Lazarus, Houdini and Dick Turpin are alive and well in Fermanagh after the Ernesiders pulled off the mother of all comebacks to deny an excellent Sligo two points in a frenetic finish in Brewster Park.
It looked bleak for the home side as they trailed by 0-16 to 0-08 by the 56th minute and even bleaker when they were behind by five points on a score of 0-19 to 0-14 going into injury time.
But two superb two pointers from Garvan Jones and Sean Cassidy and a last gasp point from keeper Sean McNally tied matters against a Sligo side who were shattered by the sudden reversal in fortunes.
For Tony McEntee's men played the better football for long periods and especially in the first 20 minutes of the second half when they tagged on eight points in a blistering period of dominance-brilliantly led by their captain Niall Murphy.
Fermanagh looked a beaten side, but their captain Declan McCusker hit an inspirational two pointer to haul his side back from the brink and they also hit ten wides.
And, as Sligo tired, the Ernesiders went for broke and came away with the unlikeliest draws which keeps their promotion hopes alive.
For Sligo, who made a number of switches before the match, this was a huge improvement on their dismal defeat to Laois a fortnight ago.
And they know this was a point dropped.
Fermanagh had the better start and had two lightning points in almost as many minutes.
Team captain Declan McCusker dipped the shoulders and arrowed over a fine point after 90 seconds.
His fellow wing back doubled that tally a minute later and Sligo had hard luck as Alan Reilly had an effort come off the post and Niall Murphy opened their account after eight minutes.
Darragh Cummins levelled matters as a determined Sligo grew into the game.
Fionan O’Brien landed a mammoth effort from the sideline-before Sligo hit the first of their crucial two pointers.
Late substitute David Quinn hit a huge two pointer from play and suddenly the Yeats County was in front by 0-04 to 0-03 by the 14th minute.
Quinn had a single pointer as the Ernesiders were briefly rocked back.
But points from Garvan Jones and Josh Largo Ellis tied matters.
It was then Sligo struck for another two- pointer when Alan Mcloughlin landed a free from outside the arc as Fermanagh’s marauding keeper Sean McNally hit a fine point from distance as Sligo led by 0-7 to 0-6.
Jones hit a fine point-but Niall Murphy pushed Sligo to a 0-08 to 0-07 lead at the break.
Sligo re-emerged like a hurricane and threatened to blow Fermanagh away in a blistering seven minutes on the resumption as the points flowed from Quinn, Patrick O’Connor, Pat Spillane (a towering effort), Niall Murphy, Ross Doherty and Canice Mulligan to push them to a 0-14 to 0-07 lead by the 48th minute.
Sligo were in complete control in the middle third and it took Fermanagh fifteen minutes to find the target from a Shane McGullion free as Sligo led 0-15 to 0-8.
That lead was increased to 0-16 to 0-08 by centre back Darragh Cummins as the Erne defence was at times as wide open as Bundoran on a 12th Weekend.
But Sligo’s savage effort began to take its toll as both sides made switches as Fermanagh clawed their way back into contention.
Darragh McGurn pointed, as did O’Brien and keeper Sean McNally and Sean Cassidy left Sligo leading by 0-16 to 0-12 twelve minutes from time.
Sligo seemed to have weathered that revival through points from Murphy and Cummins to put them into a 0-18 to 0-12 lead and victory seemed assured when Cummins made it 0-19 to 0-12.
But that was Sligo’s last score as McCusker landed a crucial two pointer as the big home crowd got behind the Ernesiders.
Still, five points ahead looked to be enough as the game swung into four minutes of added time.
But two massive two pointers from Jones and Cassidy and a well worked equaliser from McNally made for a sensational finish and heartbreak for Sligo.
KEY: tp - two-point score; tpf - two-point free; tpm - two-point mark
Fermanagh: Sean McNally (0-02): Lee Cullen, Che Cullen, Oisin Smyth; Jonny Cassidy (0-01) Declan McCusker (0-03,1tp) Fionan O’Brien (0-03,1f); Ronan McCaffrey, Darragh McGurn (0-01); Shane McGullion (0-01f) Ryan Lyons, Paul Breen; Josh Largo Ellis (0-01) Garvan Jones (0-05,1tp) Conor Love.
Subs; Sean Cassidy (0-03,1tp) for Conor Love (24), Joe McDade for Ronan McCaffrey (45), Conor McGee for Shane McGullion (52), Diarmuid King for Ryan Lyons (59).
Sligo: Daniel Lyons (0-02); Paul McNamara, Eddie McGuinness, Evan Lyons; Brian Cox, Darragh Cummins (0-03) Luke Towey; Canice Mulligan, David Quinn (0-04,1tp); Ross Doherty (0-01) Alan McLoughlin (0-03,1tp) Pat Spillane (0-01); Alan Reilly, Patrick O’Connor (0-01) Niall Murphy (0-04).
Subs; Cian Lally for David Quinn (51), Nathan Mullen for Luke Towey (56), Mikey Gordon for Ross Doherty (63), Jack Lavin for Pat Spillane (68) Paul Kilcoyne for Darragh Cummins (69)
Referee: Diarmuid Boylan (Monaghan)
