Fermanagh manager Joe Baldwin has his sights set on silverware this Saturday when his side take on Longford in the NHL Division 3B Final in Carrick-on-Shannon.

The Ernemen targeted promotion at the outset of the league and come into the game having topped the table by winning all four games, and Baldwin is aiming to extend that run on Saturday.

“We make no bones about it, our mindset going into the league was to try and gain promotion. We finished top of the group but that isn’t enough to get promotion so the job isn’t done, you have to go on and win the final. We want to get out of that division, we have won ten games on the trot including four in a row in the league and the aim is to keep that run going this weekend,” he stated.

Fermanagh edged out Longford when the sides met at Pearse Park earlier in the league in what turned out to be a game of two halves. Baldwin though knows his side will have to improve on that performance if they are to take the title.

“That game was earlier on in the year but conditions played a big part that day and we were short in terms of personnel.

“We managed to grind the result out without actually scoring in the second half so that showed a bit of character but we will certainly be looking for a better performance and it is going to take that to get past this Longford team on Saturday,” he commented.

And he believes that it is going to be another tight encounter with little dividing the sides.

“I’m expecting a very close game and it is very important that we get the match ups right in terms of personnel.

“I think there could be possibly one score between the teams and we have been in a few battles recently against the likes of Leitrim two weeks ago so we know what it is going to take to win.

“I expect it to be close and I’m hopeful the weather will be kind because I feel with a faster ball we play better. If it is dry and the pitch is hard I would expect a good game of hurling.”

The pitch in Carrick-on-Shannon has a big playing surface and Baldwin says that both sides will be keen to make use of the wide open spaces.

“It is a huge pitch but that works both ways; we try to create space, they try to create space, so it is how we try to nullify that and then offensively how we try to push up. Certainly the pitch will be part of our planning at training this week,” he explained.

The squad enjoyed a training camp last weekend and Baldwin says that it went well.

“We had a very good training weekend in Loughgiel and we also had a challenge game where we played some of the guys who haven’t had much game time and a number of them put their hand up and that’s what you want.”

Fermanagh do though have a couple of injuries to key personnel ahead of the game to concern the manager.

“Francie McBrien will definitely not be available, John Duffy is also not available and Mark Curry, the goalkeeper, is a serious doubt.”

The championship campaign comes quick on the heels of the league final so Baldwin knows it is important to go into that in good form, making a win on Saturday all the more crucial.

“I’m acutely aware that every team at some stage of the year will go through a little negative patch but we don’t really want that now. We are in the business end of the season as we go from here straight into Donegal at Brewster the week after but we are where we want to be. We have a lot of work done and now we just need to sharpen up in a few areas,” he said.