Fermanagh captain Ryan Bogue is not about to play down just how important Saturday night’s NHL Division 3B decider against Longford is to the Ernemen.

Silverware is up for grabs, but for Bogue, promotion is of mucher greater importance as they look to get out of the division and test themselves against a higher standard of opponent.

Fermanagh go into the final on the back of four straight wins in the league but Bogue knows that will count for nothing if they lose to Longford.

“The silverware is one thing but promotion is the most important thing,” he said.

“Our target at the start of the year was to get up and test ourselves against these better teams and at the minute we have done everything right, we have four from four.

“But, if we are beaten on Saturday night we are no further forward, you’re back to where you were at the start of the year so Saturday night is very, very important.

“We feel we need to get promotion and start challenging these teams in higher divisions and test ourselves.”

“Anyone will tell you that to improve in hurling you have to be playing better teams and that’s what we need to be doing now.

“We are going into Nicky Rackard now in a couple of weeks against the likes of Donegal, Armagh and Tyrone and they are the teams we need to be playing in the league if we want to progress and move forward,” he said.

That Nicky Rackard campaign will get underway next weekend when Fermanagh host Donegal but Bogue is stresses that they haven’t thought about that yet with the league their full focus.

“We haven’t really talked about championship that much, our whole focus is on the league and getting promoted. That is the number one goal this year, whatever happens on Saturday night we will start to think about the championship then but until then it is all about the league final.

“Obviously, it would be good momentum going into the championship if we win on Saturday but we haven’t thought much about it,” he said.

Fermanagh had gone close to earning promotion last year before defeat on the final day to Louth put paid to that.

Bogue believes though that Fermanagh are in a better place this year to go on and clinch a place in Division 3A.

“We had the chance last year and we were beaten in the last game against Louth but in hindsight we maybe weren’t ready this time last year, we were a bit naive.

“But we have done good work this year, Davy Masterson has come in and done good strength and conditioning work, we have done a lot of good work on the pitch. We are where we want to be and I think we are more ready now.”

However, Longford are sure t o provide a stern test for Fermanagh in Carrick-on-Shannon with the earlier league meeting seeing Fermanagh claim a narrow victory.

“I think the last day we played them we had a good first half and they had a terrible first half and in the second half they were good and we were terrible.

“We are going for our third win in a row over them and it is never easy to beat a team three times in a row either so we will be up against it.

“They are a good side but we don’t fear them, we know that we are as good if not better than them,” he said