Ian Dwyer of Warwickshire in action against Rory Porteous of Fermanagh during the Allianz Hurling League Division 3B Final match between Fermanagh and Warwickshire at St Joseph's Park in Ederney, Fermanagh. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile.
Allianz Hurling League Division 3B Final
Fermanagh 1-13 Warwickshire 1-18
By Fionn Nolan at St Joseph’s Ederney
Warwickshire claimed this year's Division 3B Final with a five-point win over Fermanagh at St Joseph’s in Ederney. Tony Joyce’s side took in a three-point lead at halftime and managed to extend it, scoring a goal of their own through Luke Hands after Danann McKeogh’s first-half strike.
David Devine and Kevin McKernan led the scoring for the visitors to seal a famous win. Sunday’s affair began half an hour late due to Warwickshire’s bus breaking down en route and they found themselves two points behind early on when the game eventually got going.
Points from Luca McCusker and Brian Teehan opened the scoring but the away side hit back with scores from David Devine and Ian Dwyer, with Kevin McKernan’s sideline then putting the English side in front. McCusker and McKernan then traded frees as Luke Hands, another McKernan free and an Eamonn Brannigan point from play made it 0-7 to 0-3 after 20 minutes.
Points from Devine and Grealish pushed Warwickshire further ahead with Devine pointing from a free after Daniel Teague saw yellow for bringing down his man.
Sean Corrigan added a much-needed point for Fermanagh heading into the closing stages of the first as he responded to another Devine point. Devine tagged on another score but the Erne side struck back with a goal as a breakaway move saw Teehan find Dannan McKeogh who drilled low and hard into the Warwickshire net to leave the halftime score at 0-12 to 1-5.
Fermanagh again grabbed the opening two scores through Teague and Tom Keenan. McKeogh and Devine traded scores before a vital passage of the game saw Warwickshire find the net.
Dan Lowry’s point was followed by a long ball in from McKernan that was flicked on into the goal by Hands to make it 1-15 to 1-8 almost 15 minutes in the second half. Ciarán Duffy and McCusker clawed back some of the deficit, however, Grealish stroked over a free from range with Devine adding another from play.
Teague responded with a free from his own half and a final point from sub Jimmy Tormey wasn’t enough as Warwickshire claimed the win in front of Fermanagh’s supporters in Ederney.
Scorers for Fermanagh: Luca McCusker 0-5 (3 frees), Dannan McKeogh 1-1 (1 free), Brian Teehan 0-1, Sean Corrigan 0-1, Dan Teague 0-2 (1 65’, 1 free), Tom Keenan 0-1, Ciarán Duffy 0-1, Jimmy Tormey 0-1
Scorers for Warwickshire: David Devine 0-7 (5 frees), Kevin McKernan 0-4 (1 SL, 1 free), Luke Hands 1-1, Eamonn Brannigan 0-2, Jack Grealish 0-2, Dan Lowry 0-1, Ian Dwyer 0-1
Fermanagh: Mark Curry, Seán McKendry, Rory Porteous, Ciarán Duffy, Ronan McGurn, Ryan Bogue, Daniel Teague, Caolan Duffy, Ben Corrigan, Danann McKeogh, Brian Teehan, Luca McCusker, Tom Keenan, Thomas Duane, Seán Corrigan. Subs: Chris McKiernan for Mark Curry (HT), John Paul McGarry for Thomas Duane (48), Jimmy Tormey for Danann McKeogh (56’)
Warwickshire: Conor Cummins, Alex Hanley, Daniel Ryan, Noel Lenehan, Oisín Slattery, Ciarán McKeague, Joe O’Connor, Kevin McKiernan, Eamonn Brannigan, Dan Lowry, Jack Grealish, David Devine, Kelvin Magee, Ian Dwyer, Luke Hands. Subs: Robbie Duggan for Luke Hands (63)
Referee: Conor Daly (Kildare)