Derry pay the penalty
IT'S the tourist trail for Derry once again as they came up short against a fired up Fermanagh side in the Ulster championship semi-final in Omagh last Saturday evening.
A crowd of just over 14,000 witnessed an enthralling contest that swung the Fermanagh men's way early in the second half as they ran out deserving winners 1-11 to 1-9.
Despite going behind 1-4 to 0-1 by the 17th minute, Eoin Bradley's blistering goal helping Derry to that lead, Fermanagh battled back to trail by just two points at the break 1-5 to 0-6. Indeed Fermanagh did get a big break in the 15th minute when Derry had already taken a 1-3 to 0-1 lead, a Conleth Gilligan penalty was brilliantly tipped around the post by goalkeeper Ronan Gallagher for a '45' which Gilligan did manage to steer over the bar for a 1-4 to 0-1 lead.
Had Gilligan goaled the course of the game may well have changed, however it was a super save by Gallagher rather than a bad miss by Gilligan. It proved to be one of two key moments in the game.
The tide began to turn early in the second half as Fermanagh's midfield dominance took hold. Midway through the half Derry still led by two but the stunning introduction of former all-star Barry Owens proved the second key moment and real turning point of the game.
Masterful midfielder Martin McGrath burst forward to lay off to Mark Little, he swung the ball towards the Derry 'square' where Barry Owens darted in to beat both Oak Leaf goalkeeper Gillis and full back McCloy to palm the ball to the net.
It was Owens first touch back in championship football after undergoing heart surgery last year, what a way to re-introduce yourself to big-time football. That put Fermanagh ahead for the first time since they had opened the scoring in the third minute, 1-7 to 1-6, they then added three points in a row to copper-fasten their growing superiority.
Derry did come back with two late Raymond Wilkinson points and almost stole it in a last gasp goalmouth scramble but it was to be Fermanagh's day.
A first Ulster final for 26 years is their reward for 70 minutes plus of high energy football and no little skill. They had a gameplan and they executed it superbly. It may not have been pretty but it was hugely effective as they stifled the threat of Paddy Bradley and to a lesser extent Eoin Bradley.
Meanwhile it was their constant movement and fast paced attacks from deep in their own defence that really had Derry flummoxed. McGrath and Murphy were immense in midfield eclipsing the Derry pair of Diver and Conway while Eamon Maguire was action man personified, he literally covered every blade of grass.
Maguire's selfless running epitomised the collective willingness of this Fermanagh side to work hard all day as their manager alluded to after the game. "The boys were tremendously fit and our fitness coach Leo McBride hasn't got the praise others have. We started off badly but recovered and our fitness levels shone through to take us to the final," he said.
"Not many people gave us a chance but we've great faith in the players and we were not going to lie down.''
When asked how he felt when Derry got the penalty O'Rourke acknowledged that the outcome could have been different if Ronan Gallagher had not saved Conleth Gilligan's penalty when Derry were leading 1-3 to 0-1.
"We knew if we conceded the goal it would have been an uphill battle but once it was saved we knew we had the fitness to come through".
Regarding the introduction of Barry Owens O'Rourke acknowledged it was always going to be a gamble. "With Barry it is just one of those things you take a gamble on - sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't and this time it worked."
Derry can have no real excuses, they may point to the penalty miss at a time when they led by five, an eight point lead at that early stage would certainly have put it up to Fermanagh but such was the grit and determination of the Ernemen that even that deficit may not have deterred them.
A first ever Ulster title is now just a tantalizing 70 plus minutes away for Fermanagh, Down or Armagh stand in their way, meanwhile it's the 'back door' for Derry as they look to the qualifiers in their quest for a first All-Ireland since 1993.
Fermanagh took an early lead through a Ryan Keenan free following a poor ball out of defence by Kevin McGuckin which put Derry under pressure. Patient build-up play by Derry was rewarded when Paul Murphy found wing back Michael McIver in a forward position to swing over the equalizer.
Moments later Eoin Bradley had a shot on goal blocked by defender Peter Sherry before Enda Muldoon went off following a heavy collision with Martin McGrath, Coleraine man Barry McGoldrick coming in as a 'blood sub'.
Another patient build-up led to Derry's second point, Eoin Bradley scoring. Then in the 12th minute Barry McGoldrick was held in his own half, however he took the free quickly, his fine long cross field pass finding Eoin Bradley just inside the '45' line on the left.
Bradley set off and shrugged off Damien Kelly before blasting to the Fermanagh net. Derry were on top at this stage and they moved further ahead as Conleth Gilligan found Paddy Bradley with a free, the Glenullin man slotting the ball between the posts for a five point lead.
Two minutes later it could have been so much better for Derry when Niall McCusker was bundled over by Martin McGrath for a penalty, a dubious call at that, but Gallagher did brilliantly to steer Gilligan's kick round the post for a '45' which was converted for a point.
Derry could have been eight but were six points clear and looking good at this early stage, their patient build-up play being rewarded.
Fermanagh then began to get to grips with matters around midfeld and following good work by Mark Little, Tommy McElroy pushed forward from wing back to point. His partner on the other wing Damien Kelly then did likewise as he linked up with Eamon Maguire, Fermanagh now on the move.
Muldoon returned for Derry, McGoldrick going off, but it was all Fermanagh as Liam McBarron blasted over a point and then Ryan Keenan profited from some sloppy Derry defending to tap over a close-in free.
Derry failed to raise a flag for ten minutes before Paddy Bradley pointed following a strong run from Mark Lynch but Fermanagh finished the half on a high as Ryan Keenan pointed a free to leave just two points between the sides.
There were signs in those closing ten minutes of the half that Fermanaghs' pace and powerful angled running game was causing a somewhat ponderous looking Derry side problems, particularly in the middle third of the pitch.
Fermanagh made their statement eight minutes in when Mark Little swept over a superb point from fully 40 meters out but it was Derry who hit back with a Paddy Bradley point from a free. Paddy Bradley then had a bad wide before midway through the half the biggest cheer of the day from the Fermanagh fans was delivered with the introduction of Barry Owens.
That was outdone seconds later when none other than Owens got on the end of a shot-come-cross to palm to the Derry net.
The men in green were now being roared on by their fans and they delivered in style hitting three points without reply, captain McGrath leading the way with a great point. Murphy then won the ball in midfield before laying off to Eamon Maguire who hit the second of that sequence and then Ryan Keenan tapped over the third.
The sides then exchanged points, Gilligan from a free for Derry, Maguire replying for Fermanagh to keep them four ahead going into the last five minutes. Derry then launched a series of attacks as they tried to retrieve the situation, Wilkinson, a late substitute, pointed and then there was a goalmouth scramble, Conway almost palming in an equalizing goal but Gallagher again saved the day for Fermanagh.
The loose ball was tapped over by Wilkinson as time ticked away. Derry won a late free which was lobbed into the 'square' but that was to be that, the last kick and the referee's whistle signaled a mass invasion from the Fermanagh faithful to salute their Ulster final heroes.
It was joy unconfined for the Fermanagh men, and rightly so, they can now look forward to an Ulster final while Derry must await their uncertain fate in the qualifying series.
Derry: Barry Gillis; Kevin McGuckin, Kevin McCloy, Francis McEldowney; Gerard O'Kane, Niall McCusker, Michael McIver (0-1); James Conway, Joe Diver; Mark Lynch, Paul Murphy, Enda Muldoon; Conleth Gilligan (0-2, 0-1 free, 0-1 '45'), Paddy Bradley (0-3, 0-1 free), Eoin Bradley (1-1). Subs used: Michael McGoldrick for F McEldowney, PaBradley for P Murphy, Paul Cartin for M McIver, Colin Devlin for M Lynch, Raymond Wilkinson (0-2) for J Diver.
Fermanagh: Ronan Gallagher; Shane Goan, Shane McDermott, Peter Sherry; Damien Kelly (0-1), Ryan McCluskey, Tommy McElroy (0-1); Martin McGrath, Mark Murphy; Ciaran McElroy, James Sherry, Ryan Keenan (0-4, 0-3 frees); Eamon Maguire (0-2), Liam McBarron (0-1) Mark Little (0-1). Subs used Shane McCabe for L McBarron, Barry Owens (1-0) for J Sherry, Shane Lyons for T McElroy.
Eoghan Rua Lotto: Sunday, June 22, no jackpot winner. Numbers – 9; 16; 22; 23. There was one 'match 3 numbers' winner of 200 Evlyn Gaile (Coleraine). Sunday, June 29, jackpot 6,500.
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Monday 13 February 2012
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