Co. Tyrone Premiers 4 Co. Fermanagh Premiers 1
Fermanagh Premier boss Marc McCleery was left to reflect upon a ‘contrasting performance’, as Fermanagh followed up their impressive win over Armagh with defeat against hosts Tyrone at the George Henderson Tournament in Cookstown.
A quickfire double by Finlay Ross put the hosts in a strong position, rewarding a dominant start before Ollie Taylor halved the deficit for Fermanagh before the break, with an effort soaring into the top corner.
Ross completed his hat-trick in the second half however, with a low finish, before Thomas Slater sealed victory and the trophy for the Red Hands with a curling effort.
It was a complete contrast to our first game,” explained McCleery, admitting that he seen both sides of his squad on Saturday.
“We gave Tyrone too much time on the ball, and we didn’t deserve to get anything from the game. We struggled to get going, and although Ollie Taylor scored a great goal, we couldn’t force our way back into the contest.”
Fermanagh’s Tadhg Kernaghan made an early save from Slater, before Tyrone netted their first goal. Ross powered an effort from 12 yards beyond Kernaghan.
The host county continued to dominate and added a second soon after; a long throw by Jamie Johnston helped into the net by Ross via the aid of a deflection.
Fermanagh halved the deficit just after the midway point of the opening half though when Taylor’s left-footed effort curled into the top right corner of Matthew Hayman’s goal, giving the Ernemen a route back into the game.
Yet, Tyrone and Ross made the perfect start in the second half, with Ross netting his second and the third for his side inside the first minute, the midfielder applying a low finish following quick intricate play.
Tyrone then confirmed victory with 11 minutes to play. Daniel Sweeney pulled the ball back from the right side towards Slater, who rifled home from close range securing the George Henderson trophy. McCleery feels that the combination of fatigue and a lack of belief contributed to his side’s defeat in the second game but insists that there were positives to take from the day.
“We were half a yard off it right from kick off,” he said.
“This could have been because of the effort that the lads put in during the opening match. Our heads seemed to go down when Tyrone scored, which was disappointing. But it is something we can learn from, as well as the positives that we can take from the day.”
Co. Fermanagh Premiers 3 Co. Armagh Premiers 1
A THUNDEROUS volley from Alfie Jones capped off a confident start to the George Henderson Cup for the Fermanagh Premiers, who saw off Armagh 3-1 on Saturday at the Mid Ulster Sports Arena in Cookstown.
Marc McCleery’s side were sharper and slicker from the off, with a John Ritchie header and Joshua Humes’ curling finish putting them firmly in the driving seat by half-time.
But it was Jones who stole the show after the break — cushioning an Armagh clearance on the edge of the box before sending a dipping strike into the top corner to seal the win with just over ten minutes to go.
A late consolation goal for the Orchard County by Michael Emerson failed to dampen the spirits of McCleery, who was full of praise for his troops.
“We fully deserved the win” stated McCleery. “The boys worked hard off the ball and limited Armagh to few scoring chances.
“We were throwing ourselves into tackles and blocks, giving them no time to play. It was a very pleasing performance.”
Fermanagh broke the deadlock on 13 minutes. Raphael McCoy’s initial effort was saved by Matthew Pollock, before the Armagh shot-stopper blocked Jack Woods’ follow-up attempt. However, the ball then fell to McCoy, with his cross from the left finding Ritchie at the back post to head home and break the deadlock.
Fermanagh were ruthless in the final third, adding a second with 20 minutes played. Jones thought about having a go from the edge, but he opted to play the ball out to Humes on the left side.
This proved to be the right call, as Humes cut onto his right foot and curled an effort beyond an outstretched Pollock.
Armagh came out in the second half in determined mood, but Fermanagh continued to carve out the better scoring chances, with Jones getting on the scoresheet, in some style. Receiving the ball from an Armagh defensive clearance, Jones took a touch on the edge before unleashing an effort that looped into the net.
Emerson netted at the back post for Armagh with the last kick, but it was Fermanagh’s day in the opener and McCleery praised the clinical finishing of his players.
“When we did get our opportunities, we were clinical, which was something we had struggled with in previous weeks,” he said.
“We scored some high-quality goals, and it shows the progress we have made in recent weeks. It was great to get our first win against one of the county sides.
“This was a real confident boost for the lads.”