Fermanagh ease to comfortable win over Tipperary
GAA: Allianz National Football League Division 3 Round 5
Fermanagh 2-11
Tipperary 0-8
Report: Shane Brophy in Ederney
MATCH DIGEST
Player of the Match: Shane McGullion (Fermanagh)
SCORERS – Fermanagh: Aidan Breen 1-2; Sean Quigley 1-1; Shane McGullion, Ciaran Corrigan 0-2 each; Josh Largo Ellis, Tommy McCaffrey, Diarmuid King 0-1 each.
Tipperary: Teddy Doyle, Jack Kennedy (1 free) 0-2 each; Michael O’Reilly (free), Kevin Fahey, Mark Stokes, Stephen Quirke 0-1 each.
Tipperary are running out of lives in trying to retain their division 3 status after they left Fermanagh empty handed in this fifth round Allianz Football League clash on Sunday.
In truth, it was a game the visitors never looked like winning, trying to play a containment game in the first half but once they conceded the first goal to Sean Quigley on ten minutes, it was a difficult task from there for a side struggling to score at the other end.
Quigley’s goal came from a rebound after Ultan Kelm brought a fine save out of Michael O’Reilly for a 1-2 to 0-1 lead with Kevin Fahey having Tipp’s opening point. Jack Kennedy was prominent for Tipp in the early going and he pointed from play on twelve minutes but his sin-binning for a deliberate pull down on twenty minutes proved costly as the visitors were outscored 1-3 to 0-1 in his time off the field, the key score being Aidan Breen’s goal on 27 minutes after a Tipp attack broke down up field with fly-goalie Michael O’Reilly unable to get back to his posts in time.
O’Reilly did manage Tipp’s only other score in the half from a 47-hard free as they trailed 2-6 to 0-3 at halftime.
Tipp got the ideal start to the second half in their attempt to reel in the home side with Teddy Doyle landing two monster points but Fermanagh quickly reasserted themselves with half backs Shane McGullion and Aidan Breen adding to their tallies. Indeed, the Fermanagh defence contributed 1-5 to their scoring effort.
Sub Stephen Quirke make an immediate impact with a mark and point before his high catch played in fellow replacement Riain Quigley whose goal chance was well saved. If score it would have given Tipp some life. Instead, they had to settle for a Jack Kennedy free.
The game petered out from there as Fermanagh held Tipperary at arm’s length with Mark Stokes adding Tipp’s only other score as they fell to a nine point defeat.
TEAMS – Fermanagh: Sean McNally (8); Lee Cullen (8), Luke Flanagan (7), Ronan McCaffrey (7); Aidan Breen (7), Shane McGullion (8), Jonathan Cassidy (6); Ryan Jones (6), Brandon Horan (6); Josh Largo Ellis (6), Ryan Lyons (5), Ultan Kelm (7); Conor McGee (6), Sean Quigley (7), Tommy McCaffrey (7).
Subs: Garvan Jones (6) for Lyons (25); Declan McCusker (6) for Breen (47); Ciaran Corrigan (7) for McGee (47); Che Cullen (6) for Flanagan (56); Diarmuid King (7) for Quigley (65).
Tipperary: Michael O’Reilly (Clonmel Commercials 6); Shane O’Connell (Golden Kilfeacle 6), Jimmy Feehan (Killenaule 7), Willie Eviston (Loughmore/Castleiney 7); Emmet Moloney (Drom & Inch 8), Kevin Fahey (Clonmel Commercials 7), Colm O’Shaughnessy (Ardfinnan 7); Paudie Feehan (Killenaule 7), Jack Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials 6); Mark Stokes (Kilsheelan/Kilcash 7), Donough Leahy (Arravale Rovers 6), Teddy Doyle (Ballina 7); Colman Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials 6), Conor Cadell (JK Brackens 6), Sean O’Connor (Clonmel Commercials 6).
Subs: Mark Russell (Aherlow Gaels 6) for C Kennedy (46); Riain Quigley (Moyle Rovers 6) for Cadell (48); Stephen Quirke (Moyle Rovers 7) for O’Connor (48); Cathal Deely (Clonmel Commercials 6) for Eviston (56); Luke Boland (Moyle Rovers 6) for Leahy (59).
Referee: Kevin Faloon (Armagh)