Tailteann Cup, Group 4
Antrim 3-13 Fermanagh 1-12
Andy McEntee’s super Saffrons picked themselves off the canvas, not once but twice to defeat pre-match favourites Fermanagh at the Athletic Grounds and earn themselves a home tie in the Tailteann Cup quarter-final in two-week’s time.
It was Kieran Donnelly’s Fermanagh that went into this one as favourites, despite dropping a point to Wexford in day one of the group and when they raced into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead after 16 minutes that favourites tag appeared to have been justified.
Antrim were having none of it and they came roaring back to hit five unanswered points to lead by 0-07 to 0-5 at half time as they produced some breath-taking football with their pace and direct running causing the Erne siders plenty of problems.
History appeared to be repeating itself at the start of the second half as Fermanagh hit 1-1 within two minutes to move into a two point lead and Antrim looked rattled for a time but they held their nerve and worked their way back into the game with an Adam Loughran goal midway through the second period.
The winning margin of seven suggests it was an emphatic victory and in the end it was but there was just one between the sides as the game entered time added on. It was Antrim who produced a storming finish however and as Fermanagh pressed the Saffrons struck a decisive blow.
Oisin Doherty had just been introduced for his Antrim debut and with virtually his first touch of the ball he sent his shot dipping over the despairing reach of Sean McNally and into the net. Fermanagh tried to rally but were hit again on the counter and this time it was Ruairi McCann who got in for a third goal to ensure there would be no way back.
Fermanagh were on the board after just 19 seconds through Ultan Kelm with Dominic McEnhill levelling from a free a minute later, but the game became bogged down for a time with neither side troubling the scoreboard until Fermanagh found a way to break the deadlock.
Sean Quigley kicked two beauties from out on the right either side of one for Tommy McCaffrey that came from a ‘45’ after Michael Byrne made a brave blocking save to deny Ryan Lyons who looked to be through for a Fermanagh goal.
Antrim hadn’t raised a flag for 20 minutes until McEnhill ended this barren spell from a free and this sparked the Saffrons into life and after they absorbed a lengthy spell of Fermanagh possession, they broke from defence with Adam Loughran finishing at the other end.
McEnhill converted another free to level the contest before Creggan’s Ruairi McCann edged the Saffrons ahead for the first time with a fine point from distance in the 32nd minute.
Sean Quigley threatened at the other end as he got his fist to a dropping ball from Lyons that just bounced wide and Antrim responded to the let-off to go further ahead at the other end with Loughran’s shot cannoning over after striking the crossbar.
Fermanagh had gone 20 minutes without a score but Quigley curled over his third, before Antrim finished with the final point of the half through Peter Healey to lead 0-7 to 0-5 at the break.
Everything appeared to be going to plan as the sides took the field for the second half but it was Fermanagh who made a sparkling start with Ultan Kelm on target within 19 seconds and there was worse to come.
Ryan Jones levelled and then a good ball inside found Tommy McCaffrey who placed Ryan Lyons to blast low to the net.
Another Kelm score pushed the gap out to four and it wasn’t looking good for Andy McEntee’s side but they showed tremendous character to claw their way back into the game. Dominic McEnhill opened their second half account from a free before his side survived another goal attempt.
Fermanagh had another opportunity when Ronan McCaffrey found himself on a one on one with Mick Byrne after a defence splitting pass but the Rossa custodian denied him with a superb save.
It was nip and tuck at this stage with both defences in control but after Patrick McCormick landed an excellent point, substitute Conhuir Johnston’s first act was to play Adam Loughran in to lash home and put the Saffrons back into the lead.
It was all set for a tense finish as twice Fermanagh got back on terms, but points from Loughran and Creggan’s McCann put a bit of daylight between the sides.
Quigley pulled one back from a free and then Antrim got a huge let-off when Kelm intercepted Byrne’s kickout and thumped towards goal, but the Antrim goalkeeper recovered.
The margin remained at one as the game entered stoppage time but it was Antrim who finished superbly with Oisin Doherty and Ruairi McCann hitting late goals to ensure Antrim a home tie in the quarter-final and a week off while Fermanagh must face Longford next weekend in a preliminary quarter final but will have home advantage.
The Antrim faithful celebrated with their heroes after the game as if they had already won the Tailteann Cup while manager Andy McEntee joined his side and their supporters on the pitch and was full of praise for his charges.
“I’m really happy. We were slow out of the blocks at the start, went 4-1 down. But 4-1 down to 7-5 up (at half-time) was a 6-1 swing and when we injected pace into it we looked a little more dangerous after being a bit ponderous at the start.
“We went four down again at the start of the second half, but we talked a lot about character. That was a hot day and we’re in the next round regardless (if we had lost) and the lads had loads of reasons to say ‘not for me today’, but they didn’t do that.
“The subs we brought on, young ‘CJ’ (Conhuir Johnston) made a big difference. I have to mention Cormac McGettigan who was out on his feet, but turned over a kick-out over on the far side with his last act and that led to a score straight away. I think the lads showed great character.”
“We found a way to win, whereas in games earlier in the season we found a way to lose,” concluded the Meath man.
ANTRIM: M Byrne (0-1, 45); P McCormick (0-1), P Healy (0-1), E McCabe; D McAleese, C McGettigan, M Jordan; C Stewart, C Hynds; C McLarnon, A Loughran (1-3), R McCann (Creggan, 0-2); P McBride, R McCann (Aghagallon, 1-0), D McEnhill (0-5, all frees).
Subs: C Johnston for C McLarnon (46), D Lynch for C McGettigan (52), R Boyle for D McAleese (64), O Doherty (1-0) for R McCann (Creggan, 70+1)
FERMANAGH: S McNally; L Flanagan, C Cullen, L Cullen; S McGullion, J Cassidy, C McManus; R Jones (0-1), B Horan; C McShea, R Lyons (1-0), R McCaffrey (0-1); U Kelm (0-3), T McCaffrey (0-1), S Quigley (0-4, 1 free).
Subs: G Cavanagh for C McManus (35), G Jones (0-2) for R Lyons (46), C McGee for B Horan (54), J Largo-Elis for S McGullion (64), D McGurn for S Quigley (67)
REFEREE: Liam Devenney (Mayo)
