Fermanagh beat Cavan but can't avoid relegation

STAR MAN: Garvan Jones of Fermanagh. File pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Cavan 1-13 Fermanagh 2-14 

Fermanagh kept their side of the bargain at Kingspan Breffni but failed to escape the national league trapdoor.

Fermanagh enjoyed the lion’s share of possession early on and star man Garvan Jones soon showed his quality.

In a poor quality first moiety, Jones was luminous under the lights and his three classy points from open play helped Fermanagh into a 0-5 to 0-3 lead with 28 minutes on the clock.

Jones turned creator in the dying minutes of the first half when his floated effort over Cavan’s advancing full-backs found Sean Cassidy and in a jiffy the hosts’ net was billowing.

Fermanagh’s workrate remained sherpa-like on the restart as they looked to consolidate their 1-6 to 0-4 interval lead.

The visitors showed they had the sharper teeth too with the game’s stand-out player Jones netting in soccer style after being set up in similar fashion by Lee Cullen in the 43rd minute.

Jones’ major made it 2-8 to 0-5 but Cavan belatedly made a game of it and an incisive move by Ciarán Brady paved the way for Paddy Lynch to goal with a rasping shot.

Moments later Fermanagh eyed a third goal but Gary O’Rourke held onto Conor McShea’s fly-kicked effort.

Back came Jones though with a timely point but the leaders missed a glorious chance of sealing the deal in the 58th minute when making a hash of a three-on-one with the ball being fisted wide after a breakaway attack.

Cavan beavered away to the death but to no avail with star man Jones appropriately notching the final score of the game.

Cavan: G O’Rourke; C Reilly, B O’Connell, L Fortune; C Brady, C Rehill (0-1), N Carolan; J Smith (0-2), K Clarke; D McVeety, O Brady, O Kiernan; R O’Neill, P Lynch (1-7, 6f, ’45), Caoimhín O’Reilly.

Subs; Cormac O’Reilly (0-1) for R O’Neill (inj, 16); Conor Brady for K Clarke (h-t); C Madden (0-2, 1f) for Caoimhín O’Reilly (h-t); T Madden for O Kiernan (h-t); P Meade for L Fortune (67).

Fermanagh: R Bogue; L Cullen, C Cullen, O Smyth; D McCusker (0-2), S McGullion, C McManus; F O’Brien (0-2) , J McDade; C McGee, C McShea, R McCaffrey (0-1); U Kelm, G Jones (1-8, 1f), S Cassidy (1-1, 1f).

Subs; J Largo Ellis for R McCaffrey (46); B Horan for C McManus (59); D King for S Cassidy (63); O Murphy for D McCusker (65).

Ref; K Eannetta (Tyrone)