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Fermanagh leave it late again to pip Antrim

Sean Quigley fisted home the all-important goal for the visitors
Sean Quigley fisted home the all-important goal for the visitors

For the second week running, Fermanagh produced a stunning finish against an Ulster rival to keep their Division 3 promotion hopes alive as Antrim were left the victim of the smash-and-grab at Corrigan Park.

Trailing by eight points midway through the second period after the hosts had found the net three times, it seemed the task ahead may have been a little too difficult, but Ultan Kelm's goal re-energised Kieran Donnelly's charges.

Still, the margin was four as the game ticked into stoppage time, but for the second time in the campaign, Antrim were to lose out in identical fashion as Sean Quigley fisted home to level and then a turnover was published by Conor McGee as Fermanagh took the most unlikely of wins.

The Ernesiders seemed content to dominate the ball, but were taking their time in doing much with it although they would have a fair bit ion joy along the right wing with all five of their first-half points coming from that side.

Aidan Breen kicked them into a seventh-minute lead with Conor Stewart levelling at the other end, Antrim were much more direct when they got possession.

The sides traded points before Antrim took the lead for the first time as goalkeeper Mick Byrne kicked a 45 that was a result of the hosts pressing the Fermanagh kick-out and forcing the mistake.

You could fast-forward chunks of this half as it was Fermanagh passing across and back, yet there were some fine moments including the points from Shane McGullion and Lee Cullen that edged them back ing front, while Marc Jordan steadied and finished with the outside of his boot following a lung-bursting support run to level again.

With the sides locked at 0-05 each, Antrim enjoyed a fine end to the half with Colm McLarnon converting a mark and then Cregan's Ruairi McCann finishing off a counter-attack, but it would get better in stoppage time as Patrick Finnegan won a kick-out and Antrim attacking at pace, working the ball into Pat Shivers who steadied and passed into Odhran Eastwood to finish low and make it 1-07 to 0-05 at the half.

The introduction of Quigley at the break and a much more direct approach brought Fermanagh to life in the second period as they rattled off the first three points to seemingly grab momentum, but then came the spell in which Antrim would have felt was the winning of the game as on 46 minutes, a long ball into Aghagallon's McCann saw him gather and offload to Jordan who found Joseph Finnegan inside and the centre-back finished to the net superbly.

Three minutes later and from a similar position, this time Finnegan turned provider for team captain Peter Healy to lash home and the gap was out to eight points.

Quigley almost hit back with a goal of his own immediately after, but his snapshot came off the post, but after substitute Garvan Jones kick the first of his three points, the goal Fermanagh needed arrived as a loose ball was turned over with Kelm bursting through and sending an unstoppable shot past Byrne.

Conor Stewart responded for Antrim with a point, but momentum seemed to be with the visitors and the margin was down to three when what appeared another huge moment for the hosts as Byrne saved superbly from Kelm and then again from Quigley's rebound with a follow-up shot for a point blocked downs the home crowd sensed victory.

A Pat Shivers point looked to be the insurance score with four between them, but there was no quit in the Ernesiders as Jones pulled one back from a free and then in the third minute of added time, he floated in a free that Quigley met with his fist to turn home.

Their tails were now up and pushed up on the Antrim kick-out, eventually forcing the mistake with McGee capitalising to fist over the winner as Fermanagh celebrated another last-gap win as Antrim were left reeling from another one that got away.

Antrim: Michael Byrne (0-01, 45); Eoghan McCabe, Oisin Lenehan, James McAuley; Peter Healy (1-00), Jospeh Finnegan (1-00), Marc Jordan (0-01); Kevin Small, Conor Stewart (0-02); Patrick Finnegan, Ruairi McCann (Creggan) (0-01), Colm McLarnon (0-01 mark); Pat Shivers (0-02, 1 free), Ruairi McCann (Agahgallon) (0-01 mark), Odhran Eastwood (1-00)

Subs: Dominic McEnhill for O Eastwood (58), Cathal Hynds for K Small (58), Patrick McCormick for M Jordan (67), Colum Duffin for C McLarnon (70+2)

Fermanagh: Sean McNally; Luke Flanagan, Lee Cullen (0-01), Cian McManus; Ronan McCaffrey, Jonathan Cassidy, Shane McGullion (0-01); Ryan Jones, Brandon Horan; Josh Largo-Ennis, Ryan Lyons (0-01 free), Ultan Kelm (1-02); Conor McShea, Darragh McGurn, Aidan Breen (0-03)

Subs: Sean Quigley (1-00) for D McGurn (HT), Conor McGee (0-01) for C McShea (43), Garvan Jones (0-03, 1 free) for R Lyons (46), Ciaran Corrigan (0-01) for A Breen (58), Eoghan McManus for R McCaffrey (58), Fionan O'Brien for C McManus (head injury 64)

Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone)

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