With just over a fortnight to go until Fermanagh ladies bid for Ulster Championship glory, Manager Aide Little is pleased with how things are progressing since he took over the managerial reins in mid-May.

“Things are going the best, we’ve had a couple of challenge games and we’ll hopefully get another couple scheduled before the final. We had a team bonding weekend a few weeks ago in Carrick-on-Shannon and it was good fun. Everyone is getting on well and seem happy enough. The club games are finished now, so we’ll have a solid few weeks to work with the girls.” Fermanagh have been strengthened by the return of Newtownbutler duo Aine McBrien and Danica Beattie to the squad, their inclusion will offer Little other options in both defence where McBrien has plenty of experience, having played in the 2009 and 2013 All Ireland finals and up front where Beattie offers another scoring option; “Aine has good experience and she’s good at doing different roles. Danica is a good, strong player and both will be a big benefit.” On the flip side, the Erne ladies lost defender Edel Campbell. The Brookeborough player had transferred to a club in Armagh early this year due to work commitments but since the departure of Lisa Woods and the change of management, Campbell has opted out of the county scene.

Aide is joined in the backroom team this year by Colm Monahan and Kevin O’Rourke.

The Lisnaskea man says the challenge matches they played against a Donegal team consisting of under-21 and senior players and the Tyrone senior side were good exercises. Whilst Fermanagh were on the wrong end of the result against the O’Neill County, they beat Donegal.

“It gave Kevin and Mono (Colm) a chance to see the players. We tried a few of them out in different positions and got to see who was good at doing what.” Having the two men on board has been great, says Aide; “There are things they might do differently and their ideas are different which helps. It’s good to bounce tactics off them – having three heads is better than one and the girls are really responding to them.” So will we be seeing a new look Fermanagh set-up and approach on July 26th? “No, not really! We might change one or two things position wise but that’s about it. We believe we can win Ulster but we know it’s all about who performs best on the day.” For now though, it’s training three times a week as the management team attempt to put the finishing touches to their preparation.