It has been a disappointing season for Fermanagh, there is no dressing it up any other way.

Relegation to Division Two after a poor league campaign has been followed by two nine point championship defeats at the hands of Monaghan and Armagh as the 2017 season finished with a whimper in the Athletic Grounds on Sunday evening.

It was though a season that started with so much hope after that drubbing of Down in Newry in the opening league encounter but this was to be the only game that Fermanagh scored a goal in during the league and also the only one that they didn’t concede a goal and these were two major problems for the season.

There were heavy defeats against both Kildare and Meath during that league campaign but without doubt the toughest loss to take of the whole season was that final league game against Derry.

A win would have kept Fermanagh in Division Two and for the vast majority of the game they were on course to achieve that. Fermanagh dominated the contest and should have put it to bed in the second half but a late goal and a point for Derry sealed Fermanagh’s fate as they were relegated. At the other end of the country, a late point for Down in Cork saved their bacon as they survived in Division Two and there is no doubt that Down’s late escape has played it’s part in giving them the confidence to push on and they are now sitting in an Ulster final after back to back wins over the two teams that beat Fermanagh in the championship, Armagh and Monaghan.

In contrast, the Derry loss was a blow that Fermanagh struggled to pick themselves up from. The management and players had put a lot of effort and emphasis on firstly getting into Division Two and then staying there so to be relegated in the manner that they were was going to be difficult to recover from.

From an overall point of view even, to have stayed in Division Two would have made 2017 something of a success and it would have provided a massive lift going into championship preparations.

That’s not to say that the championship would have gone any better as Monaghan in Clones and Armagh in the Athletic Grounds are always tough asks and McGrath has had his hands tied in many respects.

The loss of players to retirement before the season including the likes of Marty O’Brien, Damian Kelly and Niall Cassidy left big voids not only defensively but also in leadership and experience while McGrath also had to do without both Richard O’Callaghan and Conall Jones who were travelling for the year.

On top of that, Ruairi Corrigan suffered an injury playing for Kinawley at the end of last season that basically ruled him out of the season while Ryan Jones’ season was also blighted by injury. Declan McCusker missed the Monaghan game with a hand injury and these are big players and Fermanagh simply cannot do without them.

With players also leaving the panel it left McGrath with little in the way of strength in depth facing into the championship and that was evident against Monaghan who brought quality off their bench and pulled away in the second half.

It has been said time and again, if Fermanagh are to compete then they need everybody fit and available, if they don’t have that then they are going to struggle.

On Sunday, McGrath took something of a gamble as he looked to shake things up but the changes didn’t work on the day and there can be no complaints as Armagh were simply the better side.

Fermanagh struggled to get their hands on ball as Armagh dominated possession and really they should have been further ahead than two points at the break having registered nine wides in the first half.

Kieran McGeeney’ s side then bossed the second half, they were physically stronger which was visibly noticeable and they were able to break through and either pick off a score or draw a free.

Again Fermanagh struggled for scores and this became more evident as the game progressed and Armagh got to grips with the Fermanagh running game.

And so it was, a second successive nine point championship defeat, overall an ‘annus horribilus’ as Pete McGrath stated, and it is back to the drawing board once more.