Sean Quigley pointed 14 times as Fermanagh thumped Antrim at changeable Enniskillen, 1-21 to 0-11.

Pete McGrath's men led by 0-11 to 0-5 at the break, with the rampant Quigley on target seven times in each half.

Heavy rain made for treacherous conditions at the start but that didn't stop the Roslea man from opening the scoring inside the first minute. Michael Pollock pointed either side of a Tomas Corrigan effort as the sides were level after three minutes, 0-2 each.

After Owen Gallager had edged the Saffrons ahead for the first and only time, the hosts replied with a run of seven successive points to lead by 0-9 to 0-3 after half an hour. Quigley (4), Barry Mulrone, Paul McCusker and corner back Niall Cassidy hit those Fermanagh points.

With the sun now shining , substitute Niall McKeever supplied Antrim's first score in 26 minutes with his first contribution and Justin Crozier pulled back another one before a Quigley brace (one free, one '45) closed the first-half scoring.

Quigley's eighth and ninth points arrived within three minutes of the restart and he then won and converted a free after Mark Sweeney got on the end of an Antrim move. Pollock and half-time substitute CJ McGourty landed Antrim scores but Quigley fisted his eleventh score - and sixth from play - before substitute Daniel Kille made it double scores with 20 minutes left to play, 0-16 to 0-8.

Quigley raised yet another white flag before Marty O'Brien's goal confirmed what we already knew: that the hosts were progressing to the third round of the Qualifiers. McGourty and Quigley traded points, as did Antrim goalkeeper Chris Kerr and Fermanagh substitute Conall Jones to leave it at double scores again: 1-19 to 0-11 with an hour played.

Quigley and substitute Sean McManus completed the scoring on a memorable day for the winners but one that Antrim will want to forget.

Fermanagh - T Treacy; M Jones, T Daly, N Cassidy (0-1); D McCusker, J McMahon, M O'Brien (1-0); E Donnelly, R O'Callaghan; B Mulrone (0-1), R Jones, D Kelly; P McCusker (0-1), S Quigley (0-14, 6f, 2'45), T Corrigan (0-1). Subs: D Kille (0-1) for T Corrigan, C Jones (0-1) for D McCusker, A Breen for M O'Brien, C Cullen for R O'Callaghan, S McManus (0-1) for S Quigley.

Antrim - C Kerr (0-1'45); N Delargy, S McVeigh, J Laverty; J Crozier (0-1), T Scullion, R Johnston; C Murray, B Hasson; D Lynch, D McAleese, M Pollock (0-3, 2f); M Sweeney (0-1), R Murray, O Gallagher (0-1). Subs: N McKeever (0-1) for D Lynch, C J McGourty (0-3, 1f) for D McAleese, J Dowling for B Hasson, R McGrady for S McVeigh, N O'Neill for O Gallagher, C Duffin for R Murray.

Referee - B Cassidy.

Tweet

Most Read Stories