Co. Fermanagh Premiers 0 Intercontinental FA 2

Fermanagh Premier manager Keith Douglas has acknowledged that results so far have been disappointing for his squad after they followed up their day one defeat against Manchester United with a 2-0 loss to Intercontinental FA on day two.

For the second day in succession, Fermanagh came away with no points and no goals, and Douglas admitted that Tuesday’s defeat to American side Intercontinental FA was a bigger blow than the defeat to United.

“We are disappointed, a lot more disappointed after this game than we were against Manchester United,” he conceded.

“We were non-existent from start to finish, to be honest, apart from a wee period at the start of the second half for 10 or 15 minutes where the boys showed a bit of a reaction, but the game petered out then. In total, over the two days, we are disappointed but we can’t be despondent and we have to keep going.

"There are still three more days and Wednesday now becomes the most important game for us and we will see how that goes. We will have to pick the boys up after that and see how we get on.”

Douglas admitted that he was satisfied with his team’s display for long periods against United on Monday.

“Against Manchester United, you have to be realistic, and we were always going to be up against it,” he said.

“We conceded a lot of the ball to them, but I thought our game plan was working well enough. Their first goal was a speculative enough shot from them through legs that found the bottom corner when our keeper was unsighted.

"We went in at halftime 1-0 down and we were extremely happy with the way the lads had carried out our plan. Then we lost the ball in their half when we were on the attack.

"A couple of ricochets in the middle of the park, and maybe a dubious handball, and we find ourselves 2-0 down.

"After that, it was a case of making sure everybody got a run-out and we gave the boys some memories of playing Manchester United.

"Probably the scoreline flattered them a bit towards the end.”

Intercontinental looked set to be an ideal fixture to bounce back from that early defeat with the American side also losing on the first day, Fermanagh started brightly and forced a corner just a minute into the match, but they could not sustain their attacking start and Intercontinental twice came close to taking the lead before the moved ahead from the penalty spot after 11 minutes.

Good build-up play from the Americans got them to the byline down the left, and a drilled low cross deflected off the arm of Oisin Kelly, with the referee pointing to the spot.

Luca Toro sent Patrick O’Sullivan the wrong way from 12 yards to give his side the lead.

Benjamin Quirinio-Silva was a constant threat to the Fermanagh defence and he forced a save from O’Sullivan and fired just wide of the post moments later as Intercontinental took a commanding grip of the contest.

O’Sullivan then spilled a ball into the box, but Fermanagh were given a reprieve when the follow-up shot was blazed over the bar.

The Fermanagh keeper was called into action again when the Americans took advantage of space in the right back area with Ben Caughey off injured before Luca Toro crashed a drive from 30 yards off the crossbar.

Eoghan McArdle replaced the injured Caughey, but the defence continued to be troubled by the visitors with O’Sullivan twice saving close-range efforts before half-time.

Fermanagh made a double change at halftime with Bruce Lennox and Fionn Stroud coming into the fray, and Fermanagh enjoyed their best spell of the match in the opening moments of the second half.

Oscar Timlin threaded a pass through for Aaron Ellis and the striker turned the defender and got a long-range shot away, but the keeper gathered comfortably.

O’Sullivan again saved from Quirinio-Silva before a controversial moment in the match.

Ellis looked to have raced clear of the Intercontinental defence, but he was halted by an offside flag that appeared to be raised for his uninvolved strike partner Callum St. Ledger.

Fermanagh then forced a series of corners, but they could not carve out a strike at goal and their threat faded as the half progressed.

The defeat leaves Fermanagh with one more chance to take points from the group stage, with a game against Skouted FC who claimed a draw against Manchester United in Tuesday’s matches.