As Fermanagh hurlers get further and further into their Division 3A league campaign, it is becoming ever clearer for manager, Joe Baldwin, that his side are well able to compete at this level, and even higher.

Last Sunday’s draw against a Roscommon team which beat Fermanagh easily in last year’s championship followed a fine win over Mayo.

And for Baldwin and co. it puts them in a good position in the league with two games remaining.

Add in the fact there was disappointment that they did not win last Sunday just shows the expectations with the hurling squad.

“We were disappointed. We were at home, and we probably felt we had enough chances [to win] particularly at the start of the second half,” said Baldwin.

“We should have gone in three points up at half time instead of two. A little bit of indiscipline cost us. And then three points up if we had tagged on a couple early doors in the second half. Two or three points you know, we should have gone five or six in front which meant they would have needed seven to get in front of us.”

Instead, Fermanagh saw themselves three down coming into the last 10 minutes thanks to a Roscommon goal.

But Baldwin was pleased with the reaction of his players to draw level.

“They brought on two really big men and they worked their goal well and we actually found ourselves three down.

“It’s just a test of character and in the end I probably would have taken a draw just with the way the boys fought back. You know we could have even won it right at the very end, the boys had a couple of chances.

“Disappointing but at the end of the day if we had lost the game we would have been really disappointed.”

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Baldwin admits that the Mayo and Roscommon games were ones they did not target but have come away with three points. And it is in these games that Baldwin has seen the progress made by Fermanagh and he expects it to continue: “They are probably the two games, Mayo and Roscommon, that we didn’t really target and yet we got three points from them.

“Two Connacht sides that the boys raised their game for and got results, bearing in mind Roscommon put us away fairly easily last year in the championship.

“There is real progress being made and I think there is much more to come from us.”

One player who has certainly raised their game is Luca McCusker. He rattled over 10 points last Sunday and Baldwin has been delighted with his effort in recent weeks.

“He’s exceptional at the minute, there’s no question about it. He has taken on the responsibility of hitting the frees, something that we really lacked over the last couple of years and Luca stepped up to the plate.

“I’m delighted for the lad. I just want him to keep progressing and keep working hard and enjoying his hurling.”

Baldwin also praised Ciaran Duffy and Thomas Cleary for their performances against Roscommon while the game gave Aidan Flanagan more minutes after replacing Francie McBrien.

And he knows he will need all his players flying as there is little turnaround between league and championship.

But the focus is on getting those things right which fell short last Sunday as Fermanagh prepare for Louth in 10 days’ time.

“We’ll knuckle down next week and work very hard on those little things that probably cost us the game.

“Our shooting needs to improve and our discipline, we gave away some silly frees again but the free count was a lot better but individually people have to stand up and take responsibility that you are costing the team now.

“We’ve got to work on that and see where are from there.”

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