Games have brought us on 'leaps and bounds'
Editorial Department • Published 26 Jan 2012 13:00
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It has been a good McKenna Cup bid for Fermanagh overall but Peter Canavan can't hide his disappointment on Sunday.<<
Fermanagh manager Peter Canavan feels that despite two defeats to Tyrone over the last week, he has seen a good improvement in his side during the Power NI Dr. McKenna Cup.
Fermanagh had began the competition with wins over Antrim and Queens before going down to Tyrone by three points in Omagh last Wednesday night in their final group game.
The two sides then clashed again on Sunday in the semi-final of the competition with Tyrone producing a strong second half display to book their place in the final. Canavan accepts that there is still plenty of work to be done, but believes that they have been improving over the course of the four games.
"We're thankful to get four games as it has brought them on leaps and bounds," he said. "I believe every day they have played I have seen improvement and even in defeat (on Sunday) I thought there was a lot of good aspects to our play. There is a lot of things to work on both in regards fitness and in regards our use of possession but we have time to do that and if the boys want it bad enough they will improve."
Last Wednesday night Fermanagh battled hard in the second half as they fought back from nine points down to end up losing by three in the finish.
And Canavan's charges carried their second half display into the first half on Sunday. However, on this occasion Tyrone controlled the second half with Fermanagh tiring late in the contest.
"It was a reversal of Wednesday night in that we were strong in the first half but faded badly in the second half. Our use of possession really let us down. I think the two goals that they got came from us giving the ball away. Again our fitness, we worked very hard in the first 40 to 45 minutes but we tired badly in the last ten or 15 minutes. I can't fault the effort or the commitment. They were very committed again today and I was happy with that aspect," he commented.
Canavan saw Tyrone clinically punish errors by his side in the second half although he felt that the final scoreline was harsh on Fermanagh.
"Tyrone counter attacked very well, they are excellent at it, and they punished us every time we gave the ball away. Between the two 45s they were very quick to latch on to that and support and get the ball in. They have quality players and you can't afford to give them that sort of room or that sort of chances as they will put them away.
"I think we had two, maybe three, goal chances and we missed them where the goal chances they had, they put them away so I would like to think that the scoreline does not accurately reflect the difference between the two teams."
The former All Ireland winning captain felt his side should though have been further ahead than two points at the break after having the better of things in the first half. Seamus Quigley did notch one goal for Fermanagh during the first period but Sean Quigley then saw another good goal opportunity saved by Pascal McConnell.
"We probably should have been further ahead at half time. I think we had a very good goal chance after we got the first goal and I felt we probably should have been going in four or five points up at half time," said Canavan.
A hamstring strain saw Seamus Quigley withdrawn at half time and Canavan admits that they missed his presence in the second half.
"He had no injury before the game, he just strained his hamstring. He thought it would have been okay but just as a pre-caution we took him off at half time. We had to change things about and we went with a different approach in the second half and our inside men showed very well in the second half, Paul and Tomas, won a lot of ball. Of course we had to change our play somewhat but Seamie is central to this team and he is a great finisher and I suppose we did miss that element of his play in the second half."
This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 26 Jan 12
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