Bonner pulls no punches after second loss

FERMANAGH manager Declan Bonner was pulling no punches following his team’s second successive defeat in the National Football League on Sunday.

Despite dominating the Division Three game in Sligo for large periods, missed chances once again haunted the Erne men, with the Connacht side finishing strong to take the two points from the round two game.

In an honest assessment of Fermanagh’s two league performances so far, Bonner has called for his players to make the most of their chances, as they search for their first win.

“I always said to the guys that Division Three was going to be a real dogfight and we need to start getting points on the board now,” said Bonner.

“The group is in a transitional period with a lot of younger players coming into it but it’s a learning curve for everyone.

“Ultimately, I want to win matches and that’s the bottom line. That’s where we have to be. We didn’t get the result and there’s no point going in and saying that’s ok, that’s bullshit.”

Fermanagh have been hit hard with injuries, with Joe McDade, Ronan McCaffrey and Seán McNally all sidelined for the game in Sligo.

While he recognises that the Erne squad is “a bit stretched”, Bonner is calling on the available Erne players to make the most of their chances.

“We lost a couple of players from last week and we are a bit stretched, but that’s no excuse. We had enough opportunities,” added the Erne boss.

“We started the game well and we were dominating the first 20 minutes and we left a number of opportunities behind us with poor execution and not being clinical enough.

“We should have been ahead at half time instead of being five points down.

“In the second half, we got back to two points and the ball was carried forward 50 metres to make it a three-point game.

“We didn’t get our next few kickouts away and we were punished. It was disappointing and we have a lot of work to do now.”

Fermanagh now must prepare for a home game against Clare on February 15, with Bonner calling on his team to show what they can do..

“We have to go now and get a performance that will get us two points against Clare,” he said. “That’s sport so we have to be in that frame of mind and getting plaudits and thinking you did well when you get nothing from them, no, that’s not good enough.”