me at full-forward, but unfortunately our captains continued poor discipline deprives him of a full 70mins in there. Eamon was ok - but the quality of ball coming in was dreadful. The one thing that struck me on Saturday when looking at how Laois created space, and used their pacy players - we have no pace whatsoever in the forward line outside of Eamon - which could be our downfall come the summer.
The other annoying aspect was that we knew how Laois would play (there is ony one way they play) - yet our management team were scratching their heads after 15mins pondering changes. To be fair to them though - we were beaten in every position so making changes was going to be very difficult.
The 6point defeat doesn't tell the whole story as Laois were 10 up in the last few minutes, and took the foot of the gas, allowing McElroy and Little in for scores.
Worried about Kildare at the weekend - but to be honest I think that defeat has sealed our fate in Division 3 for next year. McGrath's suspension means that we will probably not have Blobby at full forward - which for me has been one of the positives from the last 2 games. Peter Sherry picked up a bad injury, and was replaced by Bogue who looked lively - and I would start him on sunday. Little and McElroy will probably start as well - and although O'Brien was poor, he deserves a chance again.
I would go with
Gallagher
Bogue
Brady
Goan
Kelly
Lyons
Foy/Johnson
McDermott
Sherry
Little
T McElroy
O'Brien
Maguire
Carson
D Keenan/McElroy