Last year’s run to the Ulster semi-final which they lost after a replay to Cavan Gaels in a game they probably should have won has whetted Derrygonnelly’s appetite for more in terms of provincial football.

When the Harps take to the pitch at Clones on Sunday to take on Monaghan champions Scotstown, it will be their fourth successive year in the Ulster Club Championship although attacker Paul Ward admits that it took them a couple of years to become accustomed to the demands of the competition.

“Ulster Club is a learning curve and a step up,” said Ward. “Our first two years we played Slaughtneil who were obviously an exceptional team. The first year was on the back of a few very difficult weeks for the club and it was a case of going in and seeing where we are. The second year we learnt a bit more but we were maybe happy to just contain Slaughtneil. I think last year we showed that we had found our feet and that we can compete. We feel ourselves that we probably should have got to the final.”

And he feels that tis year they are more prepared again for the challenges that Ulster poses.

“Again this year we would feel that we have learned, we have brought in another couple of young boys and that has helped strengthen the squad which possibly hampered us last year when it went to extra time and replays,” he said.

Getting back to test themselves against the best in the province was the target for the Harps this year although Ward stresses that they never took their eye of the ball in Fermanagh.

“If you are ambitious as players and as a club which we in Derrygonnelly are then you want to get back to that level. We wanted to get back to Ulster to test ourselves again but we never took our eye of the next game. We focused on Roslea, then Devenish, then Ederney.

“The goal was to get back into Ulster and each game in Fermanagh was a step towards that. We focused on each game as it came and each game brought you closer to where you wanted to get,” he explained.

That attitude has taken them back to the provincial arena and Ward says that one thing he has learnt about this championship is that it is about making sure that you have the basics right.

“From what I’ve seen, when it comes to competing at Ulster Club it is about the basics. Because of the weather and the conditions the basics pull you through a lot of stuff in those games. You very rarely see free flowing , brilliant football, it is about hard work and doing the simple things right.”

The former Fermanagh player knows though that they face a stiff test on Sunday against a Scotstown side who have also completed four in a row in their home championship.

“They are a good side and have a lot of household names in their squad. There is All Star nominees and for me Beggan is a shoe in for goalkeeper. Conor McCarthy is superb and of course you have the Hughes brothers. They have very dangerous in the forward line and we know it will be tough,” he added.

And Scotstown will have a former Fermanagh player and coach on the line with Kieran Donnelly the manager of the Monaghan champions.

Ward accepts that Donnelly will have a good knowledge of the Harps but that they will have their homework done too.

“Kieran has coached a number of us through Fermanagh and is well versed on Fermanagh club football. He will know us all but we have done plenty of work on them as well since they beat Ballybay so I don’t think there will be many surprises on either side.

“You can’t get to caught up on the opposition, yes, you have to know where their threats come from but you have to try and put your own stamp on the game and that’s what we will be trying to do.”

Indeed, Ward feels that if the Harps can perform to their potential then they won’t be far away on Sunday.

“Of course we will respect Scotstown, you can’t do anything else other than respect a team of that quality, but we believe that if we produce the level of performance we are capable of then we can put it up to them,” he concluded.

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