Fermanagh Ladies will begin their league campaign this Sunday when they host Derry at Brewster Park (2pm). It has been a tough couple of years for the Ladies which has seen them drop back to Division Four but manager Emmett Curry feels that with the county in a transitional period, this is the right place for them at this time.

Curry has a youthful squad at his disposal ahead of the season opener but it will be back-boned by a core of experienced players who the management will be hoping will help bring the younger players through.

The squad has received a boost with the news that Sharon Little has returned to the county set up while Curry will also look to the likes of Shauna Hamilton, Roisin Gleeson, Maurita McDonald, Aishling Maguire as well as captain Aine McGovern and vice captain Edel Campbell to provide leadership.

“It is a young squad but we also have a number of experienced girls in their too and hopefully they will be able to push the young ones on. As far as I would be concerned Division Four is the best thing for them to be in at the minute. Last year was tough for the players, they never won a game and that can be disheartening but we are down in Division Four and hopefully we can rebuild,” he said.

Curry is joined in the management team by Mickey Cadden and Josie Boyle and he is delighted to have both on board.

“Mickey Cadden is a great trainer and it is a big plus to have him for the year and it’s brilliant to have Josie Boyle with us as well,” he commented.

Fermanagh will be hoping that they can make a push for promotion from Division Four although Curry readily admits that he does not have much knowledge on the other teams in the division.

“The main rivals for promotion are going to be Antrim and Longford as they contested the All Ireland Junior final last year and somebody said to me that Louth are a good side but I don’t know anything about them. We have Derry this week and to be honest I don’t know anything about them but they won’t know much about us either,” he said.

Fermanagh though will be looking to start the league programme on a winning note and Curry knows that it would be a big confidence boost if they could get that win after failing to win a game in 2016.

“Our sole focus is on Derry, that’s the only game we are concentrating on at the minute. If we could win that opening game it would be great as the girls are putting in a lot of hard work,” he said. “Also, it would get that monkey of the back and it would give the girls a massive confidence boost before the trip to Kilkenny next week which will be another hard one. If we won by one point I would be absolutely delighted,” he added.