Fermanagh and Tyrone have been strangers in terms of championship football in recent years. It has been 15 years since the sides last met in Ulster and there have only been two clashes between the sides since 2004 in the championship.

Both those games, in 2004 and 2007, may have ended in defeat for Fermanagh, but on both days the Ernemen were very competitive – something the current crop of Fermanagh players can take heart from going into Saturday evening’s meeting with the Red Hands.

Indeed, as with this year, in 2004 Tyrone were coming into the game as reigning All Ireland champions and Fermanagh gave them a hell of a fright before the Red Hands eventually finished up as four-point victors.

In 2007, it was even closer. Tom Brewster’s free looked to have earned Fermanagh a replay but Tyrone won it in added on-time, thanks to a Gerard Cavlin free.

Kinawley defender Niall Bogue played both those games for Fermanagh, making his championship debut in the 2004 encounter, and similar to this year, not many gave Fermanagh hope in that game – something he feels could work in Fermanagh’s favour.

“In a situation like that the pressure can be off to a certain degree and you have the freedom to go out and play, which is what we did in 2004, but in saying that it is still a daunting prospect to play the All Ireland champions!

“Look, at the end of the day it is about performing.

“Usually, if you perform to the level you can you always give yourself a chance and I would like to think that the boys have a chance. I’m sure that Kieran will have them well set up,” he said.

That was a youthful Fermanagh team that took on Tyrone back in ‘04 and again there will be no shortage of young players on the Brewster Park pitch this Saturday. Again, Bogue believes that can be advantage.

“There is maybe that less baggage and less fear and in 2004 maybe a lot of us did have that fearlessness or naivety, whatever you want to call it. When you don’t come with the baggage that sometimes you accumulate as an older player it does give you that, you just sort of get stuck in and don’t worry about who you are playing and hopefully the boys can bring some of that because there are some really good young players coming through.”

That 2004 performance ignited a memorable summer for Fermanagh football as they went on a run through the backdoor all the way to All Ireland semi-final. There will be no qualifier series for Fermanagh to look forward to if they are beaten but Bogue is adamant that a big performance can bring great belief moving forward whether that is in Ulster or the Tailteann Cup.

“The boys don’t have the luxury of the backdoor this year but it did back then give us a bit of a belief that if we can perform like that against the All Ireland champions then maybe we are not that far away.

“Regardless of the result - and people maybe aren’t giving us much of a chance on Saturday - but if we can bring that performance and perform well it does give you belief and make things easier going forward that you have put in a good performance against what at the minute are the best team in Ireland. Hopefully, whatever about the result, if the boys can put in a good performance is should stand to them well.”