Belnaleck 0-14 Enniskillen 0-13

Belnaleck will take the maximum three points forward from the Club Players’ Competition into SFL Division One after they edged out Enniskillen in a tight affair last Friday night.

After Enniskillen had made a fast start to open up an early four-point advantage, Nigel Seaney’s side turned things around to lead by one at the interval.

That gap was increased to four points at the start of the second half before the Gaels responded, closing the gap back to a point despite being reduced to 14-men following the dismissal of Cal McAnespy.

However, they could not get back on level terms and Belnaleck were able to keep their noses in front to secure the win.

New Belnaleck manager Seaney feels that the competition has been a useful exercise in getting to know his players and vice versa.

“Essentially we have had five games which we have used for me to get to know the players and the players getting to know me and the way that I do things. There is nothing like getting matches at this time of the year and this competition guaranteed those. It is very early in the year but I’ve been pleased with the application of the players,” he said.

His Enniskillen counterpart, Simon Bradley agreed that the competition has been beneficial to his side too.

“It has been good to us in the sense of it has allowed us to look at lads with the league proper in mind. It is going to be a difficult five or six weeks for us with players going away or on holidays so it was important to see these other lads and how they react and handle the pressure at this level as they are going to get chances now in the league,” said Bradley.

The away side dictated the play early on and by the tenth minute they held a 0-04 to 0-00 lead with

John Reihill converting two frees and impressive midfielder Ross Bogue landing two scores from play.

Belnaleck, with Conor McAuley to the fore, began to settle into the game after this and after Glenn Treacy and Bogue traded points the Art McMurroughs went on to hit six of the next seven points to lead by the interval.

McAuley rattled over a fine point from play while Ciaran McBrien and Bryan Owens knocked over frees.

A John Reihill free was the sole response from Enniskillen during this period and with Garvan Quigley slotting over two excellent scores from play it put Belnaleck into a 0-07 to 0-06 half time lead.

Another fine point by McAuley put two between the sides at the start of the second half although Enniskillen answered with a long range free by Bogue.

Belnaleck though accounted for the next three points to move four ahead. The influential Quigley converted a free and a superb score from play before a Ciaran McBrien point made it 0-11 to 0-07 by the 36th minute.

The Gaels though found a response as Reihill knocked over another free while Conor Watson and substitute Conor McAleer fired over from play to leave one between the sides.

Quigley though was continuing to be a thorn in the Gaels side and he rifled over another point before Enniskillen were reduced to 14 as McAnespy was given his marching orders.

It was a tense final quarter to the contest as the sides swapped points.

Conor Love (2) and Quigley and Owens exchanged points from frees to leave Belnaleck leading 0-14 to 0-12 as the game moved towards added on time.

Bogue did close the gap back to one point from a free but a fine block by Oran McCarney on Love denied Enniskillen an equaliser as the home side held on to win by the minimum.