Disappointing start to campaign for Fermanagh

Editorial Department • Published 11 Feb 2010 09:28 0 Comments

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Rory Gallagher gets a hand to a high ball as Paul Cosgrove waits for the breaking ball late on in Sunday's game.<<

Referee Syl Doyle flashes a red card at Martin O’Brien.<<

Offaly 1-13; Fermanagh 1-10;

This was not the start to the league campaign that Malachy O'Rourke was hoping for as Fermanagh lost their opening encounter in Division Three to Offaly in Tullamore on Sunday.

In the end three points separated the sides although Fermanagh will rue a number of missed chances over the course of the game with eight efforts dropping into the Offaly goalkeeper's hands while a couple of scoreable frees were not converted in the second half.

The key turning point of the game though arrived in the 33rd minute. The sides were level, 0-07 to 1-04, when Fermanagh corner back Martin O'Brien, on his league debut, was shown a straight red card by referee Syl Doyle, who acted on the advice of his umpire, following an off the ball incident involving Offaly's Ken Casey.

Down to 14 men, Fermanagh went in at the break trailing by a single point, and it was always going to be tough in the second half as they played into a strong breeze.

Fermanagh did start the second period well though and edged in front but when Offaly forward Ciaran McManus had a shot that deflected off Michael Jones and looped over Ronan Gallagher into the net it put the home side back in control of matters.

With three points in it the Faithful county were content to pack their defence and hit Fermanagh on the break, and although O'Rourke's side did have a couple of opportunities to close the gap they never looked likely to go on and win the contest.

O'Rourke handed first league starts to Michael Jones, O'Brien, Ryan Jones, Terry O'Flanagan, Ciaran Flaherty and Aidan McCarron but it was Offaly who made the brighter start as they rattled over the first three points of the game.

Midfielder Richie Dalton clipped over the opening score of the contest and this was followed by scores from John Reynolds and wing half back Karol Slattery.

Offaly were particularly efficient in attack as they wasted little in the way of scoring chances but the same could not be said of Fermanagh who, with the wind at their backs, dropped three early shots into goalkeeper Alan Mulhall's hands.

Mattie Keenan finally got O'Rourke's outfit up and running with a monster point in the 10th minute but Offaly's reply to this was a point from David Egan.

Worryingly for Fermanagh the home side were picking holes in the Fermanagh rearguard where they regularly found a team-mate in space.

However, Fermanagh did begin to come more into the contest with James Sherry battling hard at midfield and Rory Gallagher showing glimpses of his vision and passing ability as he provided a number of chances for the visitors.

And both Sherry and Gallagher were involved in the Fermanagh goal which brought them back to level terms. Sherry's cross field ball was collected by Gallagher who in turn sent Ciaran Flaherty through on goal and although Flaherty's shot was saved by Mulhall, Daryl Keenan was well placed to collect the rebound and thump the ball to the net.

Boosted by this, Fermanagh took the lead as Gallagher and the impressive Mattie Keenan combined to set up Sherry for a point although Offaly soon equalised as Ken Casey clipped over a free.

It was nip and tuck over the next ten minutes with the sides trading point for point.

Mattie Keenan from a free and Ryan Jones from play registered for Fermanagh while Reynolds and a Ross Brady point from a free responded for Offaly to leave the sides locked together, 0-07 to 1-04.

Fermanagh went close to accounting for a second goal in the 30th minute when the quick thinking Gallagher took a quick free to put Flaherty in on goal but Offaly defender Slattery managed to get a hand to the pull to knock it away and the chance was gone.

Three minutes later though Fermanagh suffered a major set back as O'Brien was given his marching orders, and although Sherry nudged Fermanagh back in front, Casey and Reynolds notched points for the home side to give them a one point advantage at the break, 0-09 to 1-05.

Fermanagh brought on defender Rory Foy at the expense of McCarron for the second half and the away side did make a good opening to the second period.

Sherry was guilty of wasting a fine chance but Daryl Keenan and Flaherty knocked over points to put Fermanagh into a 1-07 to 0-09 lead.

However, Offaly hit back with a point from Niall McNamee, the only score of the day from the dangerman who was well policed by Michael Jones, before McManus struck his fortunate goal.

The half forward cut through the Fermanagh defence but his shot hit Jones only for the ball to loop over Ronan Gallagher and into the back of the net.

This put three points between the sides but Mattie Keenan reduced the gap to two with a converted free.

Keenan and Gallagher though both shot wide when in good positions and Offaly regained control of the contest with points from Brian Connor and Casey to stretch their lead to four with 12 minutes to go.

Fermanagh did battle hard in the latter stages but with a goal needed they found a packed home defence difficult to carve open.

Gallagher and Reynolds did swap points while Tommy McElroy reduced the arrears to three with four minutes to go but this was to be as close as Fermanagh got to their opponents as Offaly saw out the remainder of the time to pick up the two points of offer and leave O'Rourke and his management team plenty to contemplate ahead of this week's meeting with Roscommon at Brewster Park.

Offaly

A. Mulhall; M. Conlon, C. Kelly, S. Pender; C. Carroll, S. Sullivan, K.Slattery (0-1); B. Connor (0-1), R. Dalton (0-1); D. Egan (0-1), J. Reynolds (0-4), C. McManus (1-0); R. Brady (0-1, 1f), K. Casey (0-3,2f), N. McNamee (0-1). Subs - A. Sullivan for McNamee, S. Ryan for Brady, P. Sullivan for Egan, S. Brady for McManus, P. McConway for Carroll.

Fermanagh

Ronan Gallagher; M. Jones, S. Lyons, M. O'Brien; P. Sherry, B. Mulrone, T. McElroy (0-1); J. Sherry (0-2), R. Jones (0-1); T. O'Flanagan, M. Keenan (0-3, 2f), C. Flaherty (0-1); A. McCarron, Rory Gallagher (0-1), D. Keenan (1-1).

Subs - C. McElroy for O'Flanagan, R. Foy for McCarron, N. Bogue for P. Sherry, P. Cosgrove for R. Jones

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 11 Feb 10

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