Fermanagh senior football team manager Kieran Donnelly. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Tailteann Cup Group Three
Fermanagh 1-13 Carlow 0-13
By Kieran Murphy at Netwatch Cullen Park
This was a hard-earned second round Tailteann Cup victory for Fermanagh, who are safely into the knockout stages of the competition with a bit to spare now.
Ché Cullen and Declan McCusker both scored scores in the opening minutes. If this was a sign that they were making an emphatic statement, that turned out not to be the case. A white flag a-piece from Ross Dunphy and Darragh Foley (free) for Carlow levelled matters and it was a tough affair from there to the end.
Fermanagh conceded the kick-out and absorbed Carlow’s best efforts from deep. Another Cullen point restored Fermanagh’s lead but a series of wides under pressure from a hard-fighting home defence kept the visitors from making little impact on the scoreboard.
In the first half, Carlow defenders, Mikey Bambrick and Jamie Clarke both raised white flags to keep the home side in touch. Eric Molloy also had a goal chance, but the Fermanagh defence did well to get in the block.
Minutes before the interval, Fermanagh’s Sean Cassidy found Conor McShea who treaded his way through and found the net from close range.
The second half continued much the same as the first with both sides making errors, but also picking off some nice scores.
The visitors substitutes made a big impact with Conor Love, Jonathan Cassidy and Darragh McGurn all picking off some good points. Darragh Foley’s free-taking kept the home side in touch but Jamie Clarke and Cormac Lomax both pointed in the second period.
When the visitors were caught on the break, Carlow counter-attacked, but Fermanagh did well to get numbers back and a possible goal for the home side was prevented.
Every time Carlow got back at Fermanagh to bring the game down to a two-point margin, the visitors' were able to hit back for another score. The eventual winners were never convincing but they just about did enough to keep Carlow at a distance.
In quick succession, Conor Love with two points and one each from Jonathan Cassidy and Darragh McGurn kept Fermanagh on the front foot.
In injury time, Carlow poured everything into hopes of securing an unlikely match saving goal, but with bodies all over the place, space was at a premium Fermanagh maintained a tenuous grip on the game and were mightily relieved to hear the full-time whistle.
Scorers for Fermanagh: Conor McShea 1-0, Conor Love (1f), Ché Cullen, Ultán Kelm, Josh Largo Elis 0-2 each, Declan McCusker, Jonathan Cassidy, Darragh McGurn, Shane McGullion, Fionan O’Brien 0-1each
Scorers for Carlow: Darragh Foley 0-6 (5fs), Jamie Clarke 0-2, Mikey Bambrick, Ross Dunphy, Aaron Amond, Cormac Lomax, Ciaran Moran 0-1each.
Fermanagh: Sean McNally; Lee Cullen, Ché Cullen, Jonathan Cassidy; Declan McCusker, Shane McGullion, Josh Largo Elis; Brandon Horan, Joe McDade; Callum Jones, Conor McShea, Fionan O’Brien; Ultán Kelm, Garvan Jones, Sean Cassidy.
Subs: Ronan McCaffrey for C Jones (31), Conor Love for G Jones (47), Darragh McGurn for S Cassidy (58), Aidan Breen for Horan (65).
Carlow: Johnny Furey; Colin Byrne, Mark Furey, Eric Molloy; Mikey Bambrick, Jamie Clarke, Colm Hulton; Conor Doyle, Ross Dunphy; Aaron Amond, Paddy McDonnell, Conor Crowley; Liam Gavin, Darragh Foley, Cormac Lomax.
Subs: Kevin Murphy for Gavin (49), Niall Hickey for Lomax (55), John Phiri for Hulton (59), Ciaran Moran for Byrne (59), Shane Buggy for Molloy (68).
Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone).
