 Ryan Carson battles for possession with Down's Peter Turley |
Ryan Carson's six points helped Fermanagh fight back to beat Down in the Ulster SFC preliminary round as the Mourne men folded in the second half. Both teams made late changes with Benny Coulter starting for Down but the first half was tight as the sides went in 0-7 to 0-7 at the interval at Enniskillen. Down led 0-10 to 0-8 but the Mourne men failed to score after the 46th minute. Fermanagh ran Down ragged thereafter as Carson starred and Aidan Carr got a straight red card in injury-time. His son's dismissal rounded off a dismal afternoon for Down boss Ross Carr, who may not get another Ulster Championship campaign with the county. After Fermanagh's free-taking difficulties last summer which cost them an Ulster title, the left-footed Carson's emergence will be immensely heartening for the county's supporters. Down's starting line-up had four changes from the team announced on Friday with Coulter, Peter Fitzpatrick, Peter Turley and Kevin Duffin coming into the side while Ryan McCluskey and Niall Bogue were Fermanagh's late inclusions.  | 606: DEBATE |
Fermanagh made the better start with Tommy McIlroy and James Sherry both storming upfield to notch scores from play. However, Down responded with two Carr frees and a Coulter effort which put them ahead by the 10th minute. But while Coulter was on the scoresheet, it was clear than his hamstring injury, apparently sustained in training on Thursday night, was inhibiting the Mayobridge man's movement. Two excellent scores from Sherry and Mark Little edged Fermanagh ahead again but there was never more than a point in it during the remainder of the first half. Ronan Murtagh did have a sniff of the goal chance when the sides were level at 0-6 to 0-6 but the effort was blocked and Fermanagh quickly moved the ball downfield for Carson to notch his opening score. Stephen Kearney was booked for a coat-hanger tackle in the 33rd minute but he redeemed himself before the break by bringing the sides level again.  Niall Bogue bursts away from Paul McComiskey at Brewster Park |
Down seemed to be fired up after the break and McComiskey fisted Ross Carr's side before Coulter swung over a great score from a tight angle, as he finally built up a head of steam. The Mourne County still appeared to have an edge as they led 0-10 to 0-8 after 46 minutes following Daniel Hughes' point after a clever Coulter lay-off. But at the rain started to sheet down, Down visibly wilted in the last 27 minutes of action while Fermanagh grew in confidence. Fermanagh ended a succession of bad misses with Carson's 55th-minute point which cut Down's lead to the minimum and he, himself, won a free two minutes later and he got up to kick the equaliser. Ciaran McElroy edged Fermanagh ahead on the hour and the strong-running Carson pointed another free on the 64th-minute - yet again earned by the scorer. The man-of-the-match kicked the last point two minutes from time and while Fermanagh had a late scare, when they were grateful to see a high ball squirm out of the unmarked Hughes' grasp, they held on for a deserved win. Down's dismal day was completed by Carr's dismissal after he stupidly barged into Marty McGrath in the closing seconds.
Fermanagh: C Breen, N Bogue, S Lyons, H Brady, R McCluskey, S McDermott, T McElroy 0-1, M McGrath 0-1, J Sherry 0-2, R Keenan, C McElroy 0-1, M Little 0-1, D Keenan 0-1, R Carson 0-6, E Maguire. Substitutes: P Sherry for McCluskey, S O'Brien for Little, R Foy for C McElroy. Down: B McVeigh, L Howard, P Turley, D Rafferty, K Duffin, C Garvey, D Rooney, D Gordon, P Fitzpatrick 0-1, A Carr 0-2, B Coulter 0-2, S Kearney 0-1, D Hughes 0-2, R Murtagh, P McComiskey 0-2. Substitutes: J O'Reilly for Murtagh, J Boyle for Kearney, C Maginn for Fitzpatrick. Referee: John Bannon (Longford)
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