Fermanagh manager Pete McGrath believes that if his side can continue on their upward curve and continue to put the effort in that they have been doing over the last couple of years then come May next year they will be ready to meet the challenge of Monaghan after the sides were paired together in the Ulster Championship Preliminary Round.
Indeed, McGrath feels that his side are one of a handful in the province who can consider themselves genuine contenders for the title.
“When the championship draw is made the first thing you have to do is accept it. It’s the preliminary round and obviously the trip to Clones to play Monaghan is going to be challenging. As far as I’m concerned though, Fermanagh at this stage is one of the counties in Ulster who can legitimately think positively about winning an Ulster title and Monaghan are another one of those counties,” said the former Down All Ireland winning boss.
 “I would like to think that come May next year it is a challenge that we will be ready for. If the season this year brings the same progression of this last couple of years with the team developing and the players getting better then I would I say we will be in a position to go to Monaghan and talk to them in a very serious way.”

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However, he stresses that it is the work in the intermittent period that will determine how Fermanagh will do in Clones.
“There is a lot of football to be played and a lot of sorting out to be done before that. The championship fixtures are in May of next year and how you do in that particular game, and what your state of health is going into that game, will all depend on the quality of work that is done between now and then. That game has to be put on the backburner because you have the nitty gritty of the next number of months to deal with first,” he added.
The Fermanagh manager has already got down to work for the forthcoming season as he looks to put his squad together but he will have to do without the experienced Damian Kelly after the Tempo man decided to call time on his inter-county career.
“Damian’s in a situation where he is just unable to commit fully. I spoke to him last week and I’m sorry to see him go.  He’s a very reliable player and a very reliable person and played very well in a number of big games this year so he will be a loss,” said McGrath.
Another major doubt for the campaign is Devenish defender Marty O’Brien who is set to go under the knife for a long standing knee problem.
“Marty O’Brien is facing surgery on his knee which at this stage could affectively rule him out for next season,” he said.
Ciaran Flaherty has opted out of the squad but McGrath has called a number of players in.
“You have Tiarnan Daly and Lee Cullen coming back, Daryl Keenan is in the squad. Ryan Hyde and Tommy McCaffrey are coming in as is Ciaran Corrigan is in the squad and there are one or two others who may come in as it’s a bit fluid at the moment.”
And McGrath says that he won’t be running with a preliminary squad this season.
“It is our intention that whenever we have our squad, that’s it. We will be working of about a squad of 35 and we felt we were better nailing down a squad and all those players know they are on the panel for the duration as long as they tow the party line and give the necessary commitment and endeavour that we are asking for.”