Fermanagh minor boss Phil O’Connor knows that his side face the sternest of tests when they take on Monaghan in the preliminary round of Ulster this Saturday evening. The Belnaleck club man is taking the positives from the tough draw however and using it as motivation for his players; “This group of Monaghan players have been the best in Ulster right the way up the age levels so they are going to be one of the favourites for Ulster but I see that as a good thing. We really are relishing this challenge and looking at it as a real test and something that we want to look forward to and not fear in any way,” O’Connor explained.

There is no doubt that there is a sense of confidence that surrounds this Fermanagh minor team with its genesis coming from a league campaign that saw a number of encouraging results. A victory over Tyrone went with a draw with Donegal while the defeats to Armagh, Antrim and Derry were of the narrow variety. O’Connor accepts that there was a lot of good to take from the league but he also strikes a chord of caution: “There were a lot of positives there is no doubt about that. We played well in a lot of games and we were competitive which is always the first aim but championship is a different thing altogether and young players can react differently to championship.”

Elaborating on that point however O’Connor explained that he has faith in the team and the maturity levels that they have shown to date this season.

“They are actually quite a quiet bunch of players would you believe. But there is a lot of focus among them. They are a group who wants to do well and who want to achieve. They are not just happy to play; they want more than that,” he explained.

O’Connor was the manager of the under 17 development squad last season and achieved success at that level and he insists that the core objectives remain the same this year as it was last year.

“What we want to do is get players to see what is required to play county football and we want to see these players progress and move on up the ladder. We obviously want to win but before we do that we have to have players who know what it takes to win,” he revealed before adding.

“And we also want to make it really clear to the players that Fermanagh GAA is as good as any other county in Ireland and that the pride in pulling on that green jersey should be immense. We want to change the mindset and make them to believe that as players they are as good as anything else out there.”

Turning his attention back to the game on Saturday against Monaghan O’Connor revealed that there is a few niggling injuries within the squad but that he should be selecting from a full deck come the weekend.

“We are hopeful that all will clear up before then. A few players are heading off to cryo-chambers and what not but they should be okay. We really can’t wait for the game at this stage. It will be a huge challenge for us but as I said before, we are looking forward to it. These are the games and teams you want to be playing and if we go out and perform to the level that we can, then we will be there or thereabouts.”