Fermanagh hold out to secure hard-earned victory over Carlow 

GOAL-GETTER: Conor McShea of Fermanagh. Pic: Inpho

Tailteann Cup: Fermanagh 1-13 Carlow 0-13 

This was a hard-earned second-round Tailteann Cup win for Fermanagh at Netwatch Cullen Park with the Northerners securing their place in the next stage of the competition.

Ché Cullen and Declan McCusker scored points in the opening minutes which suggested the visitors meant business. 

A white flag apiece from Ross Dunphy and Darragh Foley (free) for Carlow levelled matters and it remained close for the entire game Fermanagh absorbed Carlow’s best efforts from deep. 

Another Cullen point restored Fermanagh’s lead but a series of wides under pressure from a hard-hitting home defence kept the visitors at bay.

In the opening half, Carlow defenders, Mikey Bambrick and Jamie Clarke both raised white flags to keep the home side in touch. 

Eric Molloy also had a goal chance but the Fermanagh defence crowded out the ball carrier as he tried to get in a meaningful shot.

Minutes before the interval, Fermanagh’s Sean Cassidy found Conor McShea who got through what looked to be an alert Carlow defence but he still found the net. At the interval, Fermanagh led 1-4 to 0-6.

The second half continued much the same as the first with both sides making errors but also picking off some nice scores.

The visitors substitutes made a big impact with Conor Love, Jonathan Cassidy and Darragh McGurn all keeping the scoreboard ticking over. 

Darragh Foley’s free-taking kept the home side in touch but Jamie Clarke and Cormac Lomax both pointed in the second period.

In the third quarter, when the visitors were caught on the break, Carlow counter-attacked but Fermanagh did well to get numbers back and a possible goal for the home side was prevented.

Every time Carlow got back at Fermanagh to bring the game down to a two-point margin, they could never create a sizeable gap in the scoreboard but they just about did enough to keep Carlow at a distance.

In quick succession, Conor Love with two points and one each from Jonathan Cassidy and Darragh McGurn kept Fermanagh on the front foot.

In injury time, Carlow poured everything into hopes of securing an unlikely match-saving goal but Fermanagh held firm. The visitors maintained a grip on the game and were relieved to hear the full-time whistle.

Scorers for Fermanagh: Conor McShea 1-0, Conor Love (1f), Ché Cullen, Ultan Kelm, Josh Largo Elis 0-2 each, Declan McCusker, Jonathan Cassidy, Darragh McGurn, Shane McGullion, Fionan O’Brien 0-1each 

Scorers for Carlow: Darragh Foley 0-6 (5fs), Jamie Clarke 0-2, Mikey Bambrick, Ross Dunphy, Aaron Amond, Cormac Lomax, Ciaran Moran 0-1each.

FERMANAGH: Sean McNally; Lee Cullen, Ché Cullen, Jonathan Cassidy; Declan McCusker, Shane McGullion, Josh Largo Elis; Brandon Horan, Joe McDade; Callum Jones, Conor McShea, Fionan O’Brien; Ultán Kelm, Garvan Jones, Sean Cassidy.  

Subs: Ronan McCaffrey for C Jones (31), Conor Love for G Jones (47), Darragh McGurn for S Cassidy (58), Aidan Breen for Horan (65).

CARLOW: Johnny Furey; Colin Byrne, Mark Furey, Eric Molloy; Mikey Bambrick, Jamie Clarke, Colm Hulton; Conor Doyle, Ross Dunphy; Aaron Amond, Paddy McDonnell, Conor Crowley; Liam Gavin, Darragh Foley, Cormac Lomax. 

Subs: Kevin Murphy for Gavin (49), Niall Hickey for Lomax (55), John Phiri for Hulton (59), Ciaran Moran for Byrne (59), Shane Buggy for Molloy (68).

Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone).