BY DAMIAN CAMPBELL
WEXFORD ..........................3-15
FERMANAGH .....................0-20
A wonderful effort from Fermanagh in this compelling NFL Division three decider at Parnell Park.
But disastrously a flawed effort and the flaws were to eventually prove to be the key factors in deciding the outcome of a richly entertaining contest that ebbed and flowed from start to finish over the course of an enthralling ninety plus minutes.
Despite the flaws this was in many ways an exhilarating Fermanagh effort and it was a day to lodge in the memory bank.
An afternoon, resonant with the warm memories of just a few seasons back.
Spring sunshine, the team travelling to Dublin for a major occasion. We'd have gladly taken this back in the shivering days of early February.
Over the course of the league campaign we have come out on the right side of a string of close encounters. This time we came up short, the law of averages coming into play.
Very disappointing not to have completed the business with the collection of the silverware but there is still a raft of positives to be taken from this performance and from the league programme as a whole.
The championship can be looked ahead to with confidence.
No great analysis required to isolate the reasons why we ended the beaten side last Sunday.
We conceded three goals, all three the result of defensive mistakes and we failed to reply with one goal of our own.
Nine points conceded and it would have been an achievement of massive proportions to have carved out a win without registering at least one goal in reply.
Two goals conceded in the early minutes left us with a mountain to climb, a reverse of the recent game in Lisnaskea. Climb it we did with a resolute display that was laced with some superb individual contributions.
None more so than that of Mark Murphy who delivered a majestic effort.
From the position that we found ourselves in, after a handful of minutes we had forged a superb response to force the contest into extra time. A case of always chasing, the most difficult of tasks in any game.
And in that first period of extra time we finally got our noses in front. A triumph beckoned.
But a third goal was to totally unhinge us and that was a blow that couldn't be absorbed. Wexford who had been wobbling were rejuvenated by the gift, for gift it was, and they pulled away in the second period of extra time.
It had been a terrific effort from Fermanagh. Twenty points scored, more than adequate to win the vast majority of games. But not on this occasion and the team and support was left to disconsolately reflect on what might have been.
Still the team management have plenty of good points to work on over the coming weeks as the decision day with Monaghan in Brewster Park looms ever closer and the frustration of this unfortunate defeat will be forgotten.
It had looked a totally different situation within a few minutes of the throw in for in stark contrast to the earlier clash in Lisnaskea, it was Wexford who enjoyed a blistering opening spell.
The Leinster swept in for two goals which jumped them into a commanding lead that momentarily seemed to bamboozle Fermanagh. Both goals came as the direct result of defensive mistakes.
Failure by corner back Declan O'Reilly to cut out a pass left a glaring hole in the full back line. Wexford exploited it mercilessly with Shane Roche, Ciaran Lyng swiftly exchanging passes and the feed on went to Mattie Forde who struck his shot past stranded keeper Fergal Murphy.
Goal two was even worse, a ball fumbled in the heart of the goalmouth and the spill was poked home by half forward Adrain Flynn. It was little short of disaster and at that moment, Fermanagh were staring at a demolition.
But they were to respond superbly to the daunting position that they had created for themselves. By the time that the interval was reached they had clawed their way back to within a point.
It had been a remarkable fightback and the team had served notice that they were not going to be dispatched without a grim fight on their part.
Eight points in all tallied up after they had set about hauling down the hefty Wexford lead. Mark Murphy, who was to go on and have the kind of game, players must dream about, got the revival up and running with two fisted points. Ryan Keenan who was also to have a major input, floated over a couple of long range placed kicks and other scores came from Martin McGrath, Ciaran McElroy and Mattie Keenan.
Best score of the lot was the final point of the half, Eamon Maguire spiralling over a splendid score to round off what had been a hugely impressive team response to the difficulty they had found themselves in.
Wexford however had not been overwhelmed. They had continued to look dangerous and had shot a couple of points to keep ahead but they would have felt that they had allowed a strong position to be eroded, as they trudged in for the break.
On the restart, Fermanagh immediately levelled with Mark Murphy striding through from the throw in to slot over a fine score.
Murphy who was to also produce an electrifying display of high fielding was to be the dynamo of a full blooded second half Fermanagh charge.
It was to be a pulsating thirty five minutes. Wexford hit back with a brace of scores from Forde, who was to finish his day's work with a goal and seven points tally.
Fermanagh thundered up the park, Murphy arrowing over a super score, Martin McGrath also on the mark with a nonchalantly taken sideline kick, this levelling the game and we were embarking on a riproaring finale.
Into the final twenty minutes and Wexford were awarded a penalty for a technical offence, keeper Murphy overcarrying.
A mistake on his part but he was to make amends by arcing low to his left to palm away Forde's shot.
The rebound went to Ciaran Lyng who had to be content with a point. The Leinster team were now to have another promising spell which yielded up two further points and with less than ten minutes remaining they had edged three clear.
But there was no question of Fermanagh allowing this game to slide away from them.
They hit three points from Tom Brewster, Ryan Keenan and Mark Murphy in the space of five drama charged minutes.
Two minutes to go and the sides level once again.
PJ Banville nudged Wexford in front but Fermanagh hung in and fully deserved to put the issue into extra time when Ryan Keenan, in a tight position found enough run to pop over the last gasp equaliser.
It was no more than resolute Fermanagh deserved for the manner in which they had buckled down to the formidable task they had faced so early in the game.
So into the first spell of ten minutes and essentially the match was decided here.
Fermanagh not surprisingly given the fact that they had come from nowhere, were to be the sprightlier side. They had most of the attacking but were to shoot two wides before they finally managed to take the lead for the first time.
A point each from Tom Brewster and Mark Little, the latter scoring with his first touch, sent Fermanagh pulses racing. A sensational win was on the horizon.
But suddenly it was snatched away as Wexford were presented with a third goal.
An innocuous ball floated in from the right wing dropped down into the heart of the Fermanagh goalmouth where inexplicably it wasn't cleanly held by goalkeeper Murphy and the ball bounced off the inrunning Paddy Colfer into the net.
It was a savage blow to Fermanagh's spirit and they never recovered from it.
Wexford were now on a roll and in the final ten minute period they galloped their way through for a further five points, Forde really coming into his own at this late stage.
Fermanagh were not to completely collapse, they had a point each from Mark Little and Ryan Keenan, but the cause had been fatally torpedoed by that third Wexford goal and there was no comeback in a game which was to finish in something of an anti climax.
