Meath came to Enniskillen with half of their All-Ireland-winning team but so well did Fermanagh play without a number of their regulars they would have been a match for any side on this performance.

Team manager Pat King said if Fermanagh had taken their firsthalf chances the match would have been over as a contest at half-time. Among those misses was an open goal chance which the usually reliable Raymond Gallagher spurned.

Gallagher, however, quickly made some amends for his error with a well-struck point to send Fermanagh on their way to a 0-8 to 0-4 half-time lead. Meath's response was two pointed Trevor Giles frees and later on a point apiece from Gordon Codd and half-back Richie Kealy.

Meath manager Sean Boylan missed the game due to 'flu but even his presence could hardly have dealt with Fermanagh's whirlwind start to the second half that yielded points from Gallagher (two) and Declan Fitzpatrick to move them into a 0-11 to 0-4 lead after just five minutes.

Meath's All Star Giles tried hard at midfield, but on the day met his match in Liam McBarron, who along with Raymond Johnston, scorer of five points from play, was outstanding.

It took the introduction of another All Star, Ollie Murphy, to breathe some life into a lacklustre Meath forward line, although he had good support from Donal Curtis.

Giles, at last, found greater freedom as a playmaker and Murphy's point half way through the half left Meath four points behind (0-11 to 0-7).

Such was Fermanagh's confidence that they overcame this mini-revival and the closest Meath came to getting the all-important goal was a fierce shot towards the end from Ronan Fitzsimmons, which defender Paddy McGuinness half-stopped, leaving his goalkeeper to complete the clearance.

FERMANAGH: P Maguire; P McGuinness, P Courtney, M Farry; T Callaghan, N Cox, K Gallagher; L McBarron (0-1), M Greene (0-2); K Cassidy, R McCabe, R Johnston (0-5); R Gallagher (0-5), S Quinn, D Fitzpatrick (0-1). Subs: T Collins for Cox (inj); S McDermott for McCabe; C Bradley for Fitzpatrick; P Quinn for Greene.

MEATH: C Sullivan; C Murphy, D Fay, P Shankey; R Kealy (0-2), A Moyles, E McManus; N McGillick, T Giles (0-3); G Codd (0-1), R Magee, E Kelly; D Curtis, J Devine, R Fitzsimmons. Subs: B Smith for McGillick; R Farrelly for Codd; O Murphy (0-1) for Kealy; R Mulvaney for McManus; C Reynolds for Devine.

Referee: M Curley (Galway).