Erne Gaels manager, Seamy Ryder was honest in his assessment of last Sunday’s senior championship final.

He knows his side were second best on the day as they slumped to a 3-12 to 0-11 defeat to Enniskillen.

“They played excellent in the first half. Everything they hit kind of went over the bar and they cut us open for the goals,” said Ryder looking back on the game.

“Up the other end we just didn’t execute it. We didn’t get in for a goal. I thought we would have had a chance for a couple of goals but it didn’t work out.

“And then when we were chasing them in the second half, they cut us open for the second goal.

“But look it you have to tip your hat to them, they are a great team.”

It was hard for Ryder to put a finger on why the Belleek side did not show the quality they have.

Ryder admitted that apart from Ultan Kelm and Tommy McCaffrey not enough of his players had an influence on the game.

“They took out Ryan (Lyons) and Aoghan (Kelm) was quiet but that was to be expected.

“John Reihill, that’s the first match he got the better of Paul Ward. Look it can happen.

“But we have to be proud of them. A lot of the weeks we came out on top of the individual battles but it just wasn’t to be in the final.”

Delay had no impact

He also did not feel the postponement of the game the week before had anything to do with it, and in fact felt it had helped his side: “I actually thought the extra week helped us. We seemed a lot more relaxed last week than the week before.

“We had everything done the week before it was just a wee bit of fine-tuning and we knew what was happening and the lads seemed relaxed and it was more enjoyable at training.

“I don’t know. It’s easy to say the extra week had an effect but I wouldn’t be blaming that, we just didn’t perform and that’s it.

“Some teams perform better week on week as you seen with the league. I remember last year with the Moortown game it was after a three week break and we didn’t perform that day, so maybe there is something in that.”

No matter what, Ryder has nothing but pride for his squad who have brought Erne Gaels to competing at the top in Fermanagh football.

“Two years ago we were relegated from Senior and we got down to work straight away, I think it was November 13, 2020.

“So since then we have been flat out at it and won the Intermediate, got back up [to Senior]. Won the league unbeaten and we see ourselves as a big team now.

“Problem is Kinawley, Derrygonnelly, Ederney, Roslea, Belnaleck are going to come for it next year so it will be wide open next year.

“So we’ll rest up for a couple of months and then we will come back at it good and hard.”