Erne Gaels Manager Seamus Ryder is aiming to push on in the Senior Championship after the Belleek side came through an enthralling derby final against Devenish to land the Intermediate crown in stunning fashion at Brewster Park on Saturday night.

Having dropped down last year, Ryder was delighted to bounce back to Senior at the first attempt.

“Getting back up to Senior out of Intermediate was the main goal for us this year.

“I think with the players we have, and with Brian Mullin and Ryan Lyons back, I think we can challenge for the Senior title and we’re looking forward to getting a crack at the likes of Derygonnelly and Enniskillen next year,” he said.

It was heart-in-mouth stuff though in the closing stages of the final. Erne Gaels had appeared to be in control as they led by five at the water break, only to see Devenish bag three goals to lead by four.

However, deep into injury time, Ryan Lyons finished to the net to seal a two-point victory.

“We were in complete control but then they got their goal and that was always going to lift them, and then they hit us for two more, but I was really happy with the way the boys reacted in those last seven minutes or so.

“I think when the seven minutes went up we scored 1-04 in that period. We played some great football in that spell – it was some of the best football we played all year, and it came when it was badly needed. They settled themselves down and made the right decisions and got back into the game.

“We actually had to get back into it twice; the first time we came back from four down to level and then Paul McCaffrey gave away a silly free, and they went one up, but we came back up the pitch to get the winner,” said Ryder.

He did though think that the game was lost when Terry O’Flanagan slotted over a free for Devenish with seven minutes of injury time played.

“I thought it was gone, I looked at the time and the seven was up and I thought we wouldn’t have the time.

“Then when we were going through, I was begging for them to put it over the bar and get the draw, but they popped up with the goal!

“Look, Ryan is a bit of class – he has that killer instinct, there was no better man for it to fall to,” he said.

Ryder was also able to call on Australia bound-Ultan Kelm in the second half and he felt he made a positive impact on the contest.

“He has been having issues with the hip but he got a week’s training in and he was mad to go. I wasn’t too keen, but he wanted to play so it was his decision and it was great to be able to use him and he had a big influence on the game,” said the Erne Gael Manager.

The focus for the Belleek outfit now is their Ulster Intermediate Championship campaign with Moortown to provide the opposition in Carrickmore on Sunday, December 5.

“Ulster is a bonus and we hope to give it a good rattle; that is our reward for winning on Saturday.

“We have two and a half to three weeks now to get ready, so it is plenty of time, and we’ll get back down to it.

“I haven’t seen Moortown yet, but I’ll sit and watch them this week and see what they are all about. But we know that it will be a tough test; like any Tyrone team they will be well organised and hard-working, so it will be tough.

“But a team from a different county mightn’t know us too well, so that will hopefully stand to us,” he added.