Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup, Section C
Antrim 1-9 Fermanagh 1-10

ANTRIM'S Dr McKenna Cup campaign came to an end at a sunny yet chilly Ahoghill on Sunday as they fell narrowly short against Fermanagh.

Having lost out in their opener against Monaghan on Wednesday, Andy McEntee's men were looking to come away from the pre-season competition with something to show even though it would have been unlikely to have been enough to see them into the last four, but it wasn't to be.

Fermanagh led from the opening minute onwards and although Antrim got to within one on a couple of occasions, this would be as good as it would get for them as the visitors managed to see the game out.

"We were strong enough to be better than what we were," said a disappointed McEntee.

"You don't get too many games to play in an Antrim shirt, so any time you play it should mean something. You would certainly say in the first half it didn't seem to mean a big pile to our lads.

"There was a certain lack of energy in the first half. Maybe it was Fermanagh's first game and we certainly had a lot more energy than that on Wednesday night (against Monaghan).

"Maybe the legs were a bit weary, but that's the disappointing thing and something under our control: the energy and attitude you bring to the game. When it's not there, it's disappointing.

"The lads have put in a bit of work, but we played on Wednesday night and spread the team about. A couple of guys would have played full games in both, but not too many. Sometimes it's hard to put your finger on a performance and why it was as lacklustre as it was."

Fermanagh were much quicker to settle in icy conditions with Sean Cassidy and Garvan Jones kicking early scores.

Ronan Boyle got Antrim off the mark, but the Ernesiders hit the next three to lead 0-5 to 0-1 midway through the opening period.

Antrim had been looking to go direct to full-forward Ruairi McCann and this tactic finally paid off on 21 minutes as his namesake from Creggan went long with the Aghagallon man breaking it to Benen Kelly to finish to the net.

Sean Cassidy responded with a Fermanagh score with Eunan Walsh slinging over one of his own for Antrim to bring the gap down to one, but the visitors would get a goal of their own just before the break as Josh Largo-Ennis made the break, fed inside to Ché Cullen who teed-up his broker Lee to palm home and leave it 1-6 to 1-2 at the half.

Antrim looked to have a much greater intend from the star of the second period with Conor hand kicking an early point and although Ronan McCaffrey hit back, further points from a Luke Mulholland 45 and Marc Jordan left two in it.

The Ernesiders were able to manage the lead well and had the gap back to four through Ultan Kelm and substitute Conor Love, but they would then lose substitute Ryan Lyons to a black card on 63 minutes after a trail down on Hand with things beginning to get a little tetchy between the pair.

Antrim looked to take advantage, whittling the gap back to one with Walsh, Oisin Doherty and Joseph Finnegan on target, but they couldn't engineer the equaliser with Fermanagh assured in possession and they would break after an elongated period with the ball as Diarmuid King finished a move.

A Doherty free late in stoppage time left just one in it again, but Fermanagh held firm to claim the points ahead of their home game against Monaghan on Wednesday to decide which of them reaches the last four.

Marc Jordan goes on the attack
2Gallery

Marc Jordan goes on the attack

"It's a results business so I'd like to be winning a game like that," McEntee added.

"Fermanagh would like to be winning a game like that too, so it's always a tight battle. We've played them three times (over the past year) and it's probably a draw after the three or a point in it today, so it's not like we didn't expect a battle.

"Their kick-out retention rate was a lot better than ours and they won a lot of the physical battles around the pitch. On the basis of that, there's a bit of work to be done (before the start of the League). 

"It (disappointment) isn't so much the result as we weren't going to qualify (for the semi-finals) anyway but there are certain things that are under our control and I don't think we controlled them well enough today."

ANTRIM: L Mulholland (0-1, 45); O Downey, E Walsh (0-2), R Boyle (0-1); B Kelly (1-0), J Finnegan (0-1), R McCann (Creggan); P McAleer, E Quinn; C Hand (0-1), E Hynds, C McGettigan; D McEnhill, R McCann (Aghagallon), M Jordan (0-1).
Subs: P McBride for E Hynds (21), D Lynch for B Kelly (HT), C McLarnon for C McGettigan (47), K Keenan for P McBride (52), O Doherty  (0-2, 1 free) for R McCann (Agahallon, 53), C Higgins for D McEnhill (57), A McAleese for R McCann (Creggan, 61), M Byrne for L Mulholland (63), J Morgan for O Downey (67).

FERMANAGH: S McNally; L Cullen (1-0), C Cullen, O Smyth (0-1); D McCusker, S McGullion, J Largo-Ennis; B Horan, C McGee; A Breen, R McCaffrey (0-2), C McShea; U Kelm (0-1), G Jones (0-2, 1 free), S Cassidy (0-2).
Subs: D King (0-1) for G Jones (49), C Love (0-1 free) for S Cassidy (49), J McDade for A Breen (54), R Lyons for S McGullion (57), C McManus for C McShea (67), T Bogue for U Kelm (70).

REFEREE: Chris Brady (Monaghan)