Kelm rejoices in more Gaels’ glory

By Pauric McGurn

ERNE Gaels talisman Ultán Kelm said he was ‘delighted to get over the line’ and write their name into history after inspiring Belleek to a third consecutive Fermanagh Senior Football Championship title.

Kelm finished with an outstanding personal tally of 1-7 as they overcame Derrygonnelly to cement their place at the summit of Fermanagh football.

Kelm’s contribution was rewarded with his third consecutive Man of the Match award, underlining his importance to an Erne Gaels side that continues to find ways to deliver when the stakes are highest.

“This is the reason you play football, for days like this,” he said. “The three-in-a-row is so important and credit to the boys and the group. We’re delighted to get over the line for the third time.”

While Kelm’s individual performance caught the eye, he was quick to highlight the collective quality within the Erne Gaels ranks and the satisfaction of producing their strongest display when it mattered most.

With the quality available throughout the team, Belleek have long threatened to produce a complete performance over the course of a full game.

Kelm says that this year, they have been determined to put all the pieces together.

“We know that with ball in hand we have so much quality all over the pitch,” he said.

“Throughout the championship over the past number of years, we have shown it in drips and drabs, with plays here and there.

“This year we have been chasing that best performance, and I think we got it for longer today.”

Erne Gaels possess attacking threats across the pitch, making them a difficult proposition for any opposition.

Kelm believes that when their key players combine effectively, the team becomes extremely difficult to contain.

Fires

“We have serious fires all over the pitch for anyone coming up against us to put out and I think we all played into that,” he said.

“We were getting scores from all over the pitch, and then we have the talent of Dan [McCann], Aogan [Kelm], Oisín [Kelm] and Ryan [Lyons].

“When us boys are moving together and going well, we’re very hard to stop.”

However, Kelm acknowledged that Erne Gaels briefly allowed Derrygonnelly back into the contest towards the end of the first half, highlighting the fine margins that can decide championship finals.

One area where Belleek were particularly determined to gain an advantage was the battle for ‘breaking ball’, with Jack McCann and Eamonn Óg Magee making a significant contribution in that department.

Kelm emphasised that winning those crucial scraps was key in their battle for the New York Cup.

“I don’t know how many breaking balls they got between the two of them,” he said. “That’s championship games and that’s what it takes to get across the line.”