NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE FINALS/Wexford 3-15 Fermanagh 0-20:WEXFORD OWED Fermanagh one like this. After so many disappointments against the northerners, Wexford turned in an amazing final period of extra-time to snatch a dramatic victory over Fermanagh in this thrilling Division Three final at Parnell Park yesterday afternoon.

Wexford had previously lost two championship qualifiers to Fermanagh while in their recent league clash they had victory snatched from them in the closing minute. However, they more than made up for those disappointments when, after having played second best for lengthy periods, they managed to dig deep when it mattered most with a clinical finish to this amazing clash.

Wexford manager Jason Ryan had instilled into his side the need to put slow starts behind them. This they did with two goals inside the opening six minutes, the first after four minutes when Matty Forde delightfully finished to the net from a Ciarán Lyng pass, while two minutes later Adrian Flynn pounced on a breaking ball in front of goal to stab high into the net leaving his side with a 2-1 to 0-1 lead.

But with Marty McGrath and Shane McDermott immense in midfield, Fermanagh gradually took the initiative as they outscored Wexford 0-8 to 0-3 in the following 24 minutes. Excellent marksmanship from Mark Murphy and Ryan Keenan helped them gradually reduce the deficit and Wexford led at the interval by just a single point, 2-4 to 0-9.

Both sides played bravely and skilfully throughout the second period. Murphy and Forde traded two points apiece during the opening 12 minutes of the second half. The sides were deadlocked 2-6 to 0-12 after a James Sherry point when Wexford were awarded a penalty on 51 minutes with referee Pat Fox penalising goalkeeper Fergal Murphy for over-carrying. However, Murphy saved Forde's shot superbly, with Lyng firing the rebound over the bar.

With Wexford reduced to 14 men three minutes from the end following a second yellow card for Redmond Barry, it was a superb PJ Banville point that edged them in front one minute from the end. However 30 seconds into additional time a Ryan Keenan point forced extra time, the sides finishing level, 2-10 to 0-16.

Points from Tom Brewster and substitute Mark Little edged Fermanagh into a two-point lead but a 78th-minute Paddy Colfer goal gave Wexford a 3-10 to 0-18 lead at half time in extra time.

But in the final period of extra time Forde stamped his superb authority on the game kicking four superb points, two from play, and with Fermanagh unable to break through at the opposite end it helped give Wexford their first piece of silverware since 1995 when they last won the O'Byrne Cup.

WEXFORD: A Masterson; C Morris, P Wallace, B Malone; A Morrissey, D Murphy, N Murphy; B Doyle, E Bradley; S Roche, R Barry (0-1), A Flynn (1-1); C Lyng (0-3), P J Banville (0-2), M Forde (1-7, 0-2 frees). Subs: D Walsh for Morrissey (37 mins), C Byrne Roche (48 mins), T Howlin for Bradley (50 mins), P Colfer (1-1) for Flynn (58 mins), N O'Sullivan for Morris (70 mins), B Brosnan (70 mins) R Stafford for Doyle (80 mins).

FERMANAGH: F Murphy; P Sherry, H Brady, D O'Reilly; D Kelly, R McCluskey, T McElroy; M McGrath (0-1), S McDermott; R Keenan (0-6, 0-3 frees), J Sherry (0-1), C McElroy (0-2 frees); M Keenan (0-1), M Murphy (0-4), E Maguire (0-1). Subs: N Bogue for O'Reilly (30 mins), T Brewster (0-2, 0-1 free) for Keenan (42 mins), L McBarron for C McElroy (53 mins), S Lyons for Brady (55 mins), M Little (0-2, 0-1 free) for Brewster (76 mins), S Doherty for McDermott (84 mins).

Referee: P Fox (Westmeath).