Mannok Fermanagh Senior Football Championship
Derrygonnelly 2-11 Enniskillen Gaels 1-15
Last year’s Ulster Club finalists and Fermanagh senior champions Derrygonnelly have been knocked out by Enniskillen Gaels after a pulsating semi-final in Tempo on Saturday.
The game was a repeat of last season’s Fermanagh SFC final, but the outcome was very different.
Last November, Derrygonnelly clinched their sixth title in seven seasons with a 2-8 to 0-5 win at Brewster Park.
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Enniskillen will feel they didn’t do themselves justice on that occasion, but they didn’t enjoy the ideal start to Saturday’s semi-final either.
After midfielder Brandon Horan opened the scoring for his side inside 12 seconds, Enniskillen goalkeeper Cian Newman was picking the ball out of his net at the other end moments later.
Ryan Jones played a long delivery into the full-forward line and Newman came off his line to clear the danger, but was unable to stop wing-back Shane McGullion from flicking the ball past him and into the net.
McGullion’s bravery came at a cost, however, and between colliding with Newman and a heavy fall, the Derrygonnelly defender was to play no further part in proceedings.
With two scores inside the first 90 seconds, the game was end-to-end in the first half with both teams kicking some excellent scores from distance.
Garvan Jones and Conor McGovern were on target early on for the 2021 champions while John Horan, Conor Love and Conor McShea kicked fine points for Enniskillen.
Conall Jones (Derrygonnelly) and Callum Jones (Enniskillen) were also accurate from placed balls.
The goal gave the Harps a three-point cushion almost entirely throughout the first half, but the four minutes of injury-time owing to McGullion’s injury allowed Enniskillen to close the gap to two points with Jones converting another free deep into stoppage time.
Within three minutes of the restart, Enniskillen were level after Jones scored a free and Conor Watson fired over a great point from play.
Yet, they were hit by another sucker punch goal as Derrygonnelly scored a carbon-copy of their first - this time with Eamon McHugh getting on the end of Jones’s excellent ball inside.
Conall Jones and Callum Jones traded frees on 40 minutes, but Enniskillen got themselves back in contention with a goal of their own as John Horan palmed into the net following a pass across the face of goal from McShea.
The centre-forward reacted quickest after Watson’s effort hit the post and Enniskillen took the lead moments later when Jack Tierney scored from play.
When they hit the front, Simon Bradley’s men played with much more confidence and composure than their opponents with Eoin Beacom hitting some excellent kick passes into the forward line.
Derrygonnelly’s shot selection in the final quarter was poor for a team of their experience with the holders only scoring two points in the final 20 minutes.
They also missed the chance to net a third goal 10 minutes from time when they overplayed the ball when Leigh Jones was through on goal.
The defender opted to pass rather than shoot himself, but Conor McGovern was swarmed by Enniskillen defenders and turned over.
Their final chance to salvage a goal in stoppage time also fell to Jones and he blasted his effort over the crossbar to close the gap to a point, but the free-taking prowess of Jones and John Reihill had given Enniskillen enough of a cushion in the closing stages as they held out for a one-point victory.
They’ll meet either Kinawley or Belleek in the county final with the second Fermanagh SFC semi-final taking place on Sunday at Derrygonnelly at 4pm.
Derrygonnelly scorers : Garvan Jones 0-4 (0-2fs), Conall Jones 0-3 (0-3fs), Eamon McHugh 1-0, Shane McGullion 1-0, Conor McGovern 0-2, Stephen McGullion 0-1, Leigh Jones 0-1.
Enniskillen Gaels scorers: Callum Jones 0-5 (0-5fs), John Horan 1-1, Brandon Horan 0-2, Jack Tierney 0-1, Eoin Beacom 0-1, Conor Watson 0-1, Conor McShea 0-1, Neil McDermott 0-1, Conor Love 0-1, John Reihill 0-1 (0-1f).
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