McGurn goal crucial as Fermanagh hold off 14-man Laois
Struggling Fermanagh got their first points of the season against 14-man Laois in a dogged affair at Brewster Park.
The O'Moore County lost towering midfielder Robert Tyrrell to a straight red following a clash with Fermanagh’s Ronan McCaffrey in the 30th minute.
It was a double whammy for Laois as Erne corner back Luke Flanagan had first timed the ball to the Laois net a minute previously, as the much- improved Ernesiders led by 2-07 to 1-04 in the run up to the break.
But they hit seven wides in the second half as a battling Laois outscored them by 0-10 to 0-06 in that half.
The Leinster side levelled matters in the 60th minute following a Paul Kingston converted free on a score of Fermanagh 2-10 Laois 1-13.
But three well struck points from the excellent Conor Love, Darragh McGurn and Ronan McCaffrey eased them home with a solitary reply from Laois’s marksman Evan O’Carroll.
The impressive O’Carroll opened Laois’s account with a soaring two pointer after two minutes.
But Brandon Horan responded with the first of his three first half points.
Laois had a real element of luck when a turnover in the Erne defence saw keeper Sean McNally partially save O’Carroll’s goal bound effort, but the ball bizarrely trickled into the net.
McGurn speared through the Laois defence but ran out of steam as his shot skidded harmless wide.
But he made amends a few minutes later when he rammed the ball to the roof of the Laois net after a pass from Love
Love and McGurn were very prominent as Love and McCaffrey levelled matters as O"Caroll and Trevor Collins put Laois into a 1-04 to 1-03 lead.
Dual star Ciaran Corrigan made it all square for Fermanagh and Garvan Jones put the home side up by a point.
But O'Carroll could have had a goal for Laois when his superb solo dummy put him through-only for his well-placed shot cannoned off the post and into the grateful arms of a Fermanagh defender.
Horan made it a two- point game before man of the match McGurn hit a high ball into the Laois square.
Conor McGee palmed the ball down and Flangan first time the ball to the net to put the home side into a 2-06 to 1-04 lead.
Horan made it 2-07 to 1-04 for a whopping six- point lead as Laois lost Tyrrell to a straight red.
Laois keeper, Killian Roche had the last score of the half as the winners led by 2-06 to 1-05 at the break.
McGurn hit a great left-footed point on the restart, but Laois responded with a well converted two-pointer from keeper Roche.
The Ernesiders Stephen McGullion had been ruling midfield in the first half, but they did not continue this successful tactic with the extra man.,
In the event Laois stormed back as Rioghan Murphy and Love swapped points and McGurn made it 2-10 to 1-08 by the 48th minute.
Laois ran their bench with Biran Byrne and Paul Kingston effective, and O’Carroll and Conor Heffernan made it Fermanagh 2-10 to 1-10 by the 54th minute.
Fermanagh hit four bad wides as Byrne, O’Carroll and Kingston made it all square nine minutes from time.
But that trio of scores from Fermanagh sealed the two points and kept their faint hopes of surviving flickering-for now!
Fermanagh: Sean McNally; Johnny Cassidy, Oisin Smyth, Luke Flanagan (1-00); Shane McGullion, Ronan McCaffrey (0-02). Josh Largo Ellis; Conor McGee, Brandon Horan (0-03); Declan McCusker, Darragh McGurn (1-03), Ciaran Corrigan (0-01); Conor Love (0-03), Garvan Jones (0-01), Stephen McGullion.
Subs: Aogan Kelm for Brandon Horan (54), James McMahon for Conor McGee and Gary McKenna for Garvan Jones (58). Oisin Kelm for Caran Corrigan (60)
Laois: Killian Roche (0-03,1tp); Jake D’Arcy, Trevor Collins (0-01) Patrick O’Sullivan, Aaron McEvoy, Simon Fingleton; Robert Tyrrell, Conor Heffernan (0-01) Kevin Swayne, Ronan Coffey, Darren Brennan; Rioghan Murphy (0-01) Darragh Galvin, Evan O’Carroll (1-06,1tp).
Subs: Brian Byrne (0-01) for Jake D’Arcy and Pa Kirwan for Darren Brennan (51) Paul Kingston (0-01) for Darragh Galvin (55), Nial Corbett for Ronan Coffey (67)
Referee: Kevin Faloon (Armagh)
