Carson’s goal wins it for Erne men

Ulster Senior Football Championship Quarter Final:
Fermanagh 1-13  Cavan 0-13

Ryan Carson’s late goal helped Fermanagh to a 1-13 to 0-13 victory against Cavan in the quarter-final of the Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship at Kingspan Breffni Park on Saturday evening.

Despite trailing at half-time, the Ernesiders produced a good second-half performance to see off the home side, with Garrett Smith and goalscorer Carson impressing for them, as did James Sherry at midfield.

In front of what was a small crowd, Fermanagh began brightly, with Paul Ward and Ryan Carson both pointing in side the first 10 minutes, but what was worrying for Malachy O’Rourke’s side was that they were also wasting some good chances and that would prove to be costly for the remainder of the half.

While Cavan did get take a while to get going, eventually, driven on the efforts of Paul Brady and Mark McKeever, they were level, with David Gibney and Cian Mackey on target.

Carson’s second point gave the lead back to Fermanagh but that would be the last time in the first half they would be ahead as three in a row for Cavan, from Brady, Garrett Smith and Michael Brennan put them ahead, 0-5 to 0-3, by the 21st minute.

Fermanagh’s poor marksmanship continued, but Paul Ward did manage to close the gap to the minimum. That only served to push Cavan on further through as Smith and Michael Brennan, who was heavily involved in that opening period, helped to put Tommy Carr’s side 0-7 to 0-4 ahead.

Paul Ward could have drawn Fermanagh level shortly before the half-hour mark but his shot was tipped over the bar by Cavan goalkeeper Fintan Reilly. Seanie Johnston’s first point cancelled that out, but Fermanagh did finish the half strongly, Chris O’Brien and Rory Gallagher both getting points to make it 0-8 to 0-7.

Johnston had a chance to restore the two-point advantage in first-half injury time but referee Pat Fox of Westmeath adjudged that he had spent too much time over the kick and awarded a throw-in instead, which was the last action of the half.

Fermanagh replicated their good start of the first half at the outset of the second period, as points from O’Brien and Daryl Keenan put them in the lead, and from there the game was nip and tuck, though Cavan would only lead on more occasion.

That was when Smith and Johnston put them 0-10 to 0-9 in front by the 43rd minute, but Gallagher, Carson and sub Seamus Quigley – with his first touch – turned it around with three unanswered points for Fermanagh.

Cavan kept plugging away though, as Smith and Gibney got it level with seven minutes left, but then came the game’s pivotal period. First, Carson found the net when we won a long clearance and deftly sent the ball past Reilly, and then Quigley scored his second to make it 1-13 to 0-12.

Johnston’s third point made it a goal game, but that goal never came for Cavan and Fermanagh held out to advance to a semi-final meeting with Monaghan.