Enniskillen coach Simon Bradley says that while they are disappointed with Sunday’s Final defeat to Derrygonnelly, he believes that they will be a better team for it.

This was the Gaels’ first Final appearance in 15 years, and they made life very difficult for the Harps in the first half, but Derrygonnelly were able to pull away in the second half to seal the win.

“I think what the players will take from it is how difficult it is to get to one [a Final] and the way you have to be prepared to play Championship football.

“It is almost a different sport, in terms of the way it is refereed, the physicality – everything. So, from that point of view, they are a better team this morning then they were on Sunday morning because of what happened to them.

“We will be hoping that next year Enniskillen Gaels will be competing again on both fronts and developing the squad and the fitness and trying to kick on as much as we can,” he said.

And he says that when the disappointment fades, they will be able to look back on a year of progress for the team, which saw them reach both the SFC and league deciders.

“There are plenty of teams in the county that would like to swap the season we have had,” he said.

“Yes, we are disappointed, but in a few weeks when we sit down and look at the progress made from the previous year, going from Intermediate champions to getting to the Senior final, we are very happy.

“In general, the club has had a good year with the Ladies, the new development coming, but we just need to be careful that we do everything that is required, not just focus on one thing.”

On the game itself, Bradley was in no doubt that the penalty, ten minutes into the second half, was the key moment in the tie – one that he thought was harsh on the Gaels.

“The penalty was the major point of the game and everybody is going to have their opinion on it.

“I felt, in the context of the game, and the difficulty of getting free kicks in the forward line for both teams, I thought it was a soft penalty.

“It was always going to be difficult to come back from that score, and fair play to Derrygonnelly, they recognized their moment, and they seized it and ten minutes later the game was over as a contest.”

Enniskillen had started the game on the front foot as they pressed high up the pitch, but missed chances meant that they didn’t capitalise on their play.

“We learnt from watching them [Derrygonnelly] in the Championship quarter-final and semi-final that when other teams were successful for periods of the game, it was by pushing up higher.

“Yes, you are taking a chance, because you are leaving your inside backs open, but I think our back six answered any questions asked of them. They held Derrygonnelly to five points from play.

“I think it worked for us and the first half showed that – we did have a bit of the ball and we certainly had opportunities that we didn’t take which, ultimately, came back to haunt us.”

Derrygonnelly led by two at half time but Bradley was reasonably satisfied with the position that Enniskillen were in. However, the Harps were to take the game by the scruff of the neck after the penalty.

“Our plan was to go in as close as possible, or even a point up at half time, and just ask a question of them and see what would happen, but I have to say I was impressed with Derrygonnelly in the third quarter; I thought they were very good.

Understanding

“It was that know-how and experience and understanding the game situation [that they demonstrated].

“And when the opportunity came and they got the goal from the penalty, they immediately followed that up with two quick points.

“I think we had a shot that went into the keeper’s arms that ended up in the penalty, so there is a four-, five-, six-point swing in the space of five or six minutes, and in a county Final that type of swing is huge.

“But it is a learning curve for our boys,” he said.

And he felt that experience was a telling factor in the game.

“It was the big difference between the two teams. The one thing you can’t train, and the one thing you can’t rehearse in a training session, is that know-how.

“It is not about nerves – it is about identifying situations in a game and what is required at that moment, and Derrygonnelly did that.

“We needed a score straight after the penalty, Derrygonnelly knew they needed to win the next ball – and they did that,” said Bradley.