Kinawley will have their sights set on a league and championship double when they take on Derrygonnelly this Sunday in the Senior Championship final in Brookeborough.

The Brian Borus have been the dominant force in Fermanagh ladies football in recent years, narrowly missing out on claiming the Ulster Intermediate title in each of the last two seasons and they will go into Sunday’s encounter as red hot favourites.

Indeed, Kinawley have already beaten Derrygonnelly in one final this year when they comfortably won the Division One crown but manager Kevin Gilleece says that they won’t be reading anything into that game.

“This is a different game, it is championship, and we expect it to be a lot tighter.

“In the league final we got off to a really good start with a couple of early goals and their heads went down a bit but we’re expecting a tough game on Sunday,” he said.

Gilleece believes that the Harps are the side that have come on the most in the county in recent years and, like Kinawley, he says that the young players coming through are helping to drive everything on.

“They are probably the most improved team over the last few years and they have a lot of good young players coming through, much like us, and those young players are pushing things on,” he said.

Derrygonnelly manager Garry Smyth knows that Kinawley are the benchmark for all the other clubs in the county.

“Kinawley have been setting the standards for other ladies teams in Fermanagh and it is up to the rest to try and catch them.

“We know the task that is ahead of us on Sunday, we are playing a side who were unfortunate not to have won the last two Ulster club finals. They are a very good side,” he said.

He is though happy with the progress that the Harps having been making over the last couple of seasons.

“As a club, we are pleased to be in our first senior final and the girls are really looking forward to it. We won the Intermediate and the Division Two titles two years ago so to be competing in the Division One and senior finals is an indication of the progress we have made,” he added.

Smyth admits that Derrygonnelly didn’t get the performance they were looking for in the league final.

“We would have been disappointed with the performance in the league final but this is a new day, it is championship, the premier competition and the one that everyone strives to win,” he said.

To do that though they are coming up against a Kinawley side who have the potent mix of scoring heavily while conceding little. And it is that defensive solidity that pleases Gilleece.

“We have been running up fairly big scores in games but our defence has been immense and if you can keep things tight at the back then it gives you a good chance. For us, it will be about getting a performance and if we can do that we will be in a good position,” he said.

That a league and championship have been played at all is of course a big positive and Smyth praised the Fermanagh Ladies County Board.

“It has been brilliant to have had such a meaningful programme of fixtures at all levels so you have to compliment the Ladies County Board for that and the clubs have also committed to it,” he commented.