Derrygonnelly and Enniskillen will clash in Tempo on Saturday evening as last year’s Senior Championship finalists go head to head for a spot in this year’s decider.

It was the Harps who came through in that decider last year, running out comfortable victors in the end, and they will again be favourites to advance to what would be an eighth successive final.

However, this one could well be a closer affair, and certainly Enniskillen manager Simon Bradley is hoping that is the case as they look to close the gap that was evident between the sides in that final.

“What we will take from last year’s final is that we will try and learn from it.

“We played alright for the first ten or 12 minutes but we didn’t score and we realised as a group that we ran out of steam and we couldn’t maintain what we wanted to do so we have been trying this year to get the team fitter and see where that lands us.

“As it happens, it has landed us back with a game against Derrygonnelly so we will find out on Saturday how much we have closed the gap,” he said.

Derrygonnelly joint manager Mick Glynn felt that last year’s meeting was only decided late on and he believes that another massive examination lies ahead with the team that is more clinical likely to be the side who prevails on the day.

“Last year’s final was a very tough and tight game until the last few minutes. “I expect Saturday’s game to be another very tough game and whichever team takes their scoring chances best will win the game,” he said.

The Harps are certainly coming into the game in a good place on the back of a strong round robin campaign.

Derrygonnelly topped their group with three wins and controlled performances against Teemore, Belnaleck and Erne Gaels and with that came the advantage of a week’s break and an automatic spot in the last four.

Enniskillen saw off Ederney and Roslea in their first two group games but defeat to Kinawley left them in last week’s quarter final.

A strong second half display though took them past Belnaleck and they will take confidence from that although they will know that they cannot afford to play like they did in the first half.

And they also know that any goal chances that they get will have to be snaffled up unlike against Belnaleck when they squandered a handful of opportunities.

The Harps side is laden with championship experience and they know how to negotiate their way through semi-finals as they have shown in the past.

They will look to the likes of captain Ryan Jones, who has had an exceptional campaign to date, Mickey Jones, Eamon McHugh, Garvan Jones and Conall Jones to steer them home.

Enniskillen have though shown in spells what they are capable of but the key will be to do it for longer periods.

Johnny Cassidy, Richard O’Callaghan, Brandon Horan, Callum Jones and the excellent Conor Love will all be important players for the Gaels.

Bradley is in no doubt that his side will be coming up against the top team in Fermanagh on Saturday.

“Derrygonnelly are the premier team in the county, they cruised through the league without playing a lot of their main players which means a lot of their players are very fresh at this time of the year.

“And whether they admit it or not, they probably have one eye on another Ulster Club run, which they probably should have given the position they are in and how well they did in it last year,” he said.

And Bradley feels that a couple of areas will be vital in the outcome of the encounter on Saturday.

“I think we have to try and match up as best we can Derrygonnelly’s strengths which is in and around the middle of the pitch, where they are very strong.

“Also, their percentage strike rate going forward is exceptionally high so that is something we have to be wary of and then when we have the ball we have to try and use it more sensibly than we have done so far.”