The last time this column was on your pages we spoke about the need for Fermanagh to keep improving. 
We suggested that the fixation of winning an Ulster title should not lead to regressive steps should that goal not be achieved. In other words that should Donegal beat us the world should not fall down around us. 
We still subscribe to that view but there is more than a tinge of frustration and disappointment following Ballybofey as there is no doubt that this was a game that was there for the taking.
Fermanagh were better than Donegal in lots of areas of the pitch but I felt when it really mattered we just didn’t have their ruthlessness. 
The stats made for interesting reading after the game. 
Fermanagh enjoyed 33 attacks to Donegal’s 28. 
We had 27 shots to their 23 yet we lost by seven points. And the reason for this is that we converted 41% of our chances to Donegal’s 61%. 
Those bald facts make for difficult reading and behind these raw stats there was elements of our play which we simply need to improve and it is more complicated than simply saying we need to take our chances.
After the game the general consensus among many supporters was that had we scored the penalty just before half time we would have won the game. I am not so sure. 
It wasn’t the greatest penalty in the world but I wouldn’t be too quick to get on Sean Quigley’s back. He has scored plenty from the spot for Fermanagh and I would back him to do so again. 
The long wait between the awarding of the penalty and it being taken didn’t help the situation but these things happen. To try and distil the loss down to one incident is to avoid the flaws in our play.
From an attacking point of view we were far too predictable. The running game worked for a while but there was nothing to dovetail it with. 
Over the course of the 70 minutes only two long diagonal balls were hit into Sean Quigley and he won them both with a point coming from the second but we did not deploy this tactic almost enough.
The problem teams have with the modern game is that with men behind the ball they find it difficult to penetrate the wall of defenders and the tendency is to adopt a safety first attitude. 
There are of course times when ball retention is needed but if you actually look at the most successful teams and how they play it becomes clear that they have a long ball element to their game. 
Donegal for instance were very successful in getting long early ball into Patrick McBrearty against Fermanagh despite our use of the sweeper. 
It meant our defenders had to be aware of the long ball option and as a result it stretched our defence. 
This in turn allowed for Donegal to break through with their running game and they did so three times to devastating effect hitting two goals and a point and in truth the point could very easily have been a goal.
In contrast the Donegal defence were able to stay very compact and compressed. 
They knew that our tactic was to run the ball hard off the shoulder and as a result they were ready and waiting for it.
 Fermanagh still created goal chances but only Ryan Jones’ attempt could have been deemed to have come from a coherent attacking move and this was when the game was all but over with Donegal having built up a sizeable lead.
Watching the game back Donegal created the easier chances even though they did not create as many and in the end this was why they won the game. 
The crucial period of the match came just after half time. Fermanagh pulled the game back to a point and had dominated the 15 minutes prior to half time but Donegal were able to strike back in devastating fashion.
 Odhran MacNiallais ghosted in behind our cover to hit his second goal. It was a square ball but that doesn’t take away from the fact that despite having lots of men behind the ball he escaped our attentions much too easily.
Since the game it has been pleasing to hear some of the comments coming from the Fermanagh camp. 
They know they could have won that game and they are not making excuses. 
Defeat can be a bitter pill to swallow but if flaws that are exposed can be rectified then progress will be made. 
And that is what this Saturday is all about. Wexford away from home represent a difficult assignment but in truth if we are make that jump to the next level we need to be putting teams like Wexford to the sword. There was so much that was right against Donegal but we must forensically assess what went wrong if we are truly to reach our potential. 
I expect this team and management to do just that.