Patience a virtue as Donnelly praises Fermanagh performance against Kildare
UPWARD TRAJECTORY: Fermanagh manager Kieran Donnelly. Picture: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
Before a ball was kicked in Division Two of the National Football League, many would not have expected Fermanagh to have many points on the board.
Following a fine display in Brewster Park on Saturday evening they recorded a four-point victory over Kildare to bring their total to three.
Fermanagh manager, Kieran Donnelly felt his were full value for the win.
“We have trained extremely hard,” he said. “It’s just rewards for the players. “We did feel we were building layers on layers in our performance.
“There were areas that if we addressed them from last week, we would win the game and that’s the way we felt.
“That was the most pleasing thing. We did a lot of things right,” added Donnelly who praised his side’s composure in possession against a physically big Kildare team.
“We were patient enough to find the pockets of spaces and get those 1v1s we needed to generate against a side of their quality.
“I thought that was key to our success.” Fermanagh dominated possession as scores from the Cullen twins, Lee and Che, a Garvan Jones free, and Sean Cassidy point put the home side 0-04 to 0-03 up after 18 minutes.
Kildare’s responses from Mark Donnellan, Paddy Woodgate and Jimmy Hyland were all from frees.
Brian Byrne was then black carded for hauling down Cassidy and Fermanagh would hit 1-03 to 0-01 to take real control of the game, something Donnelly was happy to see.
“I think you do have to [take advantage] in the modern game,” said Donnelly of the black card.
“Now it is not easy, because teams are so well set up now even with a man down.
“I just thought we were patient. I think the key is not to be frantic when you are the man up.”
Donnelly also felt the goal added a fair reflection of his side’s dominance despite the air of fortune in it as McCusker’s attempted point fell from the sky and into the hands of Donnellan and out again and into the net.
“We were dominating the play and probably should have been further ahead. I thought the goal reflected the scoreboard more at that stage.” Kildare would become more dangerous in the second half and get to within three points of Fermanagh. But Sean Cassidy’s goal with 10 minutes to play put Fermanagh out of reach.
“It was a great move, and we have that in our locker. It’s just always that bit of composure at the end.
“Cass did very well he ran the ball into the net. He just used his speed.”Â
Kildare did rally and cut the gap back to four, and it could have been closer only for Ross Bogue saved Kevin Feely’s penalty in injury time.
And for Donnelly, he feels the performance and win will give his charges confidence as they prepare for more tests in Division Two, the first one being Donegal in just under two weeks.
“Donegal are an excellent team, and we know that. They are the talk of the country at the minute. They are thinking of pushing for All-Irelands.
“But that’s the teams you want to play so and that’s the challenge you want to come up against and these players will take confidence from this and take that well into two weeks."
: R Bogue; L Cullen (0-01), C Cullen (0-01), O Smyth; D McCusker(1-01), S McGullion, J Largo Elis (0-01); B Horan, J McDade; C McGee, R McCaffrey (0-01), C McShea; U Kelm (0-02,1f), G Jones (0-02,2f), S Cassidy (1-01) Subs: C McManus for McCusker; D King for Cassidy; T Bogue for McShea (all 73mins)Â
: M Donnellan (0-02,1f,1 45); M O’Grady (0-01), S Ryan, E Doyle; K Flynn, J Sargent, B Byrne; K Feely, K O’Callaghan (0-01); A Beirne, B McCormack (0-02), A O’Neill; P Woodgate (0-02,1f), S O’Sullivan, J Hyland (0-04, 3f) Subs: L Killian for O’Neill, R Houlihan for Byrne (both H/T), C Bolton for O’Sullivan (48 mins), A Masterson for Woodgate, P McDermott for Doyle (both 66 mins)Â
: Seamus Mulhare (Laois)
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