Derrygonnelly joint manager Brendan Rasdale says that the Harps will look to learn the lessons from Sunday’s defeat to a strong Scotstown team and improve for next year.

“It is very hard right after a defeat but we will look at the game and see what we can learn and we will look at our panel and see if we can do a bit of work over the winter to become a bit stronger. We will look to find another few percent,” he said.

Rasdale had no qualms over the outcome of the Ulster Club preliminary round contest and was full of praise for his opponents.

“I would be very disappointed but don’t have any complaints about the result at all.

“I would pay tribute to Scotstown’s composure in their forward division and their clinical score-taking when the chances arrived.

“From our own point of view, it wasn’t that we wilted or didn’t show enough heart, we got it back to within two points but sometimes you meet an opponent who has a really good day and has a really high level and when a team that has a lot of quality really nails it in a lot of positions then it can be very tough. I didn’t think we got the break of the referee today either,” he commented.

The sides went in level at half time but Scotstown had whatever breeze there was in their favour in the second half and a strong start to the half laid the platform for their victory.

“To be honest, we went in level at half time but we needed to go in maybe three up as there was a significant enough breeze. They then got that wee burst when they went four up and that was a brilliant spell for them and robbed us off the chance to establish ourselves.”

Indeed, Rasdale feels that Scotstown are serious contenders for Ulster honours.

“They are a very complete team. Are they the favourites? In my mind, yes. With that level of composure and know how they can do it.”

Scotstown boss Kieran Donnelly felt that his side were given a real test by Derrygonnelly.

“Derrygonnelly are a good team, they proved that last year and they pushed us to the pin of our collar there today.

“They came with a gameplan and we struggled in the first half to break them down. We moved the ball quicker though in the second half and had more urgency to our play and the start we had to it was massive.

“We knew the longer the game stayed tight Derrygonnelly would believe that they could nip us,” said the former Fermanagh player.

Despite having the better of things only two points divided the sides entering the final five minutes but Ross McKenna’s goal gave Scotstown a cushion that would see them to the victory.

“The goal gave us that kick on to push on again.

“You felt it was one of those games were if they got another couple of chances they could have pegged it back level but the goal meant there was that breathing space,” added Donnelly.