Fermanagh U17 manager Phil O’Connor feels that if his side can continue to work as hard as they have been doing and if they can perform on the day then they won’t be far away when they take on a fancied Cavan side at Brewster Park on Saturday for a place in the Ulster U17 Championship semi-final.
Fermanagh progressed through the first round with a win away to Antrim but O’Connor knows that they face a tougher prospect this weekend against a Breffni outfit who defeated Derry after extra time in their opening encounter.
“Cavan are going to be strong and physical,” said O’Connor. 
“They had a great result against Derry and they will probably be slight favourites going into this game. Their minor team were in the semi-final of an All Ireland last year so we would expect them to be very good.”
However, O’Connor wants his players to embrace the challenge that lies ahead on Saturday evening.
“These are games in which our boys have to look forward to. This is an opportunity for our players to pit themselves against one of the best sides about in Ulster and they should relish and enjoy it. 
“There is a good prize at the end of this, a place in the Ulster semi-final and we are not going to go into this with any fear,” he added.
And he acknowledges that hard work is key for his side, as it is for any side that have a desire to do well.
“We want to work as hard if not harder than Cavan do on the pitch and if we do that and put in a performance the result will take care of itself at the end of the day.
“There is a lot of talented footballers in the group but one of our mantras is that talent isn’t enough, it is the hard work that comes with it. Any side that succeeds at the top of sport, they don’t just win because they have the most talented players, they win because they have the most hard working players too and that is something that we have been trying to impress on the squad all year. It’s about improving your talents by working hard at your game and thinking about your game,” commented O’Connor.
Wins for Fermanagh minors have been few and far between in recent times so to come away from Corrigan Park, Belfast with the victory in the first round will have been a big boost for the squad although O’Connor stresses that it was one that they thoroughly expected to win.
“I think the first match against Antrim, from a management perspective, was more probably relief than actual enjoyment. We didn’t go into the game hopeful that we would win a game of football, we went in expecting to win so when we won, while it was enjoyable, there wasn’t any kind of elation. It was pleasing to just go up there and do the job. It was one match and now we move on and the challenges get harder now but if we can continue to work as hard as we have been then we will not be far away,” he said.
Fermanagh will have home advantage for this week’s clash and O’Connor wants to make that count although after a tough winter and spring weather-wise, this will be his side’s first game on the county ground this season.
“We want to use it to the best of our advantage and any team that comes into your backyard you want to make sure that they work hard for anything that they get.
“It is great to get the opportunity to play at Brewster Park. Unfortunately with the weather and that we didn’t get to play a league game there but it is great that this will be at Brewster Park, it is where the boys want to be playing.”
Fermanagh will go into the game with a few injury concerns but O’Connor is hopeful that he will have a full hand to select from for Saturday’s tie.
“We have a few niggling injuries, we would concerns over Joe McDade, Aaron McManus and Leigh Green but we hope that they will clear up and that they will be able to line out on Saturday,” he commented.