Quinn Building Products Fermanagh SFC Final
Erne Gaels v Derrygonnelly Harps
Sunday October 2nd 2016
Brewster Park, Enniskillen @ 4.15pm
Referee – Noel Davis (Teemore Shamrocks)
Derrygonnelly go for a first ever 2 in a row.
Erne Gaels go for a first SFC title since 1981
IT’S difficult to oppose the view that the Championship’s two best teams remain standing as neighbours Derrygonnelly Harps and Erne Gaels Belleek go head-to-head in Sunday afternoon’s County Senior Football Championship final at Brewster Park.
Derrygonnelly are back in another decider, not quite the unstoppable football that swept all before them in the county last season with a first ever double, but still they are in the Final on merit with wins over Ederney and Devenish.
Everything is judged against last year’s standards and while they’ve yet to hit anything close to top gear, there were signs of improved form in their semi-final win over Malachy Cullen’s Devenish.
Derrygonnelly management duo of Martin Greene and Michael Glynn have collected SFC medals playing for their club before and will go into Sundays Final without two County stars in defenders Eamon McHugh and Tiarnan Daly. For any club in Fermanagh to lose two County players would be a major setback but the strength in depth of the Derrygonnelly club is there for all to see with players like Dennis Greene and Neil Gallagher grabbing the opportunity to get a starting place.
As ever the Harps have huge options at their disposal. Jonathan McGurn didn’t get a sniff at a starting place last year with work commitments holding him back in London. This season however McGurn has been a revelation in the full forward line and will be a key asset to the Harps scoring stake on Sunday. Garvan McGinley has been in exquisite form in defence while he can also be a good bet for popping up with the odd point. Elsewhere brothers Ryan and Garvan Jones have an understanding in midfield that very few clubs in Ulster would even have. Paul Ward has become more of a playmaker in recent seasons and it should be interesting to see how Erne Gaels will defend against the football brain of Ward, while Declan Cassidy is like a fine wine that just keeps getting better and better as each game comes this season.
Erne Gaels have to go way back to 1981 since they last collected the Fermanagh SFC title. The Erne Gaels club have an Intermediate Fermanagh title from 2008 but you can be sure that the Belleek side will be hell bent on looking to win on Sunday and take on the headline of ‘Best team in Fermanagh’ against the Harps. Erne Gaels have a number of players with huge experience, Stephen Ryder, Mark Lyons and Damien Lyons have all seen plenty of action over the years while players on the bench that have big game experience include Mark O’Shea and Ciaran Smyth. Added to that is an infusion of quality, young players in the likes of Michael Og McGarrigle, Paul O’Shea, Dara Dolan, Barry McCann and Ronan Cox who will all be playing in their first final. Sadly, they are still forced to plan without long-term injury victim Shane Rooney – a blow for Maurice McLaughlin’s side.
Erne Gaels have been knocking on the door in recent seasons in Fermanagh club football. The Belleek side defeated Derrygonnelly in the 2014 Minor Football Championship Final while the Erne Gaels senior team have picked up Senior championship wins in the last few seasons against sides like Tempo, Enniskillen and this season Irvinestown and Roslea. They had Roslea on the ropes last year in the Semi Final but couldn’t get over the line and have been on the outside looking in until this season.
At face value, their form has been impressive in 2016. They have beat Derrygonnelly twice in the league and have form players in the likes of Jack McCann, Barry McCann and Thomas McCaffrey. Expectations will be huge on the Erne Gaels player’s shoulders and in truth be told there is very little the players can do about this.
This is the acid test: Erne Gaels in a first County final for 35 years. The holders’ Derrygonnelly going for a first ever two in a row to make it 5 County titles to go along with the wins in 1995, 2004, 2009 and 2015.
You can be sure the winning club will be heard 14.6 miles away from the losing club on Sunday night.
It promises to be one hell of a game and we wish both clubs the absolute best of luck.
Throw-in is 4.15pm and the match will be preceded by Derrygonnelly and Enniskillen in the County Under-16 Championship Final at 2.15pm.
