Mannok SFC Quarter-Final
Belnaleck 1-13
Teemore 1-14
By Mark McGoldrick
TWO late scores from sub Eoin McManus fired Teemore into the Fermanagh Senior Football Championship semi-final for the first time since 2020 following a deserved win over Belnaleck.
Played in Bellanaleck, Tony Collins’ side put in a mammoth performance, showing all of their resilience and determination to stage a late comeback, to book their place in the last four.
The opening quarter was nervy, with both teams struggling to convert their early chances.
Belnaleck were the first to strike, with seven minutes on the clock, when wing half back Glenn Treacy finishing off a quick team counter attack to the net and past the helpless James Maguire.
Colm McNally replied for Teemore, before Jason McCaffrey then stroked over a fine two-pointer.
The game was end to end with the sides trading scores, Ciaran McBrien with two frees for Daniel Kille’s Belnaleck, while Aaron McManus, Ruairi Maguire and Damien Lee scored for Teemore.
The sublime Garvan Quigley then kicked a two point free to level the sides after 20 minutes.
Owens and Aaron Lee traded scores late on, before Seán McNally swooped for Teemore’s goal with 27 minutes played, firing low to the net, to put his team 1-07 to 1-05 up at the break.
Belnaleck rang the changes at half-time with Darragh McGurn, who missed all of the previous championship games through injury replacing keeper McGovern, with McBrien going into goals.
Dan O’Connor and Aaron Lee traded scores after the break, before the clinical Quigley kicked over a trademark two-point free off the ground to level the game with 40 minutes on the clock.
Maguire and Colm McNally replied for the Shamrocks, before Quigley kicked another standout two-point free to equalise the encounter and keep the Art MacMurrough’s in the encounter.
Colm McNally kicked two more scores for Teemore, with Belnaleck struggling to deal with the in-form forward, switching county player Lee Cullen back in a bid to curtail his influence.
Quigley then pointed another free for Belnaleck to reduce the deficit to one, with nine to play.
Tony Collins’ charges were dealt a blow when the influential Seán McNally had to be replaced with 52 minutes on the clock after he picked up what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
Quigley showed his composure to strike over another two-point free to put them one in front.
McManus, who had just entered the fray, levelled the game with a standout free on 60 minutes.
He then proved to be the match winner, pointing an excellent ’45 to secure a major victory for the Teemore men, setting up a crunch championship semi-final meeting with Derrygonnelly.
TEAMS
Belnaleck: Conor McGovern, Michael Keenan, Feargal Keenan, Gareth Presley, Glenn Treacy, Kane Connor, Lee Cullen. Che Cullen, Dermot Lewsley, Garvan Quigley (0-09, 4 x 2p), Connor McAuley, James Speight, Ciaran McBrien (0-02, 2f), Dan O’Connor (0-01), Bryan Owens (0-01). Subs: Darragh McGurn for C McGovern (HT), Peter Monaghan for G Presley (36), Ronan McGurn for D Lewsley (47), Eamon Greene for B Owens (60).
Teemore: James Maguire, Dara McManus. Rían McNally, Ciaran McManus. Damien Lee (0-01), Aaron McManus (0-01), Jason McCaffrey (0-02, 1 x 2p), Conan Donohoe, Ronan McCaffrey, Cian McManus, Jack Quinlan, Ruairi Maguire (0-02), Colm McNally (0-04, 1f), Seán McNally (1-00), Aaron Lee (0-02). Subs: Eoin McManus (0-02, 1f, 1 ‘45) for J McCaffrey (blood 35), Jason McCaffrey for E McManus (blood 42), Niall Clarke for C Donohoe (42), Eoin McManus for S McNally (52).
Referee: Noel McDonagh (Brookeborough)