Pacesetters Fermanagh impress again
Goals from Daryl Keenan and Paul Ward in each half helped Peter Canavan’s side beat the depleted visitors at Brewster Park on Saturday night.
Roscommon badly missed their contingent from Connacht champions St Brigid’s as Fermanagh made all the running.
The hosts led 1-5 to 0-3 at the end of a first-half memorable for the superb place-kicking of Sean Quigley and Keenan’s 16th minute goal following a brilliant pass from Shane McCabe.
Fermanagh’s five-point half-time lead was stretched to eight after Ward’s 38th minute goal. But Roscommon rallied with 1-2 inside five minutes, Donie Smith reacting quickest to a ball off the post to drill to the net after 41 minutes. Fermanagh stopped the rot with three points in as many minutes from Daryl Keenan, Shane McCabe and Quigley’s first from play to lead by 2-8 to 1-5.
There was a lot more bite to the second-half, with Fermanagh picking off some easy scores in the last quarter.
Erne midfielder Ryan Jones was dismissed for two bookings nine minutes from the end by which stage the result was no longer in doubt. Michael Finneran added a consolation goal for the losers in injury-time.
Scorers for Fermanagh: S Quigley 0-7 (5f), P Ward 1-0, D Keenan 1-1, E Donnelly, S McCabe, D McCusker, T McElroy 0-1 each
Scorers for Roscommon: D Smith 1-2 (2f), M Finneran 1-0, C Cregg 0-2, F Cregg, C Compton 0-1 each
FERMANAGH: C Snow; D Kelly, S Lyons, J Woods; M O’Brien, B Cox, D McCusker; J Sherry, R Jones; T McElroy, S McCabe, E Donnelly; P Ward, D Keenan, S Quigley
Subs: M McGrath for Sherry 60, T Corrigan for Ward 61, A McGuinness for O’Brien 68, K Connor for Keenan 69, B Owens for Cox 69
ROSCOMMON: G Claffey; S McDermott, N Carty, C Daly; P Brogan, N Daly, N Collins; M Finneran, K Higgins; D Keenan, F Cregg, D O’Gara; D Smith, C Compton, C Cregg
Subs: D Keane for O’Gara HT, C Devaney for C Cregg 54, S Oates for Keenan 57, C Dineen for Compton 67, J McKeague for F Cregg 68
Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan)
