QUARTER FINAL

St Joseph's score another shock

ST JOSEPH'S ...... 1-6

DERRYGONNELLY ..... 1-5

Easily the best game of the championship so far.

A captivating, riproaring contest that ended in a dramatic flurry of intense excitement as Derrygonnelly pegged back a five point deficit to apparently salvage the game, only to be turfed out of the race when underdogs St Joseph's poached a late winning point.

A championship clash that had all the traditional ingredients that go to fashion a match that will be long remembered, a gem amid so much dross.

And everyone, with the obvious exception of the Derrygonnelly team and their support, will have been thoroughly entertained by the exhilarating fare served up in this major upset.

St Joseph 's had already chalked up one giant-killing act by disposing of Roslea in the preliminary round and they had the audacity and more importantly, the ability, to repeat the dose.

For there was no questioning the merit of the Ederney Club's triumph. From the opening minute in which they popped over their first point, they gave immediate indication that they were up for the challenge and were going to make matters extremely difficult for the more fancied Harps.

All through that first half, they more than held their own against a Derrygonnnelly team that just couldn't shift out of a low gear. St Joseph 's reached the interval a point ahead but they should have had a more comfortable position established. Poor accuracy from a number of placed kicks had been the weak point in what had otherwise been a splendid team performance.

Derrygonnelly had been hanging in, but would not have been especially downbeat as the interval approached. They had been flat but despite their lame effort they were by no means out of the hunt. More than adequate time to turn matters around and the interval pep talk would presumably get the show back on the road.

But Derrygonnelly were to have that half time review refocused to some extent as they had had midfielder Garret Greene sidelined just before the break.

Not that playing with 14 players is an insurmountable handicap. In fact, it can often be a stimulus to a struggling side and when the Harps shot an equalising score on 33 minutes the expected order of things seemed to be restored.

St Joseph 's had made their statement but would now pay the penalty for their profligacy. They had put up a commendable display but Derrygonnelly would now at last drive into a higher mode and come through.

A key psychological moment, the game poised.

But instead of Derrygonnelly taking the initiative it was St Joseph 's who once again threw down the gauntlet, Enda Ferris floated them into the lead with a smoothly taken free.

Derrygonnelly were, however, gaining an ascendancy and doing most of the pressing, it seemed only a matter of time before this increasing authority was translated into the required scores.

That scenario was discarded over the next few enthralling minutes as St Joseph 's stormed into an astonishing five point lead and the game had been hoisted to another level that had the attendance absorbed.

In what developed into a pulsating climax, St Joseph 's set the game alight with a goal. A marvellous goal it was, Martin McGrath feeding off a swift offload from Enda Ferris, used his physical strength to stride down the wing, fend off the tackle, cut inside and then expertly slide his shot home low past goalkeeper Dermot Feely.

The score had Derrygonnelly in deep trouble and now there was every prospect of a sensational result. That view was strengthened by another score for St Joseph 's.

This was a smashing point from half forward Ciaran Aiken who swung over a long-range effort, the type of score from a side that is heading for victory. A side for whom things are definitely going their way.

But this game had a lot to offer yet for Derrygonnelly to their eternal credit didn't fold their tents and walk away abjectly.

They set about the herculean task of salvaging the day. Quite clearly, in the relatively short time remaining, they needed a goal if they were to chisel out a remarkable revival.

They began with a point, Paul Ward clipping over a close in free.

St Joseph 's then had two fleeting chances of snatching a second goal before Derrygonnelly thundered in for their goal, which had the game again on a knife edge.

Kevin Cassidy burrowed his way deep into the St Joseph 's defence, found space and smacked in a shot. This was blocked down, there was a momentary suggestion that the spill was picked off the ground by a defender.

It didn't matter, the ball was spilled again and the in-running Cassidy thumped home from the edge of the square.

St Joseph's had had the match won, now they were on the rack and their lead was surrendered as the game moved into injury time when Derrygonnelly hauled themselves level with a neat score from Kevin McGrath.

Surely the momentum that Derrygonnelly had achieved over the previous minutes would be enough to collapse them over the winning line?

Instead, in yet another turn of the screw it was St Joseph 's who claimed the crucial last score, substitute Gerard Mulligan the scorer.

It was a score that contained all the features that built this triumph for the second division side.

Firstly they harassed Derrygonnelly deep in the left corner of their defence and turned over possession. Having done so, they worked the ball across the face of the Harps' goal line, retaining the ball as they probed patiently for the shooting opportunity.

Derrygonnelly defended with resolution but couldn't win the ball back and at last the chance appeared for Mulligan to shoot a score that sent his team into the semi-final.

An evening to savour for Ederney but more importantly, an evening to savour in the championship.

SEMI FINAL

St. Joseph’s Ederney 1-15
Lisnaskea 1-08

St. Joseph’s amazing championship run continued on Saturday evening as they dispatched Lisnaskea with a second half blitz to take them through to a first senior championship final in 38 years.

Last season’s Intermediate Championship winners may be situated in the lower regions of Division Two but championship football obviously brings the best out of them and they blasted their way past Lisnaskea with a powerful performance to clinch a final meeting against Enniskillen Gaels on September 24.

The sides went in level at the break, although it was St. Joseph’s who had been the more dominant of the teams during the period, but in the second half the Ederney men blew away the Lisnaskea challenge with Marty McGrath in sublime form at midfield and Enda Ferris leading the Lisnaskea defence a merry dance.

McGrath was immense throughout the contest and provides this young St. Joseph ’s side with real leadership but it is far from a one-man show with everybody contributing to their success. This is a team that works particularly hard for each other in all sectors of the field and they play with great energy, which Lisnaskea could not live with.

In defence Chris Snow and Damien Cassidy, who shadowed Mark Little’s every move, were excellent while further up the field Declan McKeever, Ferris and substitute Gerard Mulligan were also key performers in the seven point victory.

The underdogs began the game in a lively fashion with Enda Ferris knocking over a point in the opening minute. However, at the other end they were lucky to survive when a Kevin Swift effort crashed off the crossbar and from the rebound Kevin Curran saw defender Snow make a terrific block to deny him a certain goal.

Midfielder Ryan Glancy got Lisnaskea off the mark with a converted ’45 but in general it was St. Joseph ’s who were shading the contest with Ferris tagging on a free. And in the 13th minute they took a grip on the contest when Paul McCusker finished to the net past Lisnaskea goalkeeper Barry McGoldrick after a well constructed move involving John Irvine and Ferris.

As the half progressed the sides shared the next four scores with Greg O’Donnell and Daniel Kille lofting over scores for the Emmetts and Ferris and Aaron Dennison replying for St. Joseph ’s to leave it 1-04 to 0-03.

However, Lisnaskea struck for a goal seven minutes before half-time to throw them right back into contention. Glancy was found in acres of space down the left hand side and he strode forward before drilling a shot past Eugene McDonagh in the St. Joseph’s goal to cut the gap back to the minimum.

St. Joseph ’s responded with a Peter Gormley point but scores from John Woods and O’Donnell left everything to play for in the second half as the sides went in locked together at 1-05 apiece.

A keen battle was expected in the second half but this failed to materialise as the Ederney side took control all over the field right from the off.

McGrath set the tone for the second half with a driving run and shot that McGoldrick did well to push over the crossbar.

Lisnaskea, who found the St. Joseph’s defence in a determined mood, did have a goal chance when John Woods got through but he shot weakly at McDonagh with Ederney making them pay for this miss as they rattled over a succession of points from substitute Gerard Mulligan (2) and Ferris (2) to move into a five point advantage, 1-10 to 1-05.

Lisnaskea’s chances were further hit when goalkeeper McGoldrick was sent off. Kille, who was well shackled throughout by Snow, clipped over a free to reduce the gap to four as the game moved into the final quarter but Irvine answered this with a point for Ederney to keep them in command of the contest.

Things may have been different had Connor Curran’s flick, which had beaten McDonagh, not been cleared off the line by McGrath with eight minutes remaining but this was to be the last real threat to the Ederney goal as they went on to wrap up the game.

Ferris capitalised on an error to knock over his sixth point of the game and with Niall Monaghan, Ferris and McKeever all adding on further scores, substitute Colum Moane and Kille having Lisnaskea’s only response during this spell, the outcome was put well beyond doubt as they claimed a deserving 1-15 to 1-08 victory.

St. Joseph’s: E. McDonagh; C. Snow, S. McCaffrey, D. McAlynn; A. Dennison (0-01), J. Irvine (0-01), D. Cassidy; M. McGrath (0-01), N. Monaghan (0-01); C. Aiken, D. McKever (0-01), D. Deazley; P. McCusker (1-00), P. Gormley (0-01), E. Ferris (0-07).
Subs: G. Mulligan (0-02) for Aiken

Lisnaskea: B. McGoldrick; A. Maguire, M. McKenna, J. Woods (0-01); K. Curran, B. Og Maguire, P. Little; R. Glancy (1-01), C. Curran; G. O’Donnell (0-02), P. Collins, M. Little; K. Swift, D. Kille (0-03), K. Curran.
Subs: D. Collins for K. Curran, C. Moane (0-01) for P. Collins, S. Carters for K. Swift.

Courtesy of The Fermanagh Herald and Impartial Reporter.