Owens alters Fermanagh's destiny

Fermanagh 1-11 Derry 1-9:FORMER ALL STAR full back Barry Owens put his health problems behind him to score a sensational winning goal and send Fermanagh into their first Ulster SFC final since 1982.

Owens, who had heart surgery earlier this year, came off the bench in the latter stages of a dramatic Healy Park encounter and within a minute had risen above current All Star full back Kevin McCloy to punch to the net.

Derry had made a dream start with a stunning Eoin Bradley goal in the 12th minute, and they had a chance to go eight points clear when they were awarded a penalty three minutes later, but Conleith Gilligan's kick was brilliantly saved by Ronan Gallagher.

Manager Malachy O'Rourke saw that incident as a turning point in a pulsating tussle.

"We always knew there would be setbacks, and we knew that playing against the wind in the first half there was a possibility that we would go five or six points down.

"But if the penalty had gone in, it would have been an uphill battle. Because as well as being seven or eight points down, Derry were going well at that stage, and it would have given them an extra confidence boost.

"It was a great save by Ronan, and it gave our boys a bit of a boost and, from then to half-time, I think we probably played the better football and got ourselves into a great position at half-time."

Fermanagh reacted positively to that penalty let-off, pulling back points through Ryan Keenan and their excellent wing backs Damien Kelly and Tommy McElroy, to trail by just two points at the break, 1-5 to 0-6, with wind advantage still to come.

"It was just a matter then of keeping the head, keep doing the things we had been doing and working hard, keeping that wee bit of composure to kick the ball over the bar when we had wind advantage," said O'Rourke.

Derry, outmuscled in midfield and caught for pace along the flanks, where Eamonn Maguire and Mark Little wreaked havoc, struggled throughout the second half, scoring just once in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, Fermanagh grew in confidence after Owens had grabbed what proved to be the decisive goal in the 54th minute.

Maguire, Marty McGrath and Keenan added points for a four-point lead and, with Paddy Bradley starved of possession, Derry had no answers, despite the 63rd-minute dismissal of the Fermanagh defender Peter Sherry on a second yellow card.

Derry manager Paddy Crozier accepted Fermanagh were vastly superior on the day.

"Fermanagh were the hungrier team. We weren't the second-best team out there, we were third or fourth. But they fully deserved their victory," he said.

And for most of the game, the Derry game plan just wasn't working, with All Star attacker Paddy Bradley, crucially, starved of quality possession.

"We were making the wrong decisions, we couldn't get Paddy Bradley on the ball in the first half. The Bradleys are quality forwards, we needed to get them on the ball and we didn't do that.

"We wanted to make a good start in the first 10 or 15 minutes, which we did. We took the initiative, but we had a penalty there, when we were five points up, and we didn't take the chance," Crozier added.

FERMANAGH: R Gallagher; S Goan, S McDermott, P Sherry; D Kelly (0-1), R McCluskey, T McElroy (0-1); M McGrath (0-1), M Murphy; C McElroy, J Sherry, R Keenan (0-4, three frees); E Maguire (0-2), L McBarron (0-1), M Little (0-1). Subs: S McCabe for Maguire (blood, 8 mins); McCabe for McBarron (50 mins); B Owens (1-0) for J Sherry (53 mins); S Lyons for McElroy (69 mins).

DERRY: B Gillis; K McGuckin, K McCloy, F McEldowney; G O'Kane, N McCusker, M McIver (0-1); J Conway, J Diver; M Lynch, P Murphy, E Muldoon; C Gilligan (0-2, one free, one 45), P Bradley (0-3, one free), E Bradley (1-1). Subs: B McGoldrick for Muldoon (blood, 7 mins); M McGoldrick for McEldowney (half-time); Patsy Bradley for Murphy (54 mins); P Carton for McIver (58 mins); C Devlin for Lynch (65 mins); R Wilkinson (0-2) for Diver (66 mins)

Referee: S Doyle (Wexford).