Fermanagh picked up their third win of this year’s Allianz Football League Division Three campaign with a solid, if unspectacular five-point defeat of a dogged Sligo in a dour fixture at Markievicz Park.
The Ulster county, who were four points up at half-time, saw their lead cut to three points in the second-half, with Sligo chasing an equalising goal, but insurance points in time added on from substitute Sean Quigley and Aidan Breen made it an ultimately profitable afternoon for the Rory Gallagher-managed Fermanagh.
This was a refixture as the sides’ scheduled round three meeting, set for the previous Sunday, was postponed due to an unplayable surface at Markievicz Park.
Fermanagh came into this game on the back of two excellent home wins, against Wexford and Offaly, while Sligo had a 50% record from their opening two games – they bounced back from an away drubbing by Armagh to beat Wexford at home.
Sligo were due to start with Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch at wing-back – the defender was a Sigerson Cup runner-up the previous day as part of the NUI Galway team that lost to UCD in Santry – but an injury sustained in the warm-up meant he didn’t feature and in came Adrian McIntyre for his first League start.
Another NUI Galway starter, Sligo captain Kevin McDonnell, was among the home side’s substitutes and UCD’s Patrick O’Connor, who didn’t feature in the Sigerson Cup decider, was in Sligo’s midfield.
Sligo started brilliantly and were 0-3 to 0-0 by the third minute – the best of these early scores coming from Pat Hughes. But the home side didn’t score again until the 27th minute.
With underfoot conditions greasy due to the day’s rain, the robust and strong-running Fermanagh made hay during Sligo’s scoreless spell.
The Ulster side reeled off five unanswered points to lead 0-5 to 0-3 by the 25th minute, with two fine points from play by full-forward Conall Jones.
Fermanagh, who shot six first-half wides compared to Sligo’s two misses, should have bagged an eighth minute goal but Declan McCusker’s goalbound effort was deflected over for a point by Sligo defender Eddie McGuinness.
After Sligo narrowed the gap to a point with their fourth point – Niall Murphy on target – Fermanagh took over again and struck three points without reply in the last five minutes of the first-half to lead 0-8 to 0-4 at half-time.
Fermanagh, for whom wing-back Barry Mulrone impressed throughout, controlled the second-half, which was error-strewn and scrappy, but a series of missed chances – they finished with 13 wides in all – gave Sligo a chance to respond.
Sligo twice got the margin down to three points but never tested Fermanagh goalkeeper Patrick Cadden. Fermanagh could have adding icing to their winning cake but replacement attacker Sean Quigley’s goalbound flick was kept out by Sligo net-minder Aidan Devaney’s smart save.
The losers finished with 13 players due to late dismissals of Cian Breheny (two bookings) and Neil Ewing (yellow and black).
Sligo: Aidan Devaney, Ross Donovan, Luke Nicholson, Eddie McGuinness, Eoin McHugh, Neil Ewing (0-1), Darragh Cummins, Patrick O’Connor, Adrian McIntyre (0-1), Finnian Cawley, Niall Murphy (0-1), Sean Carrabine, Stephen Coen (0-2, 1f), Pat Hughes (0-1), Adrian Marren (0-1)
Subs used: Charles Harrison for Neil Ewing (8) (‘blood sub’), Cian Breheny for Finnian Cawley (h-t), Kevin McDonnell for Sean Carrabine (47), Charles Harrison for Eoin McHugh (51), Liam Gaughan (0-1, 1f) for Pat Hughes (52), Kyle Cawley for Stephen Coen (54), James Clarke for Adrian McIntyre (66)
Fermanagh: Patrick Cadden, Micky Jones, Che Cullen, Cian McManus, Barry Mulrone (0-2), Lee Cullen, Declan McCusker (0-3), Eoin Donnelly, Ryan Jones, Paul McCusker (0-1), Ciaran Corrigan, Aidan Breen (0-1), Daniel Teague, Conall Jones (0-2), Seamus Quigley (0-3, 2f)
Subs used: Ruairi Corrigan for Paul McCusker (44), Eamonn Maguire for Daniel Teague (50), Ryan Lyons for Ciaran Corrigan (59), Kane Connor for Cian McManus (65), Sean Quigley (0-1) for Seamus Quigley (68), Eddie Courtney for Eoin Donnelly (70+7)
Referee: John Hickey (Carlow)
In the day's other game in the third tier, Derry got their first points after a 1-15 to 0-13 win against an Offaly side who remain pointless.
Celtic Park saw the hosts start well and they were 1-06 to 0-00 ahead after only 16 minutes, with Emmett Bradley getting their goal. However, they would not score again for the rest of the half as the Faithful kicked five points on the spin.
And it was Offaly who kept that momentum going on the resumption with Bernard Allen and Nigel Dunne pointing to leave just two points in it.
However, Derry would stir themselves and Enda Lynn, James Kielt and Emmett Bradley all pointed, but the midlanders came with another surge to cut the gap to two again.
It took unanswered scores from Danny Tallon, Mark Lynch and and Enda Lynn to finally seal the deal for Derry.
