Goals by Gary McKenna and Shane McGullion at the start and the very end of Sunday’s Fermanagh final earned 14-man Derrygonnelly Harps a 2-8 to 0-9 win over Belleek at Brewster Park.
Erne Gaels failed to capitalise on Aidan McKenna’s straight red card for attempted striking in the first half.
Derrygonnelly led 1-4 to 0-3 at half time thanks to McKenna’s early goal.
Belleek, last winners in 1981, improved after the break but Harps held on for a seventh title in nine years.
Erne Gaels’ star county forward Ultan Kelm rattled the crossbar as they chased a two-point deficit in stoppage time and after clearing their lines, McGullion finished a breakaway Derrygonnelly goal to set up an Ulster Club preliminary round clash with Down kingpins Kilcoo on 5 November.
Derrygonnelly failed to reach the final last year for the first time since 2014 and were fired up to reach the summit again and when Conall Jones’ shot was saved by Erne ‘keeper Barry McCann, Gary McKenna’s low finish gave them the perfect early platform.
He tagged on a free before Rian McGovern fired over another point to stretch their lead.
Erne Gaels, who lost last year’s final to Enniskillen, did not settle well and hit four wides before Kelm scored their opening point midway through the opening half.
Harps suffered a blow when Aidan McKenna was given a straight red card for attempting to strike Odhran Johnston and Belleek responded with points from Thomas McCaffrey and a cracker from Michael Og McGarrigle.
Derrygonnelly led by five points, 1-6 to 0-4, after 10 minutes of the second half before Erne Gaels came to life with skipper Ryan Lyons coming to the fore.
He converted a mark, a monster free from outside the ’45’ and a point in an influential three-in-a-row to leave just a goal between the sides.
With five minutes to go, the game was in the balance before Shane McGullion got his fist to a free that had dropped short to give Harps some breathing space.
Erne Gaels struggled with their kickouts but still got to within a point though Kelm (free) and a Luke Ryder score just at the end of normal time.
Ryan Jones’ shot just creeped over the bar in stoppage time and when Kelm missed, McGullion finished at the other end to ensure the New York Cup returned to Derrygonnelly.
