Fermanagh Premiers 2 Barca Academy Dubai 0

Fermanagh Premiers finished their Super Cup week on a high with a 2-0 victory over Barca Academy Dubai earning them third place in the Salver.

Second half goals from Callum St. Ledger and Fionn Stroud gave them a deserved victory, after a dominant second half display.

After a gruelling week of competitive action it was a Fermanagh squad ravished by injury that took on the Dubai based team at Broughshane, but despite the absence of key players they made a positive start with Rhys McGourty lively in the opening exchanges.

With five minutes gone the left winger cut inside the full back and fired in a shot from 20 yards that the keeper gathered.

Three minutes later McGourty again created space, but his low shot was kept out by the legs of the keeper.

Fermanagh continued to hold the upper hand with Matthew Armstrong the next to threaten when he skipped past a challenge on the byline and advanced towards goal, but his attempt to force the ball in at the near post came back off the frame of the goal.

Two minutes later Armstrong again came close, but his effort from the edge of the penalty area curled inches wide of the upright.

As the half progressed Barca Academy Dubai started to match Fermanagh in midfield and the chances for the Ernemen dried up as the game reached the break scoreless.

Oscar Timlin became the latest Fermanagh player to succumb to injury and had to be replaced at half time, but the team emerged for the second half in positive fashion and controlled the game for the final 35 minutes.

Four minutes into the half Fionn Stroud and Callum St. Ledger exchanged passes before Bruce Lennox rifled a shot wide of goal.

St. Ledger then shot straight at the keeper, and against tested the Barca net minder after a clever flick from Stroud had put him through.

Ethan Byrne then had a shot touched around the post after he had collected McGourty’s crossfield pass.

Most of Fermanagh’s creativity was coming through St. Ledger and Stroud, and the pair linked up again twice in the space of two minutes, with St. Ledger having a shot saved, and Stroud blasting straight at the keeper when well placed ten yards from goal.

The Barca keeper continued to deny Fermanagh, touching St. Ledger’s low drive around the post before Eoghan McArdle headed wide from the resulting corner.

St. Ledger was again denied by the keeper’s legs as the Fermanagh domination continued without reward, but they had a glorious chance to get in front with seven minutes remaining when Stroud was brought down inside the penalty area.

The referee pointed to the spot, and St. Ledger stepped up to take the kick but again he was denied by the keeper who dived to his left to save.

The breakthrough finally arrived with four minutes remaining.

Oisin Kelly lofted a long diagonal towards the back post and St. Ledger brought the ball down and cut back inside the defender before lashing a shot across the keeper and high into the top corner.

Two minutes from time Fermanagh sealed their first win of the tournament when Stroud and Keenan exchanged passes on the halfway line, and Stroud burst through into the penalty area before slotting past the keeper.