Fermanagh manager Pete McGrath says that words from black carded pair Marty O'Brien and Ryan McCluskey at half time drove his side on as they produced a dominant second half display to set up a clash with the Dubs at Croke Park next Sunday.

The two key defenders were shown black cards by referee Paudie Hughes in the first half and at a stage Fermanagh trailed 0-05 to 0-02 before levelling prior to half time. But the duo addressed the squad at the interval and Fermanagh controlled matters in the second half.

"Marty O'Brien got a black card, Ryan McCluskey got a black card and they are two influential men so it would have been very easy for that to get inside peoples heads and say this is not our day. But that never happened our players. In fairness, the two men who got up and spoke at half time were Marty O'Brien and Ryan McCluskey. They were strong and loud and clear to the players that the winning of this game is still in this room and we went out and we showed that," said a delighted McGrath.

And the Fermanagh manager felt that the spell just before half time was crucial in Fermanagh's comeback as Tomas Corrigan, who finished the game with 1-07, hit three points in a row to leave it 0-05 apiece at the break. The Ernemen then found their form in the second half to dictate matters and run out nine point winners, 1-13 to 0-07.

"At 0-05 to 0-02 down coming up to half time and with two black cards, ten wides and some poor decision making by the players there was a lot things that weren't going the way we intended them to. But I think the five minutes before half time was a very important period in the game when we scored the three points to go in level at half time. We went in level at half time knowing that we had played quite poorly, knowing that we had made mistakes that simply were unacceptable and that everyone was capable of going out in the second half doing a lot better and we really started to play the way we know we can play," he added.

McGrath also praised the strength of his bench with the likes of Ruairi Corrigan and Damian Kelly making big impacts when introduced.

"This last couple of weeks it had become apparent to us that we have a strong bench. Sometimes you can have eight or nine people on the bench and they are all of a similar quality but in our squad there is a lot of genuine quality and even the players who aren't making the 26 are pushing like hell and they are pushing the standards up all the time."