Fermanagh 0-16 Cavan 1-10Fermanagh's mission at Enniskillen yesterday, accomplished with a certain swagger that belied midweek despair, was known to manager Dom Corrigan and his players as Operation Bootlaces.
A crowd of 10,000 watched as Corrigan's men pulled themselves up by the proverbial laces to overcome the low morale that gripped their camp following avoidable defeat by Down on the previous weekend.
Special squad meetings that resembled sessions in sports psychology were conducted up to as late as yesterday morning.
Morale, according to Corrigan, was extremely low but he was not prepared to tolerate or show any sympathy to anyone who did not show up for training at the beginning of the week in the wake of the Down drubbing - at least one key player was dropped from the starting 15.
In the event, the manager was the first to show his delight when Paul Brewster proved himself a veritable match-winner when introduced in the second half.
The team were lifted to higher levels of performance when Brewster came on wearing number eight to replace Ray Johnston 43 minutes into the second half. Wing back Neil Cox was switched onto Cavan dangerman Larry Reilly, who had opened with three points but faded subsequently.
The Fermanagh team, to a man, built steadily to a spirited display that overwhelmed Cavan. Fermanagh's first blast of real dominance came during a five-minute spell - during which they notched four points - from the 12th minute of the second half.
That golden spell was in direct response to a pointed free by Cavan's Dermot McCabe, who was at last released from full forward to operate in the midfield sector.
McCabe's point nine minutes into the second half gave Cavan a 1-6 to 0-8 lead, but by now Tom Brewster and Martin McGrath had claimed almost complete control of the area.
James Sherry, who started instead of Paul Brewster, was a revelation, shifting to and fro from wing forward to midfield, and was duly given a standing ovation by the delighted Fermanagh crowd when called ashore with seven minutes remaining.
Pearse McKenna was perhaps the most mobile and industrious of the Cavan players.
Fermanagh struck again with a telling spell between the 25th and 30th minutes of the second half, with three successive points from Stephen Maguire, Martin McGrath and Ryan Keenan, whom nobody could stop when in full flight down the right wing.
"We had meetings to talk the whole thing over after the Down match and I sensed even after ten minutes that I was getting the response I wished," said Corrigan.
His only criticism concerned the number of good scoring chances thrown away by his forwards.
He had every right to complain, for with the amount of possession Fermanagh enjoyed, especially when enjoying wind advantage in the second half, they should have had the match put to bed long before they did.
Cavan manager Mattie Kerrigan said Fermanagh looked much sharper than his team. "The game they had last week against Down did them more good than harm," he asserted.
Kerrigan reckoned their injury problems caught up with his side in the second half. He said he started with four of the minors of last season, which proved a good indicator that the talent is there in the county for the future - for those who have the patience to see it blossom.
Kerrigan, who has a year to serve with Cavan, gave no clue as to his future with the squad.
Cavan had wind advantage in the first half but persisted in playing the short game even with McCabe on the fringe of the square, and only a freak goal by Jason Reilly kept them within a point at half time, Fermanagh leading 0-8 to 1-4.
Reilly's goal three minutes short of the half hour was a sheer gift, his interception of Hugh Brady's short pass in front of goal giving him the easiest of chances.
Fermanagh had seven wides against Cavan's three in that first half, but they always looked likely to capitalise in the second half.
FERMANAGH: Ronan Gallagher; R McCloskey, B Owens, H Brady; S McDermott, K Gallagher, N Cox; T Brewster, M McGrath (0-1); J Sherry (0-2), Raymond Gallagher (0-6, 5 frees), R Keenan (0-2); R McCabe (0-2), S Maguire (0-1), R Johnston. Subs: C Bradley (0-2) for McCabe (41 mins); P Brewster for Johnston (43 mins); M Lilley for H Brady (56 mins); S Doherty for J Sherry (63 mins).
CAVAN: A Donohoe; C Collins, T Prior, J Jordan; Pat Brady, A Forde, M McKeever; P McKenna (0-1), Paul Brady; S Brady, L Reilly (0-3), F O'Reilly; J Reilly (1-0), D McCabe (0-6, 4 frees), S Johnston. Subs: P Galligan for McKeever (27 mins); G Pierson for P Brady (41 mins); P McGearty for F O'Reilly (53 mins); M Hannon for S Brady (61 mins).
Referee: P McEnaney (Monaghan).
