IMPARTIAL REPORTER

Fermanagh finished their National Football League campaign with a flourish when they defeated Mayo by three points in a thrilling encounter at Brewster Park. In so doing, Fermanagh inflicted the first defeat on Mayo in 15 league matches and it was indeed a timely boost as the business end of the season fast approaches with the Championship looming large on the horizon on May 12.

Mayo manger Pat Holmes was philosophical about the reverse but equally offered no excuses: “ Fermanagh were the hungrier team, were quicker to the breaking ball and deserved their victory.”

Fermanagh manager Dom Corrigan was delighted with the victory and the manner in which Fermanagh resurrected the last minute winner: “ It was a marvellous result and probably would have been our best performance of the season. We have had good passages of play throughout the league campaign but we probably sustained it for longer against Mayo. We then showed great character and resolve to fight back and get the winning goal. We showed great determination.”

Determination would indeed be the hallmark of this excellent campaign after which Fermanagh finished third in division 1b, failing by one point to secure a place in the semi finals of the National League. The industry of the entire squad has been superb throughout and the growing confidence that has been building has quickly banished any doubts that last year’s poor campaign may have created in the players.

Dom Corrigan has been happy with the league but also warns that there is much work yet to be done. “ The league has been a good success and has built up confidence. Against Down, there may have been a hangover from last year and the confidence was not there when Down got on top but now there is great belief and a winning habit,” said Dom before adding: “That said we have a lot of things to work on and there were certain aspects of Sunday’s game with which I was not particularly pleased. A better side may not have kicked the wides Mayo did and we were slow out of the blocks but we will sit down and discuss this. We will not be focusing on Monaghan but rather working on our own game and we have to raise the bar both individually and collectively over the next 6 weeks before May 12.”

Monaghan have struggled in divison 2 and have only won one game but the Championship will be a different matter and Corrigan will be keen to impress upon his players the need to keep focused and to up the ante even more.

He warned: “ We still have a lot of improvement to find before Clones but the good league run has put a spring in the step of all the players and we look forward to tackling the challenge. We will have a number of challenge games and it will do the players no harm to play some league games for their clubs and we will get working on fitness levels and increasing the intensity in the build up to the Championship.”

Dom also said that the Dublin based players, Neil Cox, Liam McBarron and Stephen Maguire will be training with Mayo and Wexford based players in Dublin under the direction of ex Dublin manager Tommy Carr.

So with only six weeks to go to the Championship, Fermanagh are in good shape and the delight on the faces of the players and supporters of Fermanagh was for all to see at the final whistle on Sunday. Fermanagh may have failed narrowly to qualify for the semi finals of the National League but that did not matter a jot to the Fermanagh fans who had just witnessed a performance of quality, skill and tenacity that was in sharp contrast to much of last year’s displays. Dom summed the mood up well, when he concluded: “The smile is back on the face of Fermanagh football and there is a great buzz about the County. Everybody within the set up is working hard to try and finally achieve the ultimate which is to win the Ulster title.”