Fermanagh captain Cal McAnespy says that while not many outsiders will give them a chance, there is a quiet confidence within the squad that they can overcome Down on Saturday evening at Brewster Park and secure their place in the quarter final of the Ulster Minor Championship.

McAnespy was part of the Fermanagh team that defeated Cavan in last year’s competition and he is hoping to bag another win when they take on the Mournemen.

“I’m not sure that many people outside believe but all the boys believe that we can do it, nobody is doubting it. We know we are going to have to bring our best to the game, it is going to need us to produce a very high standard because Down will bring everything to us but we feel that we are good enough to win the game,” he said.

Fermanagh failed to win any of their league games but McAnespy feels that things have been coming together in recent weeks for the Ernemen.

“We lost the games but we had boys out injured who are now coming back and the team is looking a lot stronger now. The last few games have been a lot tighter and everything is looking well.

“The boys have done a lot of work over the last couple of weeks and hopefully we can show that on Saturday at Brewster Park and we can come out on top,” he added.

One concern for Fermanagh is that they have hit bad patches in games when other sides bagged goals to take the result away from them but McAnespy states that this is something they have been working on.

“We do need to cut out those wee periods. Against Derry we managed that, it was a very tight game and they only got the one goal, and it is something we have been working on that in training,” said the Enniskillen Gaels player.

And he is expecting a tight battle on Saturday night.

“Down I’m sure will be confident. They have probably been looking a lot at us and will try and keep us under control but we are prepared now for this game and it will be a good hard battle,” said McAnespy, who expects the crowd to help roar Fermanagh on to victory.

“It is great to be playing at Brewster Park and the crowd will boost the boys and give us a lift,” he said.