FERMANAGH ...........................2-8

ANTRIM .................................2-7

Fermanagh minors left it very late indeed to claim over Antrim in this Saturday lunchtime league tie played in sunny conditions at Tempo.

The team appeared to be heading for a second successive defeat, they had fallen to Donegal in midweek in Ballybofey, but they were to rescue a victory with a matchwinning goal on the stroke of full time.

From an Antrim point of view it was a very poor goal to concede, their hapless goalkeeper failing to cleanly field a lob into his goal area and the ball spilled down to Fermanagh substitute Kane Connors who gleefully poked the chance home.

So a slightly fortunate win for the Erne boys after a lively enough contest which had seen little to separate the teams at any juncture and fortunes were to sway this way and that.

Fermanagh had been the brighter team in the opening twenty minutes and had eased themselves several points in front but they had then found themselves overhauled by an improving opposition and were to find themselves a point adrift at the interval.

The second half was to provide some entertaining fare as both teams had their spells of ascendancy and the match was evenly enough balanced though as the final minutes got underway, Antrim seemed to have done just about enough to squeeze out a win.

But the defensive lapse was to be costly for the visitors and they had no time to salvage the situation.

Fermanagh fielded a somewhat stronger lineout than the one which had been on duty in Ballybofey with a number of the St Michael's MacRory panel now on board.

One of the top players on view was corner back Martin Quigley who had a very tidy performance over the course of the sixty minutes and showed himself to be a defender who possesses anticipation and tenacity.

A bit patchy in most other sectors but sufficient cameos served up by a number of players and overall this was an encouraging display.

The teams exchanged quick points before Fermanagh embarked on one of their best spells of the game as they pushed out into a reasonable lead.

Tomas Corrigan chipped in with two scores and Ryan O' Keefe had a point sandwiched in between and the side was beginning to look purposeful but then it suddenly went awry for them and their three point advantage was swiftly wiped out.

Antrim grabbed a goal which basically came out of the blue, corner forward Mark McLernon snapping up loose possession and he beat goalkeeper Jackson with a crisp, low shot. Full forward Fleming who had been wayward with two placed kicks made amends for this with a splendid point arrowed over from the right wing and Antrim again pressed in for another score, this one supplied by McLernon.

Fermanagh's earlier composure was shaken but they did steady themselves in the lead up to the interval, Joe O'Brien denied a goal by a smart save from keeper Morgan and substitute Richard O'Callaghan tossing over a point prior to the interval leaving a score line of 1-3 to 0-5.

Successes for both attacks came in a competitive third quarter, Corrigan and O'Callaghan on the mark for Fermanagh, Fleming, McGowan and McAleese responding for Antrim.

On the threequarter mark came a couple of goals in the space of a minute to raise the tempo of the game further. First goal fell to Fermanagh, a long ball tossed in by Ronan Ormsby cleared the Antrim full back line, and the confident Corrigan scurried in to place his precise shot home.

It gave Fermanagh the lead but it was to be shortlived advantage as Antrim struck back immediately, Fleming and centre half forward Mark McGowan combining for the latter to tuck away his opportunity. That score came with ten minutes remaining and it had Antrim two to the good.

Fermanagh were to work hard in attempting to trim back the deficit and Niall McCusker speared over a shot, this however answered by an equally fine effort from solid Antrim centre back Paddy Gallagher, leaving those two points the gap.

Coming now very close to the full time whistle.

Fermanagh were awarded a penalty but Corrigan's shot smacked back off the base of the upright and that seemed to be that. Another attack ended with a free kick and the chance of a point was ignored.

Instead the ball was plopped into the Antrim goalmouth. Initially this was cleared but only partially, and another lob was tossed in. This time fortune favoured Fermanagh as goalkeeper Morgan fumbled and Connors was on hand to extract the full penalty for the error

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Teams;

Fermanagh;

M Jackson; M Quigley; T Daly; P McCaffery; J Duffy; PJ Rogers; P Leonard; G Connolly; R Jones; D McCusker; T Corrigan; R Ormsby; R O'Keefe; N McCusker; J O'Brien; Subs; R O'Callaghan; B Cox; G Leonard; K Connors;

Antrim;

M Morgan; M Kane; M McAleese; P Owens; D McClean; P Gallagher; J Lavery; JP McCann; M McGuckian; R McLoughlin; M McGowan; C Hasson; B McLernon; C Fleming and E McNeilis

Referee E Mc Hugh Tyrone;