Lisnaskea manager John Reihill cited experience as a major factor in his side’s loss to Magheracloone at the weekend.
An early onslaught saw the Mitchells take a firm grasp of Saturday’s contest and they didn’t let up throughout wracking up a 3-20 to 1-09 win at Brewster Park.
“Magheracloone was always, always going to be a tough game for us,” Reihill said.
“They were impressive in the Monaghan final against a fancied Truagh team. They lost in the All-Ireland Final in 2019 and still have the bulk of that team.
"We are just up from Junior so there is a gap in experience in the two teams. Having said that we hoped to give them a much closer game than we did.”
Magheracloone were 12 points to the good just past the ten-minute mark and even with a closer second half, Reihill added the rapid opening to the game was just too detrimental: “I think the whirlwind start from them left us with a very difficult task and the lads lost confidence.
"Our second half performance was more encouraging. Magheracloone move on now to play Arva who actually beat us last year and went on to win the All-Ireland Junior Championship.
"Lisnaskea having just come up from junior and surprising in many people’s eyes won the intermediate, we were always going to find the likes of Magheracloone a tough opposition.
"In some ways, it gives the lads an idea of the Senior Football Championship maybe, but they are a young team overall and have learnt and improved a lot in the last year or two.
"Hopefully with the success they now have had and if they continue to progress, they can do very well in the Senior Championship next year.”
Reihill will count his third year in charge as a successful one. After missing out on promotion, his side caused somewhat of an upset by winning the Intermediate Championship after winning the Junior Championship the year before.
“The last two years have been very pleasing particularly this year with the step up in championship,” he continued.
“I would have to say not getting promoted was very disappointing in that we were so close in a number of games.
"The lads however worked hard after that disappointment and turned it around to win the championship so it was very pleasing for the players, club and management.”
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