Fourteen-man Derrygonnelly are crowned champions again

The Harps had to do it the hard way after going down to 14 men in the 18th minute and Belleek could’ve stolen it in the dying minutes when Ultán Kelm rattled the crossbar.

Sun, 22 Oct, 2023 - 18:20

Katrina Brennan

Fermanagh SFC final

Derrygonnelly 2-8 Erne Gaels 0-9

Derrygonnelly claimed their seventh Fermanagh Senior Championship in nine years, holding off neighbours Belleek, who were looking to end a 42-year wait.

The Harps had to do it the hard way after going down to 14 men in the 18th minute and Belleek could’ve stolen it in the dying minutes when Ultán Kelm rattled the crossbar.

It would have been a steal though because Derrygonnelly deserved this win and when captain Stephen McGullion slotted home with a soccer-style finish, deep in added time, it sparked joyous Harps celebrations.

Derrygonnelly enjoyed the perfect start, finding the net with only three minutes played. Conall Jones spotted Barry McCann off his line and hit it high. McCann backtracked only to parry it to Gary McKenna who blasted home.

McKenna stretched the Harps lead from a free before Rían McGovern chipped over their second point.

Erne Gaels finally got the scoreboard moving on 14 minutes with an Ultàn Kelm point but Conall Jones, who was getting on a lot of ball, made it 1-3 to 0-1.

Derrygonnelly were reduced to 14 men when Aidan McKenna was deemed to have struck Odhran Johnston after consultation between the referee and linesman. A straight red was issued and McKenna’s day was numbered.

With an extra man, Erne Gaels did enjoy more of the ball in the final ten minutes and two well-taken points from Tommy McCaffrey and Michael Og McGarrigle brought the deficit back to a goal.

A Conall Jones free made it 1-4 to 0-3 at the break.

The sides traded scores early in the second half. Garvan Jones (free) and Stephen Gilroy on target for Derrygonnelly while Aogan Kelm and Ryan Lyons (free) scores left just a goal between them again.

Derrygonnelly’s lead was back to two points when Lyons was on the end of a good team score but just when the Belleek men needed to kick on, errors crept more and more into their game. Wides, misplaced passes and bad decision making proved costly.

A Shane McGullion fisted point for the Harps was cancelled by an Ultán Kelm free and when Luke Ryder scored a spectacular point it set it up for a grandstand finish.

With two of the additional four minutes played, Ryan Jones lofted over a superb long range score to make it 1-8 to 0-9.

But the drama didn’t end there.

Seconds later, Belleek went in search of a winning goal and Ultán Kelm unleashed an unbelievable shot but it rebounded back off the crossbar.

Instead, it was Derrygonnelly that got a late goal. Belleek spilled possession in their defence and Stephen McGullion was quickest to react and dribbled it 20 yards before slotting home into an empty net to seal the win.

Scorers for Derrygonnelly: S McGullion (1-1), G McKenna (1-1), C Jones (0-2, 1f), R McGovern, R Jones, S Gilroy, G Jones (0-1 each).

Scorers for Erne Gaels: Ryan Lyons (0-3, 1f), Ultán Kelm (0-2,1f), Brian Mullin, Michael Og McGarrigle, Aogan Kelm, Luke Ryder (0-1 each).

Derrygonnelly: J Kelly, A Jones, O Smyth, M Jones, S McGullion (capt), R McGovern, C McGovern, R Jones, S Gilroy, A McKenna, L Jones, E McHugh, G Jones, C Jones, G McKenna.

Subs: R McGovern for Gilroy (42), D Cassidy for McGovern (51), D Ward for L Jones (57), R McHugh for R McGovern (61), J Flanagan for G McKenna (64).

Erne Gaels: B McCann, S Mimna, P Ward, U O’Reilly, O Kelm, B Mullin, M Gilfeddar, M Og McGarrigle, R Lyons (c), O Johnston, T McCaffrey, U Kelm, J McCann, P McCaffrey, A Kelm.

Subs: Luke Ryder for Mimna (42), G McGloin for Gilfeddar (42), D McCann for Johnston (54), S Rooney for McCaffrey (57).

Referee: Gerard McLaughlin (Ederney)