NFL Division One A/Cork 0-6 Fermanagh 0-3: Cork kept alive their hopes of surviving in the first division with this important victory over Fermanagh in conditions better suited for aquaplaning at Páirc Uí Rinn yesterday.
It seemed the match only went ahead because the visitors' had made the long trek by plane. Under normal circumstances, it's doubtful it would have taken place. The Ulster side suffered a setback in their quest to make the league semi-finals, but they've only themselves to blame as they registered a dozen wides, the bulk of them in a wind-assisted second half.
Yet, it took a fine save from home goalkeeper Alan Quirke to deny the visitors a share of the spoils after he parried a close-range shot from Seán O'Doherty two minutes from the end of regulation time and substitute Jonathan McGurn turned the rebound wide.
Cork inflicted most of the damage in the first half. Graham Canty and Ger Spillane were influential figures through the heart of the defence, while the more direct approach worked to their benefit - especially by James Masters.
He pointed three times in the opening 11 minutes, including a couple from play from distance, and David Niblock added a fourth five minutes later to leave Cork comfortably in front at 0-4 to no score.
It took Fermanagh 24 minutes to open their account, courtesy of Ryan Keenan, as the light Fermanagh forwards struggled in tough going on a surface coated in pools of water and churning up quite badly.
A powerful Spillane surge yielded a free for Masters a couple of minutes later and he expertly found the range for a 0-5 to 0-1 interval lead. Little did anyone realise that Cork would have to wait another 22 minutes for a score, which proved to be their only point of a second half dominated by Fermanagh.
Four minutes in, Eamon Maguire kicked a splendid point from the left, judging the wind to perfection, but Fermanagh wasted several more opportunities, spoiling promising outfield work by Liam McBarron and O'Doherty in particular.
A dubious free in the 57th minute allowed John Hayes to extend Cork's advantage, 0-6 to 0-2, but Fermanagh kept pressing with Mark Little adding their third point four minutes from the end before Quirke came to his team's rescue.
CORK: A Quirke; M Prout, G Canty, K O'Connor; S Levis, G Spillane, A Lynch; D Hurley, D Kavanagh; C McCarthy, D Niblock (0-1), K McMahon; J Masters (0-4, two frees), F Gould, J Hayes (0-1, free). Subs: S O'Brien for McMahon (half-time), N Murphy for Hurley (56 mins), N O'Leary for McCarthy (65 mins), K O'Sullivan for Hayes (69 mins).
FERMANAGH: C O'Brien; N Bogue, B Owens, S Goan; R Johnston, S McDermott, P Sherry; M Murphy, L McBarron; M Little (0-1), S O'Doherty, R Keenan (0-1); E Maguire (0-1), T Brewster, A Little. Subs: H Brady for Bogue 33, D Kelly for P Sherry (half-time), J McGurn for Brewster (40 mins), J Sherry for Murphy (52 mins), C Brady for A Little (66 mins).
Referee: M Deegan (Laois).
