For the experienced Barry Mulrone, it’s all about making progress.

Two years ago Fermanagh won promotion from Division Three, last year they consolidated in Division Two in finishing fourth in the table and this year they have set their sights on being involved in the battle for the top two.

“We are going into our second season in Division Two and for us it is all about progressing and the only way to do that is to better ourselves year on year. Last year we finished fourth and we feel that we can do better this year and that promotion is a realistic goal.

“There is tough opposition coming down from Division One and some good teams coming up from Division Three so it is going to be difficult but as I say, promotion is the aim for us,” he said.

Division Two has the look of one that will go to the last day before matters are finalised with the general view being that there is little dividing the sides. And as the Devenish man alludes to, it is going to be a tough division to get out of.

“I fully expect the league to be very tight again and although we will be setting out our stall to win every game, we know that we face some very tough games.

“For us though it will be about just taking it a game at a time. Our focus at the minute is just on that first game this Saturday against Down and we will be hoping to get a win and get a our campaign off to a winning start,” he commented.

Fermanagh enjoyed a good McKenna Cup that saw them make the last four of the competition once again before losing out to Tyrone.

However, Mulrone was honest in his assessment that the side were not clinical enough during the games and it is something they have been working hard to address.

“I suppose down through the years that has been our achilles heel, not in terms of creating chances but in terms of taking them.

“We’ve looked at that in great detail and it is a case of not shooting recklessly and being patient and then taking your opportunities when they come.

“Defensively, we have been fairly sound over the last three or four years so we want to maintain that and then clean up our attacking play and get our conversion rate up,” he said.

And he will be hoping that starts on Saturday night when Fermanagh travel to Newry to take on a Down side that dropped down from Division One. The Mournemen had a difficult 2016 and Mulrone knows that they will be aiming for a positive start to their 2017 league campaign.

“Realistically both teams are looking at that game with two point in mind. Down will be hoping to have a better season than they had last season but with ourselves it is about getting the two points and getting the campaign off on the right footing.

“It would then leave us going into the home game against Galway full of confidence,” said Mulrone.

The Devenish man is now fully recovered from tidy up surgery he had on his knee at the end of last year and he is looking forward to another season in the green of Fermanagh.

“Leon had me on a programme and it got me back up to pace while the games in the McKenna Cup were very useful in bringing me on and everything is going well.

“It’s another year and I’m looking forward to it and I’m looking forward to Saturday night under the lights and hopefully we can get the win and start the year on a winning note,” he said.