Fermanagh manager Ryan McMenamin is hoping to make home advantage count when his side get their NFL Division Three North campaign underway next month.

Theprovisional fixtures for the three game group section will see Fermanagh play two games at home and one away with the top two in the group progressing through to the Division Three semi-finals followed by the final while the bottom two will be involved in a relegation play off.

Fermanagh will begin their programme with a mouthwatering derby encounter against Ulster champions Cavan on Saturday May 15 followed by an away game against Derry, who are managed by former Erne boss Rory Gallagher, seven days later.

And the final group game will see Longford visit Brewster Park on Saturday May 29. The league semi-finals are due to be played on the weekend of June 12/13 with the finals a week later.

“It is great to have two home games at Brewster Park and we will be trying to make it count as it makes a great difference playing at home,” said McMenamin.

“I’m looking forward now to the games and the boys will be looking forward to them as well.

“We have the Ulster champions, Cavan, at home in our first game so we are really looking forward to that with it being an Ulster derby. We maybe let them off the hook in the league last year but I think they have proven themselves to be a great team.

“Then we are away to Derry which will be tasty enough and then it is home to Longford.

“I think once the players see the dates and the fixtures out it focusses everybody and gives them a lift. It was hard to look forward to anything when you had no dates to focus on,” he added.

McMenamin acknowledges that his side are in with three of the better sides in Division Three but says that they will work hard over the next four weeks to get ready for the challenge.

“We are in the harder side of the draw in Division Three - if it was an eight team division these three would be among those fancied for promotion - but that sharpens the focus and we have a good, young, hungry squad and hopefully we can learn a lot over the next three or four weeks at training and that puts us in a good stead,” he commented.

And he believes that youthful aspect to the squad has lifted the more senior players.

“I think the average age of the squad is maybe 23 or 24, so it is very, very young but it is exciting to be a part of it. I know from chatting to some of the older boys in the squad that they seem to be re-invigorated by the younger lads and the way they have gone about things in lockdown in trying to push themselves on. You would also hope that because we have a young squad that they will be able to deal with the rigours of what lies ahead.”

Fermanagh will find out their Ulster Championship opponents next week with that competition set to commence on the weekend of June 26/27 with the final fixed for the weekend of July 31 - August 1. Given the shortened season though the championship will be the same as last year - straight knockout - with no All Ireland Qualifiers or Tailteann Cup.

“You would maybe like to have a backdoor championship but it is what it is and when we find out who and when we play we will embrace it and relish it. The only date that really matters though at the minute is the Cavan game on May 15, that’s all we are focussed on,” concluded McMenamin.