Fermanagh struggled to impose themselves in the first half where they were playing into a strong breeze and at the turn around it looked as if the game was over with Fermanagh trailing by nine points.

    It was a changed Fermanagh side though in the second period as they began to take control of the encounter and they chipped away at the Armagh lead, cutting the gap to only two points but late wides proved costly as Armagh held on for the win.

    A physically stronger Armagh began the game well, putting early pressure on the Fermanagh defence and by the tenth minute of the tie they had opened up a 0-3 to 0-0 lead with all of the points coming from left half forward Peadar Toal, knocking over three frees.

    Fermanagh began to get into the game over the next few minutes and two quick pointed frees from captain Neville McGrath following a foul on Terry O’Flanagan and one from Richard McCaffrey saw the gap closed to a single point.

    It was over the next seven minutes that Armagh seized control and opened up a comfortable lead for themselves.

    Midfielders Charlie Vernan and Gareth Swift both knocked over good points as did Michael O’Rourke to open up a 0-6 to 0-2 lead for the Orchard County.

    Two errors then in the Fermanagh defence led to Toal and Armagh captain Joe Quigley firing to the back of the net to put Armagh into a ten point advantage as the game neared the interval.

    Richard McCaffrey scored the last point of the half from a free but it left Fermanagh still with a huge mountain to climb in the second half, trailing by 2-6 to 0-3.

    Fermanagh got the second half off to a good start when they registered two early points. Shane O’Brien pointed from a free and then was on hand to receive the ball from Danny Ward who had robbed Cathal McSherry in the Armagh defence, with O’Brien striking a fine point.

    O’Brien indeed was very impressive throughout and was highly influential in the Fermanagh fightback.

    The game was quite scrappy during the ten minutes which followed O’Brien’s points but three Armagh points seemed to put them out of sight with Ciaran Conlon, who was the pick of the Armagh forwards in the second period, Joe Quigley and Peadar Toal all registering on the scoreboard put Armagh into a 2-9 to 0-5 lead.

    These though were to be the final Armagh scores of the game as Fermanagh began to gain the upperhand throughout the field.

    The introduction of Niall Tinney and John O’Flanagan proved a good move by Fermanagh manager John O’Neill with Tinney getting through a lot of work in the midfield sector and O’Flanagan providing an outlet in attack.

    With fifteen minutes remaining Fermanagh were provided a lifeline as Danny Ward finished superbly to the net following good work from Paul Johnston and John O’Flanagan.

    Neville McGrath, who became more influential as the game progressed, then set up John O’Flanagan for an excellent point before striking a fine point of his own to leave five points between the sides with five minutes remaining.

    Fermanagh continued to press forward and John O’Flanagan and Richard McCaffrey added further points from frees to leave a goal separating the sides.

    Corner back Sean Gilmurray then popped up for a point but this was to be the final score of the game as Armagh just about held out to win by a scoreline of 2-9 to 1-10.

    Fermanagh will be disappointed that they did not take the game at least into extra time after coming back well but the management will be pleased at the character shown by their side to get them back into contention and although they were defeated, preparations have gone well in the build up to the championship clash with Donegal.

    “We are disappointed to have lost the final in the manner which we did. I thought that Armagh’s two goals were of our own making and they proved costly.

    “The team though showed great character to come back from ten points down to close the gap to two and we might have got the draw.

    “We are looking forward now to the championship and the players now know what’s required to win a knockout game,” said manager, John O’Neill.