It is usually the case that the two relegated teams are immediately installed as favourites for promotion from division two. And it is true that Lisnaskea Emmetts and St Patrick’s Donagh will fancy their chances of an immediate bounce back to the top flight but there will be a number of other teams who will be quietly looking at division one as a destination for 2017.
Newtownbutler are one such club. They were relegated in 2014 and endured a very difficult 2015. Relegated to the junior championship they also failed in their promotion bid and with club man Vinny Connolly in charge for another stint they will be wanting to show a very different side of themselves. They do have talented players but they need them all on the pitch and pulling in the one direction if they are to reach their potential.
Enniskillen Gaels meanwhile have been resident in division two for a number of years now and while it is accepted that the county town side have had to embark on a root and branch rebuild the time is fast approaching for them to make a sustained push for promotion. They have a talented group just out of minor football and with county players Richard O’Callaghan, Ryan McCluskey and Paddy Reihill to bolster things the Gaels should start to see improvement.
Looking at the relegated sides St Patrick’s have Oggie Cadden in charge and they will be determined to get off to a good start. Last season in division one a poor start through unavailability of players put them under pressure and they will want to ensure that won’t happen this season. Still very reliant on Eamon Maguire and Pat Cadden they have some emerging talent in the shape of minor Paul Og O’Reilly and are good enough to get promoted.
Lisnaskea have seen a large change over of players in the last few years and they are a shadow of the team that won the All Ireland Intermediate Championship. They will be looking to Tom Clarke, Niall McElroy and Sean Keenan to spearhead their assault on promotion.
Brookeboro had a difficult season last year and there is no immediate suggestion that life will be any more straightforward in 2016. The Heber McMahons are going though a period of transition and if they can consolidate a position in mid table and push for a top five finish then that will represent a real success.
Aughadrumsee are another team who have struggled to make an imprint at the upper end of the second division in the last number of years. They rely heavily on the scoring exploits of Eddie Courtney and hopefully the talented attacker can put his injury woes behind him to lead the Aghadrumsee challenge. Aidan McElroy takes charge and if he can guide Aughadrumsee to mid table he can consider it a job well done.
Belnaleck reached the Junior final last year before coming undone by Coa while they also finished in the bottom half of the league. The club have made great strides over the past decade and have firmly established themselves in senior football. They have yet to make that step to the next level however and that has to be their aim this year. The Cullen twins, Kane Connor and Ciaran McBrien are supremely talented players who could be the catalyst for a surge up the table.
Coa enjoyed a fruitful 2015 winning the Fermanagh Junior Championship and embarking on a run in Ulster. They are a team who can be rather Jekyll and Hyde in nature but like Belnaleck they have a host of excellent players in their squad. Eoin Donnelly is one of the best midfielders in Ulster at present while Ryan Hanna, Darren McQuaid and Leon Carters are also forceful performers. Much will depend on availability of players as to how Coa will fare in 2016.
Mark Monaghan takes charge from Iggy Gallagher in Kinawley and for the forthcoming season Kinawley will have to do without the services of Tomas Corrigan who has transferred to Oliver Plumnketts in Dublin. They can still call on brother Ruairi and three other county men in the shape of James Allen, Sean McManus and Paddy McGovern and are a team who if they get a sustained effort from an entire squad should be able to challenge for promotion.
Derrylin make up division two and they finished 5th last season which was a very creditable result. They are back operating at Intermediate level this season and this could be a real make or break season for the O’Connells. They have a solid and hard working squad but each man will need to find another few percentage points each if they are to collectively improve on what has been back to back impressive seasons.