Allianz National Football League Division Three 
Fermanagh 0-12 Monaghan 0-14 9/3/13
Monaghan overtook Fermanagh at the top of the NFL Division Three with a hard-earned win over their neighbours in Enniskillen on Saturday night. After getting off to a slow start and falling four points down, Monaghan came back to lead by three points at half-time and they maintained their narrow advantage throughout the second half. Owen Duffy, Conor McManus and Paul Finlay accounted for Monaghan’s entire total, with the impressive Duffy hitting four points from play, while Paul Ward, Tomás Corrigan and Martin McGrath led Fermanagh’s challenge.
Fermanagh took less than a minute to open the scoring through Shane McCabe and they quickly doubled their lead when Paul Ward tapped over a 20-metre free for a foul on Declan McCusker. Ward then added a point from play, before Tomás Corrigan linked up with Tommy McElroy to make it four-nil on four minutes, although Monaghan got off the mark when Conor McManus kicked a good point after a one-two with Dick Clerkin. Paul Finlay opened his account from a 25-metre free after a late tackle on Darren Hughes and Owen Duffy brought Monaghan to within a point when he tapped over with his left foot after exchanging passes with Finlay, but Daryl Keenan replied from a 30-metre free after another foul on McCusker. McManus kept Monaghan in touch with another well-taken point from play and Finlay levelled it up with an accurate finish at the end of a patient move involving Darren and Kieran Hughes and Dick Clerkin.
McManus edged Monaghan ahead for the first time when he landed a 45-metre free after Brian Cox had been penalized for over-carrying and Owen Duffy added his second point with the outside of his right boot. A third well-struck point by Duffy, after a Christopher McGuinness assist, moved Monaghan three clear, but Corrigan ended 17 scoreless minutes for Fermanagh, who missed a couple of scoreable frees through Ward and substitute Daniel Kille. Finlay restored Monaghan’s three-point lead from a 35-metre free after a foul on McGuinness, which sent them in ahead by 0-9 to 0-6 at half-time.
Fermanagh started the second half brightly as Ward converted a brace of frees for fouls on McCabe and Tommy McElroy, but Finlay booted over from distance after a strong run by Darren Hughes. Corrigan curled over a free from the left wing after a poor decision against Owen Lennon, before Monaghan won a penalty when McManus was brought down after Kieran Hughes had made a good catch from a high ball by Gavin Doogan, only for Darren Hughes to see his effort saved by Fermanagh keeper Chris Snow. Ward equalised from a close-range free after he had been fouled off the ball, but a foul on Finlay allowed McManus to regain Monaghan’s lead from a 35-metre free.
A burst through the centre by Shane Lyons set up Ward to bring the hosts level once again, but McManus replied with a left-footed point after good work by Neil McAdam and Darren Hughes. Kieran and Darren Hughes combined to release Owen Duffy to fist his fourth point, before Finlay curled over a fine free from the right wing, following a foul on sub Dermot Malone. Fermanagh had one last chance at the death after Colin Walshe had been shown a second yellow card, but Ryan Jones could only manage a point from a close-range free.
Fermanagh: C Snow; N Bogue, J Woods, A McGuinness; D McCusker, B Cox, M O’Brien; S Lyons, M McGrath; T McElroy, S McCabe (0-1), E Donnelly; P Ward (0-6, 4f), T Corrigan (0-3, 1f), D Keenan (0-1).
Subs: D Kille for Donnelly (27 mins), C Quigley for McCusker (H-T), R Jones (0-1f) for McGrath (51), B Owens for McGuinness (59), R Corrigan for Kille (67).
Monaghan: M Keogh; F Kelly, D Mone, K Duffy; D Hughes, C Walshe, K O’Connell; O Lennon (Capt.), D Clerkin; G Doogan, P Finlay (0-5, 3f), O Duffy (0-4); K Hughes, C McManus (0-5, 2f), C McGuinness.
Subs: T Freeman for McGuinness, D Wylie for O’Connell (both 48), N McAdam for Clerkin (52), D Malone for Doogan (62).
Referee: P Hughes (Armagh).
By michael Sat 9th Mar
