Westville Hotel Fermanagh Senior Football League Division 1 final
Enniskillen 1-10 Derrygonnelly 2-4
ENNISKILLEN Gaels clinched a first Division One title since 2001 with a three-point victory over Derrygonnelly Harps in a disappointing final at Brewster Park on Saturday night.
The game was short on quality throughout but it was the Gaels who were deserving winners as Conor Love’s fortuitous 41st-minute goal put them in the driving seat and they were able to push on from there for the victory.
Both sides were tentative from the outset with the first score of the contest arriving in the eighth minute, Callum Jones converting a free for Enniskillen. Love then doubled their advantage with a fine effort from the right.
Derrygonnelly, who were without the Jones brothers – Ryan, Conall and Garvan – lacked a cutting edge in attack but they notched their opening point of the game when Gary McKenna knocked over a free.
And, the Harps then took the lead as Rory Joe Duffy found the net through a crowd of defenders to make it 1-1 to 0-2.
Enniskillen replied with points from John Reihill and Codi Halligan, before McKenna and Jones exchanged frees to leave it level at the break, 1-2 to 0-5.
The sides swapped points again at the start of the second half, with McKenna and Stephen McGullion on target for Derrygonnelly, while Ross Bogue and Jones answered for Enniskillen.
This was followed by Love’s goal as his attempt at a point dropped into the back of the net and with Conor McShea following up with a point it put Enniskillen four clear, 1-8 to 1-4, as the tie moved into the final quarter.
The Harps were given hope when they bagged a goal that also had more than a touch of fortune about it, Ronan McHugh’s shot for a point sailing into the net.
Enniskillen were not to be denied, though, as Johnny Cassidy and Jones picked off late points to leave them three-point winners at the finish.
