Shane McCabe tries to turn toward the Meath goalposts as Donal Keoghan reaches around for the ball.
IF the fans were disappointed at the manner of Fermanagh’s defeat at Navan on Sunday, they were no sorrier than the players.
Speaking on Monday, Shane McCabe (31) spoke for the group: “It was a match we should have won and could have won. We definitely had the chances in that we missed three or four goal chances to put a good stamp on the match at the start of the second-half, myself, Tomas and Tommy.
“If we had taken even one of those chances, it would have been a different outcome. It’s very disappointing because our main aim this year was to maintain our Division 3 status and then go on and try for promotion, especially when we knew we had to beat Meath.”
As for the game itself, he said Fermanagh had no fears about meeting Meath again, and he felt that the team showed great determination and character in the second-half, playing against a difficult wind.
“There are a lot of positives to be taken out of it, but there are things we will definitely gain experience from.”
Shane joined the employ of Town Gate, a Belfast-based insurance company four months ago and, now injury-free, he is enjoying the game after a year and half’s absence.
“Playing-wise, this year has been going very well, the work rate is being put in and there’s a togetherness in the squad and morale’s great, so it was disappointing we didn’t get to the Division 3 NFL final in that it would have been special for a Fermanagh team.
“But, hopefully, we will have a long enough summer with the Ulster championship, and we’ll see how we get on.”
One feature of the squad that tickles him is what he calls, ‘the youth club’, the group of younger, talented players in the squad who tend to stick together.
“They have to be back in bed by 10 o’clock”, he joked. “But, seriously, while they may not get game time this year, they will learn from the Navan experience as to what players should and could have done. They’re a great bunch of lads.”
As to what happened and what didn’t happen at Navan, Shane follows The Three Musketeers’ motto of, ‘one for all and all for one’.
“There are a lot of people looking at the sending-off as a turning point. OK, it didn’t help us, but no one is pointing the finger at Declan. He has put in a tremendous season so far and he’s part of the reason we came within an ace of qualifying for the Division 3 final.”