Sport

Fermanagh ease pressure Division One B

Fermanagh 2 -8 Kildare 0-9 Fermanagh eased their relegation worries with a battling win at Newbridge

Mon Mar 03 2003 - 00:00

Fermanagh 2 -8 Kildare 0-9 Fermanagh eased their relegation worries with a battling win at Newbridge. Kildare may have fielded their weakest side to date and it showed - they were no match for a resilient Fermanagh, who have overcome a poor start to the campaign with back-to-back wins.

Kildare came into the game third from bottom of Division One B and remain in line for relegation with Sligo - while Fermanagh are clear of the drop zone.

Three of Kildare's nominated 15, Padraig Brennan, Aidan McHugh and Andrew McLoughlin, failed to line out because of injury. But they at least had strong vocal support and took the lead within minutes when corner forward Tadhg Fennin pointed two early frees.

Fermanagh's midfield of Paul Brewster and Martin McGrath had the better of exchanges with Ronan Sweeney and Killian Brennan, and the visitors opened their account when corner forward Ryan Keenan got in behind Kildare's defence, collected a well-timed pass from Raymond Gallagher and netted from close range.

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Kildare's best goal opportunity came when Ronan Sweeney had only Ronan Gallagher to beat, but the Fermanagh goalkeeper pulled off the first of a number of fine saves.

Kildare rallied in the second quarter and with John Doyle and Fennin on target from frees led by 0-6 to 1-2 at half-time.

Fermanagh started the second half strongly and were rewarded with a point each from Liam Donnelly and Raymond Gallagher.

They then put the game almost beyond Kildare's reach with the second goal of the afternoon, centre forward Gallagher combining with Stephen Maguire and Keenan.

Kildare fought back and scored a couple of points but never looked like saving the game.

Ronan Gallagher made another fine save, this time from Glenn Ryan, to keep a clean sheet.

With 15 minutes left Kildare were just a couple of points in arrears but Keenan and Ciaran Donnelly each scored from play to settle the issue.

FERMANAGH: Ronan Gallagher; D O'Reilly, B Owens, M Lilly; J Gilheany, R McCluskey, S McDermott; P Brewster, M McGrath; T Brewster 0-1, Raymond Gallagher 1-1, C Donnelly 0-3 1f; R McCabe, S Maguire 0-2, R Keenan 1-1. Subs: N Cox for O'Reilly, R Johnson for McCabe, C Bradley for McDermott and S Doherty for Keenan.

KILDARE: E Murphy; E Callaghan, R Quinn, D Hendy; D Lyons, G Ryan, A Rainbow 0-1; K Brennan, R Sweeney; K Ennis, T Rossiter, J Doyle 0-3 all frees; P Hurley 0-1, M Wright, T Fennin 0-4 all frees. Subs: P Mullarkey for Brennan, P Murray for Wright, C O'Reilly for Hurley.

Referee: G Kinneavy (Roscommon).