A superb game of football for the opening 35 minutes descended into a sloppy, error-ridden contest after half-time at Ederney this afternoon, but by that stage Fermanagh had built up a comfortable lead and were able to easily hold Longford at bay to pick up the first victory of this year’s Allianz Football League.
gainst Louth in last week’s O’Byrne Cup final, Longford won a lot of clean catches at midfield through Fergal Sheridan and Darren Gallagher, and close to goal through David McGivney.
This afternoon players like Ryan Jones and Darragh McGurn controlled the middle for Fermanagh, while Che Cullen produced a man of the match performance in the full-back line to shut down McGivney.
Iarla O’Sullivan did strike two excellent points from wing back in the first half for Longford, but outside of that, Fermanagh were in complete control and were full value for their 0-11 to 0-6 interval lead.
Seán Quigley struck five frees in that opening half while there were some exceptional points from Jonathan Cassidy, Ryan Lyons, as well as Jones and McGurn, with Paddy Collum producing an exceptional reflex save to deny Seán Cassidy.
Longford played their best football of the game in the opening ten minutes of the second half and they cut the lead to three points through a McGivney free and Keelin McGann, but they were overwhelmed for the remainder of the game and despite Fermanagh racking up eight second half wides, the home side cruised to a comfortable win.
Scorers – Fermanagh: S Quigley 0-7f, D McGurn 0-2, S Cassidy 0-1, R Jones 0-1. R Lyons 0-1. J Cassidy 0-1, U Kelm 0-1, C McManus 0-1. Longford: D McGivney 0-4f, I O’Sullivan 0-2, D Farrell 0-1f, K McGann 0-1.
Fermanagh: S McNally; J Cassidy, C McManus, C Cullen; L Flanagan, J Largo Ellis, R McCaffrey; R Jones, B Horan; U Kelm, D McGurn, S McGullion; R Lyons, S Quigley, S Cassidy. Subs: T McCaffrey for Cassidy (50), C Corrigan for Lyons (50), G Cavanagh for Cullen (60), A Breen for McGurn (67), F O’Brien for Largo Ellis (70+1).
Longford: P Collum; P Fox, A Farrell, B O’Farrell; R Moffett; G Rogers, I O’Sullivan; D Gallagher, F Sheridan; K McGann, D Farrell, M Quinn; D McGivney, D Mimnagh, D Reynolds. Subs: A Farrell for D Farrell (32), J McGivney for Quinn (46), P Lynn for Rogers (46), PJ Masterson for Moffatt (55), R Smyth for McGann (63).
Referee: J Gilmartin (Sligo).
