ULSTER SFC QUARTER-FINAL/Fermanagh 1-13 Cavan 0-13:FERMANAGH BOSS Malachy O'Rourke revisited his old stomping ground to leave Cavan's provincial hopes in tatters for another year.
The former Cavan Gaels team-manager saw his side stage a late smash and grab act at Kingspan/Breffni Park on Saturday last to net them a semi-final date with Monaghan at the same ground on June 27th.
In the dregs of a slow-to-the-boil game which seemed destined to go to extra-time, seasoned campaigner Ryan Carson popped up to plunder a precious goal in the 64th minute and dispatch Cavan to the qualifiers.
Fermanagh were full value for their win which was their first ever senior championship conquest of their more illustrious neighbours.
O’Rourke admitted afterwards his side wouldn’t have been fancied by many to tear up the script after suffering relegation to Division Four of the NFL.
“It would have been very easy for the lads to have put their heads down after our league campaign.
“They could have come to the conclusion it was not going to be our year and there was a lot of negativity about.
“The players all stuck together and it was a complete team effort that has got us to where we are now. This is just one win in the championship for us though and we’re facing a massive step up in class against Monaghan.”
Fermanagh owed almost everything to Ryan Carson’s clinical late strike. When a long delivery from Tommy McElroy broke off the out-stretched arms of powerful sub,Quigley, goalscorer Carson collected and wrapped his left leg around the body of Eoin McGuigan to steer the ball to the Cavan net from point-blank range.
In the 29th minute Fermanagh forward Paul Ward ought to have goaled but he skied his close range effort over the bar after James Sherry and Carson had cut open the static Cavan defence.
Two minutes earlier, the otherwise subdued Cian Mackey bore in on goal but shot from eight metres was brilliantly blocked by Ryan McCluskey and so went Cavan’s one and only goal chance.
Cavan played second fiddle in the opening quarter and while they recovered to lead 0-8 to 0-7 at the interval, they flattered to deceive in trying to engineering clear water between themselves and their opponents.
Fermanagh were laboured in their efforts to build up a 0-3 to 0-2 after 13 minutes but even at that stage their superiority in the close quarter exchanges was ominous for the blues.
The teams were level twice in the first half – five times overall. There were some fine scores though with Ryan Carson’s over-the-shoulder effort a gem in the 13th minute. Paul Brady then notched an ace of a point in the 17th minute from 46 metres which squared the match at 0-3 apiece.
The second half was a carbon copy of what had gone before with Rory Gallagher converting a free in the 46th minute to level matters once more at 0-10 apiece.
Séamus Quigley was sprung from the bench in the 48th minute to replace Gallagher and what a telling move it proved.
With his first touch of the ball, the Roslea clubman pointed to propel Fermanagh into a two -point lead, 0-12 to 0-10, for the first time since the 5th minute.
David Givney’s curler made it 0-12 apiece in the 63rd minute.
Fermanagh hit the jackpot though less than 90 seconds later when Carson pounced for the goal.
FERMANAGH: R Gallagher; N Bogue, S Lyons, B Mulrone; D Ward, R McCluskey, T McElroy; J Sherry, M McGrath; D Keenan (0-1), R Carson (1-3, one free), M Little; P Ward (0-3), R Gallagher (0-2, two frees), C O’Brien (0-2). Subs: S Quigley (0-2) for R Gallagher (48 mins); Damien Kelly for D Ward (63 mins); C Flaherty for M Little (64 mins).
CAVAN: F Reilly; D Sheridan, T Corr, M Cahill; P Brady (0-1), E McGuigan, A Clarke; C Galligan, D Givney (0-2); R Flanagan, G Smith (0-4, two frees), M McKeever; C Mackey (0-1), S Johnston (0-3, one free), M Brennan (0-2). Subs: M Hannon for A Clarke (41 mins); M Reilly for M Brennan (55 mins); L Mulvey for M McKeever (61 mins).
Referee: P Fox (Westmeath)
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