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[Quarter Finals]

Lisnaskea 1-14 1-9 Derrygonnelly

Quarter Finals
Roslea v Newtownbutler
Teemore v St Josephs
Tempo v Enniskillen
Lisnaskea v Devenish

Devenish 0-16 Erne Gaels 1-6
Teemore 1-7 Belcoo 0-9

Teemore getting beat is a huge surprise.
Good to see that Belnaleck get a point but Aughadrumasee  are probably the worst side in division 2.
Will this mean that there is no fermanagh team in the Ulster Junior championship this year??
Surely it would be an idea to have the losers in the first round of the intermediate play off for the junior championship in a knock out event.
Cannot believe that Tempo got beat by St Josephs especially with the number of good club players that St Josephs have lost this year due to emigration.

Ederney have lost a few but Ferris coming back is a huge lift for them. They'll be badly hit by the couple of suspensions they are likely to get though

Does the current management actually know how disillusioned supporters are?

Hopefully it's all a masterplan to lull Derry into a false sense of security

I think McGinnity's job with the county board means he can't go for the senior manager job. I could be mistaken in that though. Chapman would be a big risk in my opinion unless he got a good experienced trainer in with him. I hear he's an excellent motivator but wouldn't be the best tactically.

With a handle like Emmet I knew you'd be going for Peter Clarke !!! No doubt he's done a great job this year but do you think he'd be interested ?? There's already a perceived bias towards Lisnaskea in the county set up by a number of supporters though and that wouldn't be helped by the arrival of Clarke.

I'm not advocating the removal of O'Neill mid season but I believe that the next time we appoint a manager we need to go for an outsider. One who has no baggage or history with the players therefore freeing himself from the personality and club disputes which have dogged us over the last few years.

[Mark Little]

From the local thread, here's an alternative line up of players missing for reasons that include injury, lack of commitment, soccer commitments and club v county disputes. We just cannot afford that.
Ronan Gallagher
Shane Goan
Shane McDermott
Rory Foy
Damien Kelly
Ryan McCluskey
Daniel Ward
Mark Murphy
Ryan Carson
Shane McCabe
Ryan Keenan
Ciaran McElroy
Daryl Keenan
Seamie Quigley
Eamon Maguire

Shane McDermott is the only outfield player over 30, Ciaran McElroy and Clucker probably 30 exactly.

Another player that could be added to that side would be Shaun Doherty. There seems to be a big issue with players not wanting to play under the current management setup. Martin McGrath should be back towards the end of the league. Mark Little has now left the panel as well. To describe it as a mess would be a huge understatement.

And this is news because.  Little has left the panel for both his club and county on several occassions in the last couple of years

This is news because it is another proven county player that has left a thread-bare panel. It is a shambles, a shame and an embarassment. I don't normally advocate sacking a manager so soon it to his reign but I would not be unhappy to see JON gone if it meant 4 or 5 players were to return and be committed to the cause. I know it could be stated that if the players are committed they would be there in the first place but its very hard to play or work under management that you do not like or rate.

Just out of curiosity who would you advocate as a replacement ?? I don't know if there are many out there who would be willing to take it.

Jimmy, half the lads you mention from 03 are not Enniskillen men, I take it you know that. Anyways, it's certainly good to have a winning mentality on any team, maybe part of the reason Antrim's resurgence is down to the Galls men and Armagh have been riding high on the back of the Cross team... I just think the talent pool is not there at the moment

Sammy I was just naming the lads who had featured in 03 but not in 04 regardless of their club. I'd hate you to think that I'm a Gaels man !!!

Anyhows Fermanagh is a team which needs to maximise its playing resources in order to compete at the top of the table. Under O'Neilll it just isn't happening but to be fair to him alot of the players named in the team Exiled Gael quoted are the lads which landed Fermanagh in Division 4 in the first place

best players in st micks are usually from tyrone

I'd say we'd be happy to annex Trillick to get Mattie Donnelly full forward for the next few years.

Point taken about the lack of Gaels players in the 04 team but my arguement is that their county players in the previous years were part of the reason that Fermanagh managed to shed their inferioity complex in those years. Maybe 04 was a freak year but it stands to sense that considering the huge pick that the Gaels have, a strong Enniskillen team would/should benefit the county team.

04 was a mad year for so many reasons. Expectations were shocking low at the start of the season. From the team which had featured in the 03 quarter finals Paul Brewster, Neil Cox, Kieran Donnelly, Kieran Gallagher, Raymie Gallagher, Ronan Gallagher, Niall Keenan, Micky Lilly and Ronan McCabe were, for one reason or another, all missing come Championship time. Rory Gallagher was in the middle of his sabbatical as well and Tom Brewster was only half fit. We'd an underwhelming league campaign, Mulgrew wasn't highly rated at all and we hardly had a fit keeper in the county. Everyone was expecting a hammering against Tyrone 1st day out.

Turned out it was our greatest summer ever. Unheralded lads like Bogue, Raymie Johnston, Little and Eamon Maguire were just outstanding. Owens, Stevie Maguire and McGrath led brilliantly.  What we've give for those days now. Imagine us heading down to Croke Park and beating Cork by 6/7 points again !!

Fair enough the Fermanagh management haven't exactly covered themselves in glory this year but the simple crux of the problem is that we simply don't have the players at the minute.

Fermanagh have been punching above their weight for the last 15 years or so and have now slowly returned to the level they were at in the late 80's.

The defence isn't too bad but there is a serious lack of midfielders and forwards coming through.

Any new forward we have developed over the last number of years have tended to be very similar, ie small and nippy like Ward, O'Brien, Corrigan etc.

We haven't had a top class target man since Stephen Maguire and although Seamus Quigley could turn into that player he doesn't appear at the minute to have the discipline required to be a top class inter county player.

Midfield is a huge problem. We have been getting wiped out there in the last number of years and we don't seem to be developing any 'big men' in the county anymore. The loss of Mark Murphy to emmigration has turned out to be a massive on. He was the sort of player who did all the unnoticed donkey work and has been sorely missed.

There aint much talent coming through. We had only about 5 or 6 representives altogether on the Ulster universities' McKenna Cup panels and we haven't won a game in minor for at least 5 or 6 years. Even through the lean years we have always had at least one top class talent in the team ie McGinnity, the Gallaghers etc but we have noone currently approaching that level.

Another problem I believe has been the lack of success of the Enniskillen Gaels team. Gaels have by far the biggest pick of any team in Fermanagh but have been in the doledrums for the last 5 years or so. The upturn in Fermanagh's fortunes at the end of the 90's and start of the 00's coincided with the Gaels team which won 6 championships in a row and who probably should have lifted an Ulster Club title. Although not all about in 04, the likes of the Brewsters, Bradleys, Neil Cox, Raymie Curran, Ronan McCabe, Ryan McCluskey etc etc  brought a different attitude into the Fermanagh dressing room. They were lads who went out and expected to win and this positively affected the lads around them.

It could be a long time before we get back to the top table. The days of National League and All Ireland Semi Finals seem like a long way away.

Fermanagh SFC - New York Gold Cup

According to the Devenish GFC website - Originally the New York Gold Cup was presented by the Fermanagh Men's Association of New York in 1949 to the Irvinestown grounds committee to be competed for with the proceeds going to St. Molaise park. However owing to the trophies magnificence the committee felt they should put it up for the cup for the Senior Football Championship.

FOOTBALL based on last years championships.

ANTRIM - Straight Knock Out
ARMAGH - Straight Knock Out
CARLOW - 2 Groups of 6. Winners into semi finals and 2nd in Gp A play 3rd in Gp B and vice versa in the quarter finals.
CAVAN - 4 groups of 4. Top 2 in each go into quarter finals.
CLARE - 4 groups of 4. Top 2 in each go into quarter finals.
CORK - 16 club teams knock out 1st rd with 8 losers going into backdoor system. 2nd and 3rd rounds are backdoor knock out system. In 4th Rd 8 winners from Rd 1 play against 6 teams that came through backdoor plus 2 divisional/university qualifiers. Divsion/Universities have their own separate knock out system. Straight knock out from 4th Rd onwards.
DERRY - 16 teams knock out in 1st rd. Backdoor system for teams beaten in rounds 1 and 2.
DONEGAL - 16 teams have a home/away 2 legged 1st rd before normal KO system from quarter final onwards.
DOWN - Straight Knock Out
DUBLIN - 30 teams knock out 1st rd. Backdoor system for teams beaten in rounds 1 and 2.
FERMANAGH - Straight Knock Out
GALWAY - 20 team knock in Rd one. Backdoor system for teams beaten in Round 1.
KERRY - 20 team knock in Rd one. Backdoor system for teams beaten in Round 1. Includes 9 divisional teams.
KILDARE - 16 teams in a single group. Each team plays 4 matches and top 8 teams qualify for the quarter finals.
KILKENNY - Straight Knock Out
LAOIS - 16 teams knock out in 1st rd. Backdoor system for teams beaten in rounds 1 and 2.
LEITRIM - 4 groups of 3. Top 2 in each go into quarter finals.
LIMERICK - 2 Groups of 6. Winners into semi finals and 2nd in Gp A play 3rd in Gp B and vice versa in the quarter finals.
LONDON - 2 groups of 4. Top 2 in each go into semi finals.
LONGFORD - 3 groups of 4. 1 group of 3. Top 2 in each go into quarter finals.
LOUTH - 4 groups of 3. Top 2 in each go into quarter finals.
MAYO - 3 groups of 4. 1 group of 5. Top 2 in each go into quarter finals.
MEATH - 2 groups of 6. 1 group of 5. Top 3 in 6 team groups and top 2 in 5 team group into the quarter finals.
MONAGHAN - 10 teams in Ko format. Backdoor system for teams beaten in early rounds
OFFALY - 2 groups of 6. Top 4 in each go into quarter finals.
ROSCOMMON - 4 groups of 3. Top 2 in each go into quarter finals.
SLIGO - 4 groups of 3. Top 2 in each go into quarter finals.
TIPPERARY - KO system until 4 teams left. 4 teams then play winners of North, South, West and Mid divisional championships in quarter finals
TYRONE - Straight Knock Out
WATERFORD - 3 groups of 4. Top 2 in each group and 2 best 3rd place teams into the quarter finals.
WESTMEATH - 2 Groups of 6. Winners into semi finals and 2nd in Gp A play 3rd in Gp B and vice versa in the quarter finals.
WEXFORD - 4 groups of 4. Top 2 in each go into quarter finals.
WICKLOW - 4 groups of 4. Top 2 in each go into quarter finals.

Still no word of a full McKenna cup panel yet which is a bit strange. How many are playing for the colleges this year ?

Been keeping a low profile FG

As always in Fermanagh the backs aren't the problem. Pick 6 from Owens, McDermott, P Sherry, O'Brien, McCluskey, Ward, McElroy, Kelly, O'Brien and Mulrone and you have a decent defence. I also think John Woods could make a go of it if given more opportunities. Rory Foy if the attitude is right is an exceptional talent

Midfield is a problem. James Sherry can be a collossus on his day but you never what to get from him. Ryan Jones will be the answer long term but he's still only 19/20 (didn't stop Aidan Walsh though) Marty's injuries have affected him badly. He should take a year out to fully recover and extend his career by a few seasons. As I said earlier I think St Pat's Cosgrove is a great fielder but he needs to bulk up a bit. It's a pity that Mark Murphy wasn't available again, thought he was very underrated when he played.

Up front is the biggest concern. We just haven't been putting up scores at all in the last few years. Maybe a benefit of playing Division 4 will be the forwards getting their confidence up. Quigley will be key but we all know the baggage that he brings. If Maguire and Little are both available they'll make hay in that league. I wish Little would play more like he did when he first came onto the scene. Being asked to play in a withdrawn position has seriously curtailed his flair. Back in 2004 the sight of him jinking round half backs twice his size was a joy to behold. Carson will do well in the division but he needs to vary his game more, every full back in Ulster knows about his solo dummy and how he comes in on his left foot now. Ward did well last year and his speed is serious but like a few others though he needs to bulk up a bit. Chris O'Brien has great potential too, he's lightning qucik and has  a bit of divil in him. Anyone who watched him in the U21 game in Derry last year can testify to his talent. As for those who can come in from outside last years panel, I definitely think Shaun Doherty still has plenty to offer. Paul McCusker has had a great season for Ederney and Liam Lynch and Quigley junior from Roslea definitely worth a look.

Can you see anyone else getting a call up ?

It was all fairly low key. People in the county probably favoured Peter McGinnity for the job but as he is employed by the county board that was never going to happen.

It was clear from the outset that it was going to be an internal appointment. 3 names, O'Neill, Darren Chapman (current manger of Mullahoran and manager when Newtownbutler won the SFC) and Sean Maguire (St Pat's manager when they won the SFC) were nominated by the clubs. Dom Corrigan's name was put forward by the players but as no club nominated him he was excluded from the race. It was always going to be between O'Neill and Chapman and Chapman may well have been considered too young for the job. He'll probably be next in line when the job comes up again though. Saying that O'Neill doesn't have much club management experience but he was over the minors when they got to the Ulster final a number of years ago.

It's fair to say that expectations aren't very high in the county at the minute but the same can be said about the year Charlie Mulgrew was appointed. Mulgrew had far better players at his disposal though. As O'Neill has Simon Bradley on his ticket he should get Ryan McCluskey out for another year. Barry Owens is back playing club football again but it's difficult to imagine Marty McGrath will be fully fit next season.

As FermGael says it's imperative that Eamonn Maguire comes back in. McDermott is still the best centre back in the county but the travelling and his age will go against him coming back. In midfield Cosgrove is a great fielder but is still a bit light for county level. I'd say a couple more of the Roslea lads will come into the panel next year and of course getting the best out of Quigley the elder will probably be O'Neill's greatest challenge.

A fella playing for Irvinestown in the programme last week collided with a post at the side of the pitch during the match.
Turns out he needed over 100 stiches in the wound. Couldn't believe that they didn't even mention it in the programme.