Erne Gaels 2-12 Enniskillen 0-14

Erne Gaels booked their place in the final of the Club Players’ Competition 1B following a four point win over Enniskillen Gaels in Belleek last Friday night.

There was little between the sides at any stage of the contest but a late Tommy McCaffrey goal saw the home side over the line and through to the group final.

With this competition seeing teams able to carry forward points based on where they finish into the main league, Erne Gaels manager Seamus Ryder is delighted to see them go forward with at least three.

“That’s us into the final and that’s what we wanted. The league is going to be very competitive so we want to go into it with as many points as possible on the board. We now have three guaranteed and there is another one up for grabs,” he said.

Ryder was also pleased to see his side come through another tight contest on the right side of the result.

“That’s the second tight game in a row that we have come away with the result which is good to see. We also got to use a lot of players over the last few games and we got to see a few younger boys,” he added.

The defeat brought Enniskillen’s interest in the competition to an end and for them the focus moves to the league.

“The competition was good in the sense that it allowed us to look at our panel and it gave players an opportunity to put up their hand for when the league starts and now it is about getting ready for the start of the league,” said coach Simon Bradley, who was pleased to get a few more players game time on Friday night.

“We were able to bring on Eoin Beacom and Paddy Reihill which we were delighted with. I think overall it was a good workout and an enjoyable game although I would imagine that both managements would have felt that it was probably too open a game,” he said.

The sides shared ten points in a nip and tuck first half to leave it 0-05 apiece at the break.

Michael Og McGarrigle was dominant in the opening period for an Erne Gaels side who had scores from Barry McCann, Shane Rooney and Tommy McCaffrey.

Enniskillen though remained in touch through points from Conor Love, Conall Quinn and Conor McShea.

Love was too prove a real thorn in the side for Erne Gaels as the game progressed with the attacker landing a string of fine scores in the second half as the home side struggled to curtail his influence.

However, Erne Gaels hit back and a McGarrigle palmed goal put them in front.

It was tit for tat after this as the sides swapped score with Love on target for Enniskillen and Michael Herron and McCaffrey registering for Erne Gaels as they edged one up.

And they went on to seal the victory late on as Tommy McCaffrey slotted home from close range to leave it 2-12 to 0-14 at the final whistle.