Ederney 3-13 Erne Gaels 3-05

Ederney made it through to their first Senior Championship Final since 2006 but they did not make it easy on themselves or their supporters as they ran out 3-13 to 3-05 winners against Erne Gaels at Brewster Park.

It was looking like plain sailing for the winners after a dominant first half which saw them open up an 0-10 to 0-03 advantage at half. However this lead was wiped out ten minutes after half time as Belleek shook the Ederney foundations with a mighty fightback.

For Ederney manager Micky Cassidy it was nearly too much to take as he saw his side lose control of a contest they were dominating from the first whistle.

"Relieved would be the word," said Cassidy, who was manager back in 2006 when Ederney reached their last final.

"We are happy to get the win.

"It should have been game over at half time. We kicked some bad wides. Our shot selection was not good but we were in control of the game, total control, and you know that turnover in the second half and they go straight down the middle hit the net and it was obvious we panicked.

"All we had to do was control the ball and we controlled the game. But one turnover and all hell broke loose."

It was during this Erne Gaels purple patch the game turned.

Ultan Kelm got the fightback going after he drove through and beat Enda Ferris after a turnover out the field.

A second goal was to follow from the penalty spot after a dubious call from the referee gave Ryan Lyons the opportunity the cut the deficit even further.

And when Barry McCann pointed an unlikely comeback was on the cards.

However Ederney regrouped, and this is something that pleased Cassidy, especially the fact a number of the younger players stepped up when they were needed.

"I was happy enough with the response in the last 15 minutes.

"We showed good character to come back and scored a couple of good goals and a couple of good points.

"The younger boys showed up. A lot of young boys scored in the last fifteen minutes," said the St Joseph's manager.

And with the scores finally coming, Cassidy saw his side eventually put the Erne Gaels challenge to bed.

"We are happy to get over the line and that is all you can say but put it like this, if you do that against Derrygonnelly it will be game over," he concluded.

Ederney came into the game after an impressive win against Belcoo in the quarter final and they began this game in the same form with Paul McCusker opening the scoring.

Barry McCann responded from a free for Erne Gaels before McCusker got his second from a placed ball.

Ryan Morris put two in it before Tommy McCaffrey got Belleek's second after a foul on Ryan Lyons.

But from here on Ederney took full control with Declan and Paul McCusker, Morris, Conor McGee, Aaron Dennison and Mark McCauley all scoring before a Luke Ryder free just before the break finally broke the Ederney dominance to leave seven in it at the break.

The second half saw Ederney extend their lead with a McCauley free before the game was turned on its head.

A long ball after a turnover was knocked down into the path of Ultan Kelm and he made no mistake and this gave his side renewed impetus.

McCaffrey knocked over a free before Lyons penalty left one in it. McCann then levelled matters with his second point.

However, Ederney rallied when others may have fell apart.

McCauley scored his sides first before Morris added a second following good work by Marty McGrath to put daylight between the sides once again.

McCann got Belleek's third goal but this was as close as they got as Ederney rounded of the scoring with a goal by substitute Pol McKervey and book their place against Derrygonnelly in the final in two weeks.