SENIOR GAME SCORING
l FIRST HALF
Three minutes: A tornado of an opening for Fermanagh as they rock the opposition with a goal which in a way sets the tone for the remainder of the contest. A couple of early attacks for both teams had fizzled out before Fermanagh set the home attendance alight with expectation.
Mark Murphy hoists in a free kick from midfield, full forward Liam McBarron touches the ball down and it is collected by Eamon Maguire. The corner forward is forced sideways before managing to fist for a point. Fortune favours Fermanagh, the ball floats across goal, spins down of the upright into the path of McBarron and he punches home.
Fermanagh 1-0 Monaghan 0-0
Five minutes: Monaghan respond to this setback with their opening score. Corner back Dermot McArdle threads a good ball through to Tomas Freeman, his shot also clips the woodwork but it spills well back to the 13metre line where wing half forward Conor McManus scoops up before tossing over a point.
Fermanagh 1-0 Monaghan 0-1
Ten minutes: Eamon Maguire shows his appetite and determination to win possession under enormous pressure. He is subsequently fouled and Ryan Keenan who will have a prolific day, opens his personal account with the successful placed kick.
Fermanagh 1-1 Monaghan 0-1
Eleven minutes: Monaghan carve out perhaps their best score of the afternoon. Eoin Lennon drills down a long, precise pass to Stephen Gallogly who in turn supplies Tomas Freeman. The key Monaghan forward duly swings over a neat score underlining just what a danger he poses. A singular warning to Fermanagh that Freeman will have to be policed more tightly.
Fermanagh 1-1 Monaghan 0-2
Fourteen minutes: Referee Derek Fahy had already been quick to penalise over holding. Fermanagh wing back Damian Kelly is the latest to be penalised as he dithers in possession out on the wing.Monaghan take the free immediately, and midfielder Eoin Lennon latches onto the kick before hoofing over his score. Monaghan appear to have settled after their early trauma.
Fermanagh 1-1 Monaghan 0-3
Fifteen minutes: Fermanagh comeback with a point from what should have been an impossible position. Ryan McCluskey hits a pass deep into the right corner pocket where it is picked up by corner forward Ciaran McElroy. The Ballinascreen player who was to show force and drive on the ball on several occasions through the match, squirrels his way in along the endline and then manages to squeeze over his shot from the most acute of angles.
Fermanagh 1-2 Monaghan 0-3
Eighteen minutes: Fermanagh restore their goal lead. Good approach work involving a number of players, Mark Little and Liam McBarron especially, finishes with a foul on McElroy. Keenan is tasked with the free from a slightly awkward position but steers the shot over.
Fermanagh 1-3 Monaghan 0-3
Twenty four minutes: The game has been evenly pitched for several minutes, chances not converted at both ends. Paul Finlay pulls a Monaghan free wide of target, Shane Goan well up in support of his attack, spirals a long shot wide. Eamon Maguire hits the game's next score, swooping on broken possession some thirty metres out from goal and knocks over a neatly judged point.
Fermanagh 1-4 Monaghan 0-4
Thirty minutes: Monaghan are next on the mark but prior to that they had survived a touch and go situation. A Mark Murphy shot comes back off the upright, falls to Liam McBarron but goalkeeper Shane Duffy sprints smartly off his line to smother the McBarron goal bound shot. Monaghan attack at once, a fast incisive raid that is rounded off by full forward Vincent Corey who splits the uprights. Is this a definitive few moments which will shape the outcome?
Fermanagh 1-4 Monaghan 0-4
Thirty minutes: This is not to be the case, at least for the moment anyway. For the final score of the half falls to Fermanagh. Once again a clutch of players combine to set up the scoring opportuntity, McCluskey, McElroy, Murphy before Martin McGrath strides forward to spiral over a well taken score. Fermanagh have delivered a hugely encouraging first half effort. A lot of work still on hand, but a platform has been laid.
HALF TIME:
Fermanagh 1-5 Monaghan 0-4
SENIOR GAME SCORING
l SECOND HALF
Thirty seven minutes: No surprise that Monaghan would restart with all guns blazing. They had invested far too much time and energy into this championship to allow it to slip away simply because of an indifferent opening thirty five minutes. In any case they were only a mere four points adrift so the game was by no means beyond recovery. They had early encouragement with a pointed free from Tomas Freeman, the award for a footblock tackle.
Fermanagh 1-5 Monaghan 0-5
Forty two minutes: Monaghan on the ball again, Eoin Lennon hitting the second score in a row for his side. Is this going to be a repeat of the earlier minor game when Fermanagh failed to capitalise on a reasonable half time lead? For a few moments it looks a possibility.
Fermanagh 1-5 Monaghan 0-6
Forty seven minutes: The Fermanagh apprehension is intensified as Monaghan clip over another score. The chance is initiated by a determined advance by corner back Dermot McArdle through the heart of the centrefield before possession flows on to Paul Finlay who fires over with an accurate shot. The lead trimmed to the minimum, Fermanagh have recognised that alterations have to be made, James Sherry making way for Shane McCabe. A pivotal period looming here, the game certainly poised with Monaghan enjoying their most encouraging passage of the contest. Fermanagh badly need the boost of a score.
Fermanagh 1-5 Monaghan 0-7
Fifty minutes: The under pressure Erne team get not one but three of the next four scores to claw their way to safety. First score comes from a Ryan Keenan free which just about tumbles over the crossbar. But the lead up to the score had been impressive, a Thomas McElroy surge unhinging a back tracking Monaghan defence, Martin McGrath then involved before possession filters through to Liam McBarron who is hauled down. Difficult enough shot for Keenan but he obliges.
Fermanagh 1-6 Monaghan 0-7
Fifty one minutes: One of the game's best scores as Fermanagh hit two inside sixty seconds. Substitute McCabe makes a contribution in approach play and Mark Little swirls over a precisely judged kick from distance.
Fermanagh 1-7 Monaghan 0-7
Fifty three minutes: Monaghan keep their hopes afloat with a score from substitute Ciaran Hanratty. A long ball that is allowed by the Fermanagh defence to bounce is gathered up by Hanratty who drives a searing shot that just clears the crossbar. A distinct moment of danger for Fermanagh.
Fermanagh 1-7 Monaghan 0-8
Fifty five minutes: The crucial second goal, a score which totally undermines Monaghan's belief. They had been working hard since the resumption to eliminate a four point Fermanagh lead. They had pared it to one. It was currently at two, the goal leaves them floundering five adrift. All the endeavour they had been putting in since the break had been next to useless. From a Monaghan point of view it was a slapdash goal, far too easily conceded. Ryan Keenan, aiming presumably for a point, sees his kick spill instead across the goalmouth and Ciaran McElroy manoeuvres himself to get on the end to touch home the goal that effectively signed and sealed the result.
Fermanagh 2-7 Monaghan 0-8
Fifty eight minutes: Fermanagh follow on with a smashing score. Patient play on the left wing finally sees McCabe glide over an immaculate score that spirals over the bar, a two goal lead established, the winning post in sight.
Fermanagh 2-8 Monaghan 0-8
Fifty nine minutes: Tomas Freeman hits a Monaghan free but the sting has gone out of Monaghan and over the remaining ten minutes they will fade away.
Fermanagh 2-8 Monaghan 0-9
Sixty two minutes: Lennon hits a free for Monaghan to reduce the lead to four. Still sufficient time left to resurrect a revival but the vitality has seeped from Monaghan. Fermanagh are now mopping up practically all ball around the middle of the park. A string of Monaghan fouls also adds to the woes of the chasing side and in truth if Fermanagh had been more ruthless the gap between the teams would have stretched. But four points is a good cushion and the Erne boys have romped to a major win.
FINAL SCORE
Fermanagh 2-8 Monaghan 0-10.
