Allianz Football League Division Three
Antrim 3-9 Fermanagh 2-13
TO lose a four-point lead in the final minutes of a game is unfortunate, for it to happen twice in the space of three weeks seems like carelessness and that was the general mood for Antrim after Saturday's defeat to Fermanagh at Corrigan Park.

Midway through the second half, the Saffrons led by eight as Joe Finnegan and Peter Healy found the net in the space of three minutes and even though Ultan Kelm pulled a three-pointer back for the visitors, a stunning double save from Mick Byrne late on appeared to be the moment when Antrim fans could breathe easy, yet despite being four ahead going into stoppage time they were left empty-handed in identical fashion to their defeat against Down in Newry.

You could hear a pin drop from the home dressing room after with manager Andy McEntee in no mood to give his thoughts on what had just happened, perhaps deciding it better to let the dust settle in the wake of another defeat from the jaws of victory.

In another world, Antrim could well be in a decent position for a promotion push as we enter the second half of the campaign, but now they are looking over their shoulder as the target is now to stay out of the relegation zone.

James McAuley breaks a tackle
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James McAuley breaks a tackle

"It's very hard (to put it into words)," said attacker, Odhran Eastwood who netted in first-half stoppage time.

"I'm not usually speechless but after the Down game when we got beat by a point and to get beat again is hard to take. The beauty of the league is that you have a game next week to put it right, but now, it's tight.

"We got the goals and I know you're always going to get purple patches and all that, but I don't think we relaxed as we knew Fermanagh would come back as they're a good side.

"It was within our grasp, so it's hard to take as it all happened so late. It (goal burst) happened so early in the second half so it wasn't like we thought we could coast to the finish. We should have closed it out better - it's as simple as that."

The Ernesiders seemed content to dominate the ball, but were taking their time in doing much with it although they would have a fair bit ion joy along the right wing with all five of their first-half points coming from that side.

Aidan Breen kicked them into a seventh-minute lead with Conor Stewart levelling at the other end as Antrim were much more direct when they got possession.

The sides traded points before Antrim took the lead for the first time as goalkeeper Mick Byrne kicked a 45 that was a result of the hosts pressing the Fermanagh kick-out and forcing the mistake.

You could fast-forward chunks of this half as it was Fermanagh passing across and back, yet there were some fine moments including the points from Shane McGullion and Lee Cullen that edged them back in front, while Marc Jordan steadied and finished with the outside of his boot following a lung-bursting support run to level again.

With the sides locked at 0-5, Antrim enjoyed a fine end to the half with Colm McLarnon converting a mark and then Creggan's Ruairi McCann finishing off a counter-attack, but it would get better in stoppage time as Patrick Finnegan won a kick-out and Antrim attacked at pace, working the ball into Pat Shivers who steadied and passed into Odhran Eastwood to finish low and make it 1-7 to 0-5 at the half.

The introduction of Quigley at the break and a much more direct approach brought Fermanagh to life in the second period as they rattled off the first three points to seemingly grab momentum, but then came the spell in which Antrim would have felt was the winning of the game as on 46 minutes, a long ball into Aghagallon's McCann saw him gather and offload to Jordan who found Joseph Finnegan inside and the centre-back finished to the net superbly.

Three minutes later and from a similar position, this time Finnegan turned provider for team captain Peter Healy to lash home and the gap was out to eight points.

Ultan Kelm bursts through to score Fermanagh's first goal
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Ultan Kelm bursts through to score Fermanagh's first goal

Quigley almost hit back with a goal of his own immediately after, but his snapshot came off the post, but after substitute Garvan Jones kick the first of his three points, the goal Fermanagh needed would arrive as a loose ball was turned over with Kelm bursting through and sending an unstoppable shot past Byrne.

Conor Stewart responded for Antrim with a point, but momentum seemed to be with the visitors and the margin was down to three when what appeared another huge moment for the hosts as Byrne saved superbly from Kelm and then again from Quigley's rebound with a follow-up shot for a point blocked downs the home crowd sensed victory.

A Pat Shivers point looked to be the insurance score with four between them, but there was no quit in the Ernesiders as Jones pulled one back from a free and then in the third minute of added time, he floated in a free that Quigley met with his fist to turn home.

Their tails were now up and pushed up on the Antrim kick-out, eventually forcing the mistake with McGee capitalising to fist over the winner as Fermanagh celebrated another last-gap win as Antrim were left reeling from another one that got away.

"We showed great character today," said Fermanagh manager Kieran Donnelly.

"I thought Antrim played some great football and they are a team of real energy and pace, but I felt in the last five or 10 minutes we were strong and pushed up.

"We asked the boys to be aggressive at that stage to pin them in and we got our rewards, so it's a sweet one to win.

"I thought the bench again made a difference and it's something we've played to all year, the squad a massive part of our game.

"We just take each game at a time as this division is so competitive. We knew Antrim are a serious outfit and I feel a bit sorry for them as they've dome a long way, but it's great to be looking up the table. We've tough games to come, so we just have to knuckle down and focus on the next one."

ANTRIM: M Byrne (0-1, 45); E McCabe, O Lenehan, J McAuley; P Healy (1-0), J Finnegan (1-0), M Jordan (0-1); K Small, C Stewart (0-2); P Finnegan, R McCann (Creggan) (0-1), C McLarnon (0-1 mark); P Shivers (0-2, 1 free), R McCann (Agahgallon) (0-1 mark), O Eastwood (1-0)
Subs: D McEnhill for O Eastwood (58), C Hynds for K Small (58), P McCormick for M Jordan (67), C Duffin for C McLarnon (70+2)

FERMANAGH: S McNally; L Flanagan, L Cullen (0-1), C McManus; R McCaffrey, J Cassidy, S McGullion (0-1); R Jones, B Horan; J Largo-Ennis, R Lyons (0-1 free), U Kelm (1-2); C McShea, D McGurn, A Breen (0-3)
Subs: S Quigley (1-0) for D McGurn (HT), C McGee (0-1) for C McShea (43), G Jones (0-3, 1 free) for R Lyons (46), C Corrigan (0-1) for A Breen (58), E McManus for R McCaffrey (58), F O'Brien for C McManus (head injury 64)

REFEREE: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone)