Gaelic Games

Fermanagh rescue draw in dying moments against Galway

Stoppage time equaliser saves Divison Two status for Fermanagh

File: Fermanagh manager Pete McGrath Photograph: Inpho/Presseye/Andrew Paton
Sun Mar 27 2016 - 20:01

Galway 0-15 Fermanagh 0-15

Declan McCusker landed an injury point deep into stoppage time to rescue a deserved draw for Fermanagh in an entertaining encounter at Tuam Stadium.

Pete McGrath’s men showed great resilience to carve out the draw which would preserve their Division 2 status after playing almost half the match with 14 men.

Corner-back Niall Cassidy was red-carded six minutes after the restart, with points from Damien Comer and Gary Sice extending Galway’s lead to three points.

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Galway, playing against the diagonal wind, led by 0-7 to 0-6 at the break in difficult wet and blustery conditions.

The Tribesmen led by 0-4 to 0-1 after 14 minutes after Tomas Corrigan had edged Fermanagh in front with a second minute free.

Damien Comer hit back with a free and one from play for Galway, while in between Adrian Varley and Sice also found the range for the Tribesmen.

Sean Quigley gave Fermanagh hope with an 18th minute point and then centre-foward Ryan Lyons also landed kicked a good score.

Shane Walsh scored one of the best points of the afternoon when he hit the target from the right for Galway and Sice’s second free pushed Galway ahead by double scores at 0-6 to 0-3 ten minutes from the break.

A long range free from Quigley and one from Corrigan after a flowing movement from deep shredded the gap to a point.

But Fermanagh then lost wing-back Aidan Breen to a black card before Walsh and Ryan Jones exchanged points before the interval to leave Galway ahead by 0-7 to 0-6 at the break.

Fermanagh did not lose their composure when Cassidy was sent off and good work from Corrigan, Quigley and Jones got them back into contention, drawing level in the final quarter.

Galway pulled away with efforts from subs Danny Cummins and Patrick Sweeney but Fermanagh battled to the end and after Corrigan pointed a free, sub McCusker leveled in the third minutes of injury time.

Galway: M Breathnach; C Sweeney, D Kyne, D Wynne; L Silke, G O'Donnell, J Heaney; F Ó Curraoin, P Conroy; G Sice (0-3, two frees), S Walsh (0-2), T Flynn; D Comer (0-4, 0-1 free), A Varley (0-1), E Hoare (0-1, free).

Subs: D Cummins (0-1) for Walsh (h-t), P Sweeney (0-2) for Varley (46 mins), E Brannigan (0-1) for Hoare (55 mins), G Bradhsaw for Heaney (59 mins), S Denvir for Ó Curraion (59 mins).

Fermanagh: C Snow; N Cassidy, C Cullen, M Jones; A Breen, R McCluskey, J McMahon; E Donnelly, D Kelly; B Mulrone, R Lyons (0-2), R Jones (0-2); T Corrigan (0-7, five frees), S Quigley (0-3, two frees), R Corrigan.

Subs: M O'Brien for Breen (34 mins, BC), C Flaherty for M Jones (h-t), D McCusker (0-1) for McMahon (49 mins), P McClusker for R Corrigan (49 mins), C Jones for Lyons (65 mins), K Connor for Donnelly (70 mins, BC).

Referee: Jerome Henry (Mayo)