“It’s gutting but I suppose it’s sport.”
That was the assessment of dejected Fermanagh manager Kieran Donnelly after his team lost a game they should have won at Brewster Park.
After bossing the second half, Fermanagh’s seven-year wait for an Ulster Championship win looked a near certainty when they led by seven points with seven minutes to go.
But two late goals by Daniel Guinness and Ryan McEvoy snatched a dramatic 2-19 to 0-23 win for Down.
“I said to the boys in there – and they’re devastated – that collectively I’m just proud of them, they did everything we asked of them,” said Donnelly.
“That’s the way the game has been swinging all year in terms of momentum and when you lose it as we did for those last five minutes…it was one of the best Fermanagh performances in a long time so we feel we have to take the positives out of it.”
Fermanagh’s utter despair was in stark contrast to the huge relief felt by Down but both camps were in agreement about one thing – that the better team had lost.
“As someone says, at least Dick Turpin wore a mask,” said Down selector Mickey Donnelly, referencing the infamous 18th century highwayman.
“I’m sure Fermanagh are devastated and rightly so. They deserved to win the game.”
Down will play Monaghan or Donegal in the Ulster SFC semi-final on Sunday 27 April.
