FRUSTRATED: John McElroy
Players left the field as the light gently declined on a sun-kissed Tempo, autumn only just beginning to make itself felt.
For Devenish victory meant a league semi-final to plan for as well as their upcoming championship semi-final. For Tempo, well, that was it. Season over.
Maguires manager John McElroy, for one, wasn’t ready to start contemplating what to do with his free evenings.
“It something I’ve been shouting about at county board meetings all year, the stupidity of playing league games on a Wednesday night when lads are in Belfast and Dublin and other places.” said McElroy.
“You are fielding teams to the detriment of football in the county because you’re lowering the standards. In Fermanagh we play football for six months and then sit about for the other six months. It’s not surprising the standard is the way it is. It is an encouragement to players to play another code. From September to April what do you do? You go and play another code if you’re interested in a ball at all.”
The lack of competitive football is an issue for a Tempo team in transition and McElroy is aware a job of work needs to be done before the Maguires are back dining at the top table.
“We have had an awful turnover in players. From the team that won the championship two years ago we are missing 12,” said McElroy. “We had one forward playing tonight who played in the county final two years ago. The young lads are coming in and trying their best, but you can’t get a team turned around in that period of time.”