Donnelly satisfied with performance and a winning start

Irvinestown secured a seven-point win over Erne Gaels with an impressive team performance at home. 
It was the first game in charge for both Sean Donnelly and Seamus Kelm with Donnelly obviously the happier of the two managers at the final whistle;
“It is great to get off to a win on the first day and it was a good performance from us. I thought everyone contributed well to how things went and in this division, I think every win is going to be important,” he said.
A Ronan Ormsby goal gave Irvinestown a seven-point cushion and although Erne Gaels hit back with a goal of their own from Gareth Deery, who prodded home amidst a host of bodies in the small square, the visitors never looked like making a significant dent in that early Irvinestown goal. The Ormsby goal had been crisp and clean with James Duffy doing good work before releasing Ormsby to hammer home. 
This was to be a win with the burden of scoring spread evenly among the home players. 
Gary Maguire was as ever reliable from dead balls with Stephen Sheridan, Liam McQuaid and Caolan Ward all hitting scores. Ward was a particularly impressive figure throughout the hour for the winners. 
Tommy McCaffrey had hit a number of scores from frees for the visitors with Jack McCann also contributing to the scoreboard and at half time Erne Gaels trailed on a score of 1-08 to 1-04. 
The second half was not to produce as many scores with the sides sharing nine points between them and once again it was to be Irvinestown who were in the ascendency. 
Barry McCann and Dara Dolan were among the few scorers for the losers with Irvinestown getting their scores from Maguire, Ormsby, Duffy and Christopher Lyons, who kicked an excellent score coming off the bench. 
For the winners, Kevin O’Donnell was their best defender with a powerful display at centre half back while Liam McQuaid got through his usual healthy amount of hard work around the middle of the field while further forward Ward and Ormsby caught the eye. 
Erne Gaels were best served on the day by county man Ryan Lyons, who had some enterprising moments at midfield, with Gregory McGloin trying hard at wing back and Tommy McCaffrey fleetingly dangerous in attack. 
For Irvinestown manager, Donnelly, it is a case of not getting carried away and focusing on the next challenge; 
“It certainly doesn’t get any easier anyway, with Derrygonnelly up next, but Sunday was a good team performance and we just have to make sure we keep working hard and then just see what happens.”
Derrygonnelly hammered Tempo on opening day and seem intent on keeping a firm grip on the title of best team in Fermanagh for the forthcoming season. Meanwhile, Erne Gaels will host Lisnaskea who themselves suffered a disappointing defeat at the hands of St Pat’s in their first outing. Erne Gaels will be hoping to get to winning ways on home turf this Sunday.