Club Players’ Competition Division 1 Playoff
Derrygonnelly 0-14 Enniskillen Gaels 1-11
(Derrygonnelly win 3-1 on penalties)
DERRYGONNELLY will take two-points forward to the main league after they won a 3-1 penalty shoot-out against Enniskillen Gaels in a gruelling encounter at Canon Maguire Park on Friday.
The game was far from a top-class sporting encounter with both sides, who were without a number of key players through injury and unavailability, coughing up numerous chances and opportunities.
The Harps dominated the opening exchanges with Stephen McGullion landing the first two scores of the game, before Cal McAnespy got Enniskillen off the mark after 12 minutes.
Gareth McGovern and Jack Tierney added scores, with the Harps 0-3 to 0-2 up at the break. Enniskillen made a strong start after the restart with Jamie Steele levelling the sides.
With 34 minutes on the clock, Simon Bradley’s side were awarded a penalty when referee Gerard Gallagher adjudged that defender Ronan McHugh led with the elbow in the square.
Steele, a local Fermanagh and Western player, made no mistake from the penalty spot, sending Derrygonnelly goalkeeper Jack Kelly the wrong way to put the Gaels three ahead.
Ross Bogue added on a point for Enniskillen, but Derrygonnelly rallied with cousins Gareth McGovern and Connor McGovern converting for the Harps to reduce the deficit to two points.
Gaels sub Ethan Beresford made an impact in the game, kicking over two scores. Derrygonnelly came roaring back with Connor McGovern (2) and Declan Cassidy leaving two between the sides.
McGovern tagged on another for the Harps and with one minute left of normal time, Harps substitute Conall Rasdale fired over off his left foot, levelling the game at 0-10 to 1-07, forcing it to extra-time.
Scores were hard to come by in the first 10 minutes of extra-time with both sides failing to convert.
Ethan Beresford managed to tap over a close range free to put the Gaels ahead, but they were again tagged back with 66 minutes on the clock, when Rasdale kicked his second point of the game.
In the second period of extra-time, McGullion and Steele traded scores, before the Harps stretched their advantage out to two points with fisted scores from sub Niall McKenna and Aaron Jones.
Enniskillen, though, continued to battle and they managed to muster up two final scoring opportunities with Luke McAnespy and Beresford firing over to force the game to a penalty shoot-out.
Luke McAnespy’s effort from the spot soared over the crossbar with McGovern making no mistake, rolling the ball coolly to the bottom right corner of the net, leaving Fergal Quinn rooted to the spot.
Steele and Cassidy both missed their second penalties, before Beresford and Niall McKenna converted to leave Derrygonnelly 2-1 ahead after three penalty kicks had been taken at Canon Maguire Park.
Caelan Jones agonisingly pulled his penalty to the left of the post, with Eamon McHugh sealing the win for Derrygonnelly when he rattled the ball high into the roof of the net.
Sean Flanagan’s side will take two points forward to the main league when it starts later this month, with Enniskillen Gaels carrying one point into the nine-round league.