FIVE and one were the numbers of the day – Fermanagh came so close to being five points ahead of Cork in the table and ended up just one clear, after a match in which five goalkeepers’ names were mentioned but only one goal was netted.
Amazingly, that crucial score only came in added time to put Cork in front for the first time in the match, a sickening outcome for Fermanagh, who led almost throughout, with the teams only level once before that goal.
However, the net really should have bulged on a few occasions before the surprise figure of Cork corner-back Maurice Shanley popped up to palm the ball in from fellow replacement Ruairi Deane’s fisted pass across.
Indeed Fermanagh could have sealed a vital victory a minute earlier when the impressive Shane McGullion surged forward from centre half-back but saw his shot beaten away by Christopher Kelly.
“Shane was excellent, he gets himself into those positions – it was just unlucky that the goalkeeper made a point-blank save,” said his manager Kieran Donnelly. “From that chance they broke and scored their goal.”
Cork could point to other opportunities of their own, notably around the hour mark, first when their full-back Daniel O’Mahony raced forward to rifle a shot against the bar, then minutes later when the relentless running of Matty Taylor set up Brian O’Driscoll, but Bogue saved smartly.
Both sides had changed goalkeepers from the teams listed in the programme, with Kelly coming in for Micheal Aodh Martin and Sean McNally starting instead of Bogue – but an ankle injury to the former led to the latter coming on 15 minutes into the second half.
McNally had saved well from the imposing Conor Corbett early in the second half, having also kept out from Cork midfielder, Ian Maguire, who almost grabbed a significant score late in the first period. Racing onto a quick free from the corner, he shot goal-wards from a narrow angle, put McNally leapt to his left to push the ball clear.
Unfortunately Cork men powering through became a familiar sight for Fermanagh, even though Donnelly had warned his players about that danger:
“I told the lads, Cork play off the cuff and have great physical size – if you switch off they’re going to get in for goal chances, they have powerful runners. At times we struggled to live with that.
Cork boss John Cleary admitted he’d feared a fourth consecutive defeat: “It looked like we might go home frustrated... that it wasn’t going to be our day.
“Fermanagh played outstandingly well in the first half, we were lucky to be just two points down at half-time. But our lads then showed great determination when the game was in the melting pot and got the victory.”
Cleary perhaps over-praised Fermanagh, but they did start strongly, with a score from Sean Cassidy in the opening minute. Josh Largo Elis supplied McGullion on the run and although his low shot was parried round the post, McNally converted the subsequent ‘45′.
Cork were showing few signs of scoring, but their most obvious source, skipper Brian Hurley, got them going from a free won by Colm O’Callaghan. The big midfielder became an increasingly forceful presence, powering onto kick-outs from either end.
Ultan Kelm’s own shooting sights were off for Fermanagh, but he did set up a score for Garvan Jones and a mark for his captain Declan McCusker in quick succession.
Yet O’Callaghan then did similarly, finding Corbett to take a mark, then winning a free (converted by Hurley). To Donnelly’s dismay, Fermanagh weren’t clinical, with several wides and shots dropped short: “We had the lion’s share of possession but we just didn’t maximise our chances when we were on top.”
Still, it seemed like Fermanagh would do just about enough when Kelm opened his account and Jones continued scoring from frees and from play, only for Cork to dominate the closing quarter hour.
The loss of McNally appeared a factor, as he’d been able to get his short kick-outs away even under pressure. With Fermanagh forced long, the Rebels were helped by winning plenty of possession – and plenty of frees, seemingly more easily than their hosts. “I have no comment about the referee,” dead-panned Donnelly.
In the end, the repeated surges forward of red jerseys proved too much for Fermanagh to contain.
The Ernemen got the last two scores, from McGullion and Jones, but the goal they needed never came.
Fermanagh: S McNally (0-1 45); L Cullen, C Cullen, O Smyth; D McCusker (capt.) (0-3, 0-1 mark), S McGullion (0-2), J Largo Elis; B Horan, J McDade; C McGee, R McCaffrey, C McShea; U Kelm (0-1), G Jones (0-7, 0-3 frees), S Cassidy (0-2).
Substitutes: R Bogue for McNally (51, inj.); D King for Cassidy (65); C Jones for Mcgee (68); J McMahon for McCusker (75); J Rehill for Kelm (75).
Cork: C Kelly; K Flahive, D O’Mahony, T Walsh; D Cashman, R Maguire, M Taylor (0-1); I Maguire (0-1), C O’Callaghan; E McSweeney, C Og Jones (0-1), B O’Driscoll; M Cronin, B Hurley (capt.) (0-8, 0-7 frees), C Corbett (0-2, 0-1 mark, 0-1 sideline).
Substitutes: L Fahy for Cashman (h-t); R Deane for Cronin (h-t); S Powter for McSweeney (50); M Shanley (1-0) for Walsh (58); S Sherlock (0-1 mark) for Jones (63).
Referee: Anthony Nolan (Wicklow).