NEWTOWNBUTLER ....................................... 0-9

DEVENISH .................................................. 0-10

Devenish have started the season in fine style, first a home success over Brookeboro which has now been followed up by this key away win over county champions Newtownbutler. A tightly fought encounter this with very little at any stage to separate the sides.

Newtown were to go in at the break trailing by six to five. For the twenty minutes into the second half the First Fermanagh's were to shade matters slightly and they were able to edge in front. But they were never in any way comfortable and always looked susceptible to a Devenish rally.

And this rally duly cropped up over the final minutes, the Garrison team managing to put in a sturdy closing burst that brought them successfully over the winning line and this victory will certainly have given them a very strong sense that indeed they can go somewhere this year.

In a game which saw both sets of defences generally hold the upper hand, in the Newtownbutler rearguard Daniel O'Keefe enjoyed an especially sound match at corner back with Paul O'Brien featuring consistently in the half back line. Further up front however it was to be a less encouraging Newtown performance as the attack failed to make regular headway and here, only Frank Mulligan was to pose a major threat on a consistent basis.

For Devenish, Anthony McGuinness turned in a steady defensive display and Sean Burns once more used his experience to drive the team to greater effort from his pivotal position of centre back. Colm Burns was another to show up well for the 'Blues and Barry Mulrone turned in an especially effective first half performance.

Points for Devenish in that opening period came from Mulrone, Terry O'Flanagan, Sean Burns and Gerard Love with Colm Monaghan, Ryan Carson and James Connolly answering for Newtown.

The same players on the mark for the First Fermanagh's on the changeover, Joe O'Brien and Terry O'Flanagan responding for Devenish the game tied up at eight points each as the final whistle began looming.

Two successful frees from John O'Flanagan were to shade the result for Devenish in a close finale.

Referee Harry Traynor Maguiresbridge.