Ryan McMenamin blasts GAA chiefs over treatment of Fermanagh after Clare loss

Allianz FL Division 2 

Clare 1-11 

Fermanagh 1-9 

Joe Ó Muircheartaigh, Cusack Park

Fermanagh manager Ryan McMenamin launched a blistering attack on GAA chiefs after his Covid-19 hit side were relegated from Division Two of the Allianz League following a defeat to Clare in Cusack Park.

The three-time All-Ireland winner with Tyrone blasted the Association’s hierarchy for refusing to grant a postponement of this sixth round fixture to his side that only trained collectively for the first time as a group last Friday night,

“You talk about the integrity of the league, you talk about player welfare,” said McMenamin. 

“I’m looking at the NFL, a billion-dollar league and they’re postponing games. I didn’t see the GAA rapid response team sprinting out to Leitrim to test all the players. There are two tiers in football and we know that if this happened in Tyrone the game wouldn’t have been played. But I’m proud of the lads. It’s been very difficult. We could have made a stand on this but at the same time we wanted to see where we were at and played the game,” he added.

A game in which they were competitive throughout, but playing catch-up against a Clare side that never looked back after a stunning individual goal from Joe McCann five minutes before half-time proved to be the defining score of an entertaining contest.

The Doolin man ghosted in from the right corner before pirouetting onto his left and blasting high to the net for a goal that helped Colm Collins’ side into a 1-6 to 0-6 lead.

“It was a touch of magic by Joe,” enthused manager Collins afterwards. “How he got the shot in I’ll never know, but it was a brilliant goal and it gave us the cushion right through the game. Anyone who thought Fermanagh were going to come here and lie down here were sadly mistaken,” he added.

Tómas Corrigan showed well for the Erne County in the first half as they more than held their own, but Clare’s greater attacking threat in producing five different scorers in the half was testimony to their greater options and superiority on the scoreboard.

Corrigan’s fifth point did bring the margin back to two points early in the second half, but with the slight wind at their backs, a confident Clare side gradually eased towards their third win of the campaign thanks to some brilliant long-range points either side of the second water-break. Captain Eoin Cleary, Jamie Malone and Cian O’Dea all found the range as they moved 1-11 to 0-9 clear with ten minutes remaining.

By this stage the Clare management had begun to empty the bench, with seasoned campaigners such as Gary Brennan, David Tubridy and Kevin Harnett, as well as the Collins brothers, Podge and Sean, all making appearances, but at the same time they had some anxious moments in that second half.

Declan McCusker blazed a good goal chance wide mid-way through proceedings, while six minutes before the end substitute Aidan Breen saw his effort cannon off keeper Eamonn Tubridy’s left-hand post to safety.

Then when Fermanagh’s goal eventually came it was too late - Ciaran Corrigan’s strike from a penalty that was awarded after a foot-block by Podge Collins came five minutes into injury time, with the final whistle sounding 40 seconds later.

“It was all about getting the two points,” reflected Colm Collins. “While we’d be very disappointed with the way we played it’s two more points. We’re so delighted to be playing sport and there has been great energy at training and the lads have really done well,” he added.

The victory means that Clare, while still looking over their shoulder at the relegation dogfight, also have a chance of returning to Division 1 for the first time in two decades if they beat Armagh next Saturday in Cusack Park and results elsewhere go their way.

Scorers for Clare: E Cleary (0-4, 1f, 1 ‘45), J Malone (0-3), J McGann (1-0), K Sexton (0-2, 1f, 1 ‘45), C O’Connor (0-1), C O’Dea (0-1).

Scorers for Fermanagh: T Corrigan (0-5, 2f,1m), C Corrigan (1-1, 1-0 pen), D McCusker (0-1), P McCusker (0-1), D McGurn (0-1).

CLARE: E Tubridy, G Kelly, C Brennan, E Collins, A Sweeney, A Fitzgerald, P Lillis, C O’Connor, C Russell, E McMahon, E Cleary, J Malone, K Sexton, J McGann, C O’Dea.

Subs: G Brennan for McMahon (40), P Collins for Sweeney (54), D Tubridy for McGann (65), S Collins for E Collins (67), K Harnett for Fitzgerald (67).

FERMANAGH: S McNally, P McCusker, L Flanagan, K Connor, J Ellis, J McMahon, C McManus, E Donnelly, S McGullion, C Corrigan, R Jones, C Jones, D McCusker, T Corrigan, R O’Callaghan.

Subs: D McGurn for P McCusker (46), A Breen for C Jones (46), L McStravick for O’Callaghan (52), E Courtney for T Corrigan (52), D Ó Cathlin for McGullion (71).

Referee: J Bermingham (Cork)