Fermanagh captain Declan McCusker says that while they achieved their main goal in securing promotion to Division Two, winning the league title was also a big target and to have lost the final last Saturday night to Cavan was disappointing.

“There was one stage at the start of the year we were the favourites to go down and I suppose we used that as motivation throughout the year.

“Promotion was definitely one of our goals and normally the main goal when you are looking to move up a league but we really wanted to win that league final and it was disappointing not to do it,” said the Ederney club man.

Fresher

McCusker thinks that Cavan were maybe that wee bit fresher given that they had more or less sealed promotion with two games to spare while Fermanagh only secured their place with a win over Cavan on the final day.

“Maybe the fact that we were flat out going into it didn’t help. We had to win all our games leading up to it, we had no breathing space, but Cavan had two games where they could rotate their squad a bit and rest a few boys so they weren’t really at full tilt while we were and maybe that told a wee bit on the day.

“They were a bit stronger than they were the week before with boys coming back but it is just disappointing,” he said.

However, he acknowledges that the league has to be considered a success for Fermanagh.

“You have to look at the league as a whole and say we had a good league campaign. We were very poor against Offaly but other than that we won our other six games. We were poor enough again on Saturday night but we bounced back the last time we had a performance like that so hopefully we can bounce back again,” he said.

And Fermanagh won’t have time to sit and lick their wounds with the focus having to quickly switch to an Ulster Championship meeting with Derry on April 15 at Brewster Park.

“We don’t have time to dwell on it. We will be right back at it tomorrow (Tuesday) night. Usually you would have a week off after the league and you might have five or six weeks before you were out in the championship but we are out next week and that might be a good thing, to get straight back at it and just focus on Derry and not dwell on it.”

And it is set to be a huge test for the Ernemen against last year’s Ulster champions, who have continued their form into the league by earning promotion to Division One.

“Derry are a serious outfit, they have made huge strides over the last few years. They won Ulster last year and got to the All Ireland semi-final and the way they have performed in the league this year, they haven’t taken a step back at all.

“They will be looking to drive on and I see they have McFaul back too which will be a big plus. It will be a tough game but we have home advantage and hopefully we can make it count in Brewster.

“We will be massive underdogs and rightly so but the championship throws up shocks every year and we have done it before against the bigger name teams and hopefully we can do it again,” he said.

And McCusker will be hoping to force his way back into the starting line up after a frustrating league campaign on a personal level.

“I was injured at the start and then came back in but the boys were playing well and winning games and it is difficult to force your way back in because the league is so compact with game after game.

“You haven’t a massive opportunity because it is about recovery on the Tuesday and then you are preparing for a game on the Thursday so you are not doing an awful lot.

“It was frustrating but the boys have been playing well and you have to be happy for the team. I just have to keep the head down and keep working.

“Hopefully now boys will get the chance to impress before the Derry game, there is a serious competition there and that can only be good for us,” he said.