06 March 2010
They never looked comfortable and clearly, with some exceptions, were at a different level, in terms of the width and depth of skills currently being honed and embedded within the Antrim Panel. Some might even be forgiven for feeling that the referee seemed to be trying his best to slow down the tempo for a while tonight; this was never going to be a classic clash because the Fermanagh game plan was evidently to spoil the current league leaders at all costs. This they did and they paid dearly for their unsporting lack of focus. Points from play were few and far between for Fermanagh; they did much better however in picking up all too many yellow cards and one red for their full forward.
There was a good turnout at Casement, on this fine spring evening and conditions were otherwise favourable for a highly competitive game played in the spirit of good sportsmanship. However, what spectators got for most of the first half was patchy play, spoiled all too often with clumsy grappling and inconsistent hand passing. The repeating confusion and all too many errors, it would seem, of many referees, on the fist / hand pass, has clearly demonstrated yet again that this experimental rule can never be policed fairly. There will always be a ‘blind side’ for the referee, which means that only a section of the crowd can actually see clearly, at any one time. Any adjudication of the referee in such circumstances will be controversial and divisive by default.
The score-line was 4p – 2p for Antrim after 15 minutes, and 8p – 4 p, again for Antrim at half time or put differently consistently poor Fermanagh performance due to persistent fouling and spoiling tactics deployed by a weaker team. There were areas where Antrim looked vulnerable, especially in mid field when Fermanagh regularly had two or three players strategically placed to gather the breaking ball; they once deployed this same tactic against Armagh and can make it look all too easy; a weak spot, ready for exploitation; especially if a team is otherwise overly concentrated and intent on taking the high ball cleanly.
The second half saw a much more consistent and settled Antrim team; they stuck to their task with good team and individual discipline and in the process took some very fine points from play. Finishing strongly, at 16p to 8p, they demonstrated, yet again that they are a breath of fresh air, in terms of Gaelic football in Antrim; once again this Antrim team tonight was without some very strong and experienced players, who are continuing their quest for All Ireland glory. What does this not say about the lads called up at short notice and tasked with filling the vacant spaces - we have a great panel of players and we should be proud of their accomplishments.
Lawrence Smyth County PRO
From BBC
Antrim 0-17 0-8 Fermanagh
The Saffrons made it three wins from three Allianz NFL Division Three games with a comfortable victory in the all-Ulster encounter at Casement Park.
It was level after 20 minutes but Antrim had moved ahead before Fermanagh's Ryan Carson was red-carded after an off-the-ball incident.
The hosts led 0-8 to 0-4 at the break with the impressive Paddy Cunningham hitting five points.
Antrim were never threatened as they extended their lead in the second half.
Cavan hammered Roscommon in their opener before a defeat by Antrim and the Breffnimen face Louth on Sunday in Drogheda (1430).
The Breffnimen be boosted by the return of DCU Sigerson-winning quartet Ronan Flanagan, Dermot Sheridan, Micheal Lyng and Ray Cullivan for the trip to Drogheda.
However, manager Tommy Carr is still without injured duo Nicholas Walsh and Seanie Johnston.
From "Saffron First"
There was a certain synchronicity to tonight's win for Antrim footballers over Femanagh. We led by double scores at half time, 08 - 04, and at full time, 0-16 - 0-8 and for the second time in a row Antrim won a Division 3 match against Ulster opposition by 8 points. That's a good nights work whatever way you look at it.
And yet there was almost a feeling of anti claimax about this game. The crowd was as big as I can remember for a league game (The Stand was declared full 5 mins before throw in), the pitch looked great and the floodlights make for real sense of occassion. But Fermanagh were poor. Poor enough that this was never the tight, exciting end to end game some of us had envisaged.
Once Antrim settled into the game it was rarely in doubt. Antrim really have moved up a gear over the last year. There are features of the Antrim game now which we almost take for granted, like ferocious defending and tackling, terrific high fielding from Michael McCann, a beauty of a point from Kevin O'Boyle, powerful running from Loughrey and Thomas McCann, Paddy's accuracy from frees. Well we can now add Michael Magill magnetic aura, whenever the ball is in the general vicinity of our strong full forward he gathers it in. His handling may let him down at times but he has great strength and he showed tonight an eye for a point.
Some of the Antrim scores were terrific, especially our third and fourth in the first half, and the four of five with which we saw out the game. Loughrey scored probably the pick of our points, finishing of a move which he had started in the half back line by taking a return pass and splitting the posts right down the middle. Michael Pollock and Conor Murray came off the bench to show that we already have strength in depth even before the return of players from all Ireland club finalists, St Galls.
We lacked a goal tonight which would have enlivened the large crowd, but that is a minor quibble.
Three wins out of three, we are now genuine promotion candidates, with plenty to look forward to this year. Club Aontroma had a good night too, doing brisk business with ballot sales, and I even got bought a half time cup of tea! Life is good for the Saffrons!
Scorers -- Antrim: P Cunningham (0-7, 0-5f), M Magill (0-2), T McCann (0-2, K Close (0-1), G O'Boyle (0-1), K O'Boyle, J Loughery (0-1), C Murray (0-1). Fermanagh: R Carson (0-3f), T McElroy (0-2), R Jones (0-1f), M Keenan (0-1f), C McElroy (0-1).
Antrim: S McGreevy; D McCann, A Douglas, K O'Boyle; T Scullion, J Crozier, D O'Hagan; M McCann, B Herron; K Close, T McCann, J Loughrey; P Cunningham, M Magill, G O'Boyle. Subs: C Murray for A Douglas, K Brady for G O'Boyle, M Pollock for K Close, P Carey for J Crozier.
Fermanagh: S Jackson; N Bogue, N McGovern, S Goan; D Ward, B Mulrone, T McElroy; J Sherry, K Cosgrove; J Connolly, M Keenan, R Jones; C Flaherty, R Carson, D Keenan. Subs: S Lyons for N McGovern, R Keenan for D Keenan, P Ward for J Connolly, C McElroy for J Sherry.
Referee: C Reynolds (Down).
Posted by Brendan mulgrew at 14:07 0 comments
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