Allianz Football League: Fermanagh overcome Antrim & Down beat Westmeath
- Published
Sean Quigley scored a goal in additional time to seal the win for Fermanagh.
Fermanagh once again left it late to claim their second consecutive victory in Division Three of the Allianz Football League as they triumphed 2-13 to 3-9 against Antrim at Corrigan Park.
Sean Quigley, as he did last week against Down, came off the bench to score a late goal in additional time to help the Ernemen men move up to second in the table.
In the other Division Three game, Down scored a late point to secure a comeback 1-10 to 0-11 victory over Westmeath at Pairc Esler.
Quigley the hero
After their pulsating Ulster derby against Down last weekend, when Fermanagh snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, the Ernemen repeated the feat to virtually ensure their Division Three status for next year and throw themselves into contention for promotion.
Antrim, whose goals came from Odhran Eastwood, Joe Finnegan and Peter Healy, remain sixth in the table having lost for the third time in four games.
Kieran Donnelly's side led early in the contest through points from Aidan Breen and Ultan Kelm, but Antrim responded with a flurry of scores.
The two sides continued to exchange scores and were barely separated by more than a point up until first-half stoppage time.
Corner forward Eastwood slotted home the first goal of the game on 36 minutes, finishing off a sweeping move by Antrim after being found in the box by Pat Shivers.
That gave the Saffrons a score of 1-7 going into the break and a five-point lead over Fermanagh.
The away side came out with more intensity in the second period and moved to 0-8 with points from Ryan Lyons, Breen and Kelm.
Yet, Antrim would consolidate their advantage in the 46th minute, as Finnegan fired home their second goal into the far corner from a narrow angle.
Three minutes later Andy McEntee's side scored again, with captain Healy netting after playing a neat one-two with Finnegan to make it 3-7.
The end to end game in Belfast continued, with Quigley hitting the post not long after his introduction before a fine goal from Ultan Kelm reduced the deficit for Fermanagh.
He took his tally for the day to 1-2 with a 25-yard finish into the far corner, with Ciaran Corrigan and Garvan Jones then splitting the posts to make it a three-point game approaching the last ten minutes.
Michael Byrne denied the influential Kelm and Quigley in quick succession as Fermanagh pushed to draw level, before Shivers got his second point to stretch Antrim's advantage.
They would endure late heartbreak as Quigley fisted home in stoppage time, reacting quickest after Garvan Jones had failed to convert a free.
Conor McGee then scored a late point to make sure of the win for Fermanagh as Antrim squandered the chance to build on last weekend's comprehensive victory against Tipperary.
Down get back to winning ways
Ceilum Doherty scored two late points to help Down beat Westmeath.
Down and dramatic finishes to Division Three games seem to go hand in hand at the moment.
After coming out the wrong side of a late fight back by Fermanagh last week, the Mourne County would inflict late heartbreak on Westmeath on Saturday to boost their hopes of promotion as they moved onto six points.
After going in front through a Pat Havern free on three minutes, Down would not hold the advantage again until the second minute of additional time, as they trailed by five points at half-time.
The two sides exchanged points early, before the visitors moved in front with four scores without reply to close out the first-half.
John Heslin was the chief tormentor for Westmeath, kicking 0-6 with three points in each half.
His two early scores at the start of the second period had further extended the Lake County's lead and given Conor Laverty's side a mountain to climb, but two swift points in reply from Andrew Gilmour brought the difference back down to five.
They further reduced the deficit in the 54th minute, when Liam Kerr was fouled in the box and Odhran Murdock converted the resulting penalty.
Down had the momentum and certainly made it count, as Havern kicked two more points before Kilcoo man Ceilum Doherty drew them level on 65 minutes.
Doherty once again split the posts in the 72nd minute, with Gilmour kicking over late in stoppage time to seal the victory, as the Mourne County leapfrogged Westmeath into fourth place.