McGrath inspires big finish

SFC Qualifier Round Two/ Fermanagh 0-15 Clare 0-10: Martin McGrath made a marked difference to his side's cause when sent on by Fermanagh manager Charlie Mulgrew 10 minutes into the second half of this All-Ireland qualifier at Cusack Park, Ennis, on Saturday.

The 2004 All Star inspired the Erne men to come from behind, and - smarting from their defeat to Armagh in Ulster - Fermanagh put in a storming finish to carve out a merited five-point win and deny Clare on a sodden evening on which both sides, to their credit, played well.

The home side were the quicker to settle, and though scores were hard to come by, Clare's short passing gave them a distinct early advantage.

Clare's Denis Russell opened the scoring on two minutes.

Tom Brewster pointed for Fermanagh in the fifth minute before full-forward Stephen Hickey restored his side's lead.

Fermanagh gradually got to grips with their opponents, and when Seán Doherty pointed with his right foot from play they took the lead after some 16 minutes.

With just minutes to go to half-time, the Ulster outfit had increased their lead - 0-6 to 0-3. But in a late Clare rally, Denis Russell pointed a 20-metre free and then in injury time scored a wonderful point from an acute angle on the left wing.

After the break Clare midfielder Ger Quinlan levelled, and in the 61st minute Clare led 0-10 to 0-8 thanks to another Russell free. But that was Clare's last score.

Tom Brewster posted two frees and a 45, McGrath kicked two points and Brewster put the icing on the cake with two successful free-kicks.

FERMANAGH: C Breen; R McCluskey, B Owens, S. Goan; P Sherry, H Brady, R Johnson; J Sherry, M Murphy; M Little (0-1), T Brewster (0-7), E Maguire (0-2); A Little, S Doherty (0-1), C O'Reilly (0-1). Subs: D Kelly (0-1) for O'Reilly (half-time), M McGrath (0-2) for Murphy (45 mins), F Reilly for M Little (50 mins), N Bogue for Johnson (69 mins).

CLARE: D O'Brien; P Gallagher, C Whelan, K Dilleen; N Considine, B Considine, G Kelly; G Quinlan (0-1), P O'Dwyer; M O'Shea (0-2), David Russell, Denis Russell (0-6); E Coughlan, S Hickey (0-1), M O'Dwyer. Subs: R Donnelly for Hickey (38 mins), R Slattery for Kelly (43 mins), D Kelly for Whelan (60 mins), D Blake for Coughlan (65 mins), P Neylon for Quinlan (69 mins).

Referee: C Kelly (Meath).