Canavan to continue with Fermanagh

Tyrone legend Peter Canavan is to stay on as Fermanagh senior football manager, it has been confirmed.

It had been reported that Canavan was considering his position after the Ernesiders were knocked out of the All-Ireland SFC qualifiers by Cavan last week.

He took over from John O'Neill last November and although they secured promotion from Allianz League Division 4, Fermanagh lost the divisional final to Wicklow and had back-to-back Championship defeats to Down and Cavan.

Canavan was given a three-year term for his first inter-county managerial appointment, with an annual review at the end of each season.

In the wake of the Cavan game, Fermanagh defender Barry Mulrone expressed the players' wishes that Canavan and his management team remain in place.

"From the players' point of view we all want him to stay and all the backroom staff as well," Mulrone told the Fermanagh Herald.

"He was appointed for three years and I think I can speak for all the players in saying we would want him there for three years.

"But Peter is his own man and if he feels like something is not right then that is something that he will want to deal with."

However, Canavan obviously feels he can make further progress with the Fermanagh panel and has agreed to manage his adopted county in 2013.

The statement released by the Fermanagh County Board read: "Senior officers of Fermanagh County Board met with senior team manager Peter Canavan as part of the annual management review process.

"A very constructive meeting took place in which concern was expressed regarding misleading press interpretation of comments made by the team manager following Fermanagh's exit from the Championship.

"Following this review, the Fermanagh County Board are pleased to announce that Peter Canavan will be managing the Fermanagh senior football team next season.

"The Fermanagh County Board would like to thank Peter and his backroom team and the players for their dedication to the county in 2012 and look forward to the 2013 season."