After two draws, Fermanagh will go in search of that first league win this Saturday night when they host Kildare at Brewster Park.

The pair met last summer when the Lilywhites ended Fermanagh’s campaign although it was always going to be a difficult one for Rory Gallagher’s side coming after the disappointment of the Ulster final defeat to Donegal while Kildare were on the back of the win over Mayo and the whole Newbridge or nowhere campaign.

“They couldn’t have been going into the game in Navan any better having had the momentum of the Newbridge or nowhere and that win over Mayo and we couldn’t have been going into it any worse,” said Gallagher.

And he stresses that there are a number of areas that they will need to improve from their last meeting.

“Our energy levels were not at the same as theirs that day and that is one thing we would hope to balance out.

“We were absolutely fleeced on kick outs plus we missed a lot of chances and although being very poor defensively against them we should have had a lot more scores on the board at half time.

“The priority is going to have to be to gain more primary possession if we do that it will go long way,” he said.

While Gallagher acknowledges that this will be a tough examination for his side against a side who have been tipped for promotion this year, he does believe that with the tight and competitive nature of the division all games are winnable.

“This is going to be a big, big test but every game we feel is winnable if we can bring the right attitude to it and right quality of play to it,” he said.

That competitiveness in Division Two has been clearly shown in Fermanagh’s opening two games which have ended in draws.

And the league has been something of a mixed bag for the Ernemen so far with the side sitting on two points from their two games but if they had taken their chances then they could have had maximum points on board.

Against Cork, after a poor first half, Fermanagh controlled things in the second half but missed a number of chances to take them to victory.

And the inaccuracy in front of goal continued throughout the game against Tipperary although Gallagher has been more than happy with many other aspects of Fermanagh’s performances to date, including defensively were they have conceded the least in Division Two over the opening two games.

“The first half of the Cork game aside, we would feel that we have played well enough in the last game and half to have more than the two points we have on board, it is just that clinical edge that we’ve been missing plus we have gave away some bad goals although on the whole we have defended brilliantly.

“I think we are doing an awful lot right. In a lot of ways our play in the last game in a half has been very good, the overall work ethic, the pace at which we moved the ball, our direct running style and as I say our defending, it’s just our finishing. But we are aware of that and we will continue to work on that,” he said.

And the Fermanagh manager is in no doubt that his side have what it takes to stay in Division Two.

“We feel that if we play close to the level that we are able to play at then we are more than good enough to stay in the division.

“Look, the reality is, and it’s not much good to us now, but we feel we should have two victories under our belt because we have had more than enough chances. I think we have had better chances both days than our opposition but we haven’t taken them and that is what we have to do.

“We know that this is a very grounded group and they will be hungry now to go and get that win,” he added.