Enniskillen Gaels made it a hat-trick of Minor Championship titles with victory over Derrygonnelly Harps at Brewster Park on Saturday.

Following a tentative opening period, Enniskillen started to take control of matters midway through the first half and a Callum Jones goal helped them into a 1-06 to 0-03 half time advantage.

And a dominant second half saw the Gaels push on for the win with the lively Conor Love netting twice and also teeing up captain Eoin Beacom for a goal as it finished 4-11 to 1-07.

“I was very pleased with the performance,” said manager Brendan Dooris.

“I thought it was a very efficient display and although Derrygonnelly battled hard throughout, which we knew they would do, I felt going into the game that our forward line would maybe give us that bit of an edge and that’s the way it worked out.”

Dooris was also full of praise for captain Eoin Beacom who produced a superb performance in the middle of the park.

“Eoin has had a bit of an injury problem and has maybe been playing within himself but he has shaken that off now and I thought he was outstanding in everything he did,” he added.

The game was slow to get going with little between the sides in the opening quarter.

Derrygonnelly had notched the opening point of the contest from a well struck Michael Glynn free in the second minute but there was to be no further scores until the 14th minute.

Both sides did have goal chances during this period but neither were able to find the target as Love and Derrygonnelly’s Gavin McGovern fired wide before Love opened his side’s account with a point from an acute angle.

And from this Enniskillen went on to get on top with Beacom a growing influence in the middle of the park. John Reihill edged the Gaels in front before Jones then swooped for the first goal of the encounter, the forward producing a thunderous first time strike into the top corner of Lee Skuce’s goal to make it 1-02 to 0-01.

The sides traded the next four points with Love and Ronan Beattie on target for Enniskillen while Rian McGovern and Gavin McGovern answered for Derrygonnelly.

However, the Gaels landed the final two points of the half through Reihill and Jones to leave six in it at the break and they quickly added to that at the start of the second half as Matthew Dixon and Beacom knocked over points to make it 1-08 to 0-03.

Ronan McGovern rattled over the Harps first point of the half but Enniskillen remained in control and Love struck for his first goal in the 38th minute. He raced on to a long ball and cut in before arrowing a shot to the back of the net.

Beacom then tagged on another point while it took a good save from Skuce to deny Reihill.

Oisin Smyth floated over a tidy point for the Harps while Enniskillen had to play the final quarter with 14 men following the dismissal of Dixon.

However, they were never in any danger and indeed they went on to add to their tally as Ronan Quinn slotted over after being teed up by Love while Love then played in Beacom who tucked the ball to the net from close range.

In fairness to Derrygonnelly they battled right through to the end with Gavin McGovern and Aidy McKenna firing over points which sandwiched a Brandon Horan ‘45 for Enniskillen.

And Harps substitute Darragh McGrath nabbed an injury time goal for his side but the last say of the game fell to Enniskillen as Love grabbed their fourth goal to leave it 4-11 to 1-07 at the final whistle as the Gaels made it three in a row of minor titles.

“To win three in a row is a great achievement, and one the club is very proud of,” said Dooris.

“Winning that first won was important because we hadn’t won it in 17 years and we needed to break that spell. Some of the boys have been involved in all three and that is a great achievement.”

Dooris insists though that the season is not finished yet as he sets his sights on making a push in the Ulster Club arena.

“We sat down in the changing room after the game and talked about what we want to do and how we could learn from the last two years. We will give the boys a week or so off and then we are going to get back at it,” concluded the Enniskillen Gaels stalwart goalkeeper.