ANTRIM 2-18 FERMANAGH 3-13 Jim McGuinness was sitting directly in front of the press box at Brewster Park, and in the end turned around to face us with a slightly mischievous grin. "Don't go expecting that next day, boys," he might well have said.
Because this must rank as one of the most unimaginably open Ulster championship matches in living memory, with more scoring chances than hens get at a pecking party.
Antrim's prize for winning – although Fermanagh might have inconceivably stolen it at the finish – is a shot at Donegal in the Ulster semi-final when scoring wont be as easy as it was here.
McGuinness will no doubt be showing his players slow-motion replays of the 2-12 that Antrim’s full forward line of Brian Neeson, Kevin Niblock and Tomas McCann combined to strike over the course of this game, Niblock’s cool head perfectly matched by his younger accomplices. Four more points, all from play, came from the two other McCann brothers, Paul and Michael, while substitute Ryan Murray chipped in with two of his own.
A flurry
Normally, 2-18 would be enough to put away most teams, especially in Ulster, and yet Fermanagh – though they only managed one point in the opening 30 minutes – finished both halves with such a flurry of scores that they somehow had Antrim’s backs to the wall at the death. First, Barry
Owens
gave them something to fight for with their second goal, with just over five minutes to go, before substitute Marty O’Brien struck their third, in time already added on.
Then, in one of those mad runs at goal that had shock championship comeback winner written all over it, Ryan McCluskey unleashed a potential winner, beating Antrim goalkeeper, but not corner back Kevin O'Boyle. Somehow, O'Boyle made the necessary block. It would, as manager Liam Bradley bellowed afterwards, been a "real travesty" had Antrim lost this one.
Indeed Antrim hadn’t beaten Fermanagh in the Ulster championship in 40 years. Neither county had won a match in Ulster since 2010. For long stages it seemed like only Antrim had the required ambition to win.
Antrim led 1-10 to 0-1 inside the opening 30 minutes with a run of scores which left several Fermanagh players looking on in admiration. Antrim also lost two players to black cards too.
Fermanagh started okay – Sean Quigley hitting the opening point after 20 seconds – before then shutting their engines down. Antrim accelerated away and hit 1-10 without reply, Neeson scoring 1-3, his goal on 28 minutes brilliantly finished into the top right corner.
“Run at them,” Bradley could be heard roaring from the sideline, because that tactic was clearly working .
However, Fermanagh eventually hit 1-5 without reply in the last five minutes of the half. Quigley struck the goal, latching on to a long ball from Eoin Donnelly. In reducing the gap to just five points the Erne men now had the momentum.
But Antrim lifted their game yet again, Niblock showing the way with a goal just two minutes after the restart, set up by Tomas McCann. They added , couple of deftly-struck points t.
But instead of closing out the game, Antrim conceded a succession of frees which Quigley popped over. Former All Star Owens smashed home a goal to reducing the margin to six points, before O'Brien added another 1-1. But thanks to O'Boyle's late vital block, Antrim had done just enough. ANTRIM: 1 P Flood; 2 K O'Boyle, 3 R Johnston; 4 N Delargy; 5 M Johnson, 6 J Crozier, 7 J Laverty; 8 M McCann (0-2), 9 N McKeever; 10 C Murray, 11 M Sweeney, 12 P McCann (0-2); 13 B Neeson (1-6, one free), 14 K Niblock (1-3, one free), 15 T McCann (0-3, two frees). Subs: 22 M Armstrong for Murray (19 mins, black card), 19 P McBride for Laverty (37 mins, black card), 25 R Murray (0-2) for P McCann (40), 18 D Lunch for Armstrong (59 mins), 21 for Sweeney (66 mins). FERMANAGH: 1 C Snow; 2 J Woods, 14 B Owens (1-0), 3 C Cullen; 5 D McCusker, 6 R McCluskey, 7 T McElroy; 8 E Donnelly (0-1), 9 R O'Callaghan; 12 P McCusker (0-3), 11 R Jones, 4 L Cullen; 10 E Maguire (0-1), 13 S Quigley (1-6, five frees), 24 P Ward (0-1, one free). Subs: 22 M O'Brien (1-1) for Woods (12 mins, inj), 17 A Breen Ward, 21 M Murphy for Cullen (both 44 mins), 26 R Corrigan for P McCuster (52 mins), 18 B Mulrone for C Cullen (54 mins). Referee: Ciaran Branagan (Down)
