Experienced Fermanagh midfielder Ryan Jones believes that Fermanagh have the squad to make a real push for honours in the Tailteann Cup this year.

Jones was disappointed with the Erne performance as they made their Ulster Championship exit in a heavy loss to holders Derry in Brewster Park on Saturday evening but he states that they will reset their focus now on trying to win the Tailteann Cup.

“When you play sport you have to accept that there will be days where it is very frustrating and it doesn’t go for you the way that you want it to - but then if it was easy everybody would be playing inter-county football,” he said.

“We will lick our wounds and then focus on the Tailteann Cup. It is a competition that we feel we can challenge to win based on the teams that are in it and based on our league performances.

He added: “We will have a week off to try and have a bit of time to ourselves and then I think it is important as a squad that when we go back we don’t let one game define us as a squad for the rest of the season.

“The focus will be to really try and go after this competition and win it.”

Jones acknowledges that there will be some strong opposition in the competition but he feels if Fermanagh want to show progression then they have to be targeting lifting the title.

“If we want to really try and improve as a squad and a team I feel like we have to set a goal to win it. That is not sounding over cocky, it is looking at the teams that are in it and feeling that we definitely have to try and challenge against these teams if we want to show progress under Kieran this last two years.

“There are some teams that people will feel are at a higher level than us but at the end of the day that is where we have to try and reach and give it our best shot,” he said.

Second best

On Saturday night Fermanagh were second best all over against a strong Derry side and Jones was disappointed with how quickly the game got away from them.

“We’re disappointed with our performance as a team and obviously the game was gone away from us very early, there is no denying that so that was a disappointing factor as well.

“We wanted to stay in the game as long as we could, we knew it was going to be a massive challenge against Derry but we felt if we could stay in the game as long as possible we would give ourselves a chance.

“But Derry came out of the blocks really quick and blitzed us early and that wasn’t part of the script from our point of view anyway,” he commented.

And Fermanagh were then forced to chase the game as they struggled to live with Derry.

“Derry got in for their first few scores and were very clinical and all of a sudden the score was reading 0-04 to 0-00 and 0-05 to 0-01 and we were chasing the game and starting to force some of our own play.

“We probably weren’t as controlled as we would like to have been but then again a lot of it is down to the opposition.

“Derry are a very, very good side and it was the toughest test we have met probably in the last two years under Kieran and I think we weren’t able to cope with their pace and their decision making and their movement off the ball and to be honest it meant that we chasing shadows a lot, especially in that first half.”

Indeed, Jones is in no doubt that the Oak Leafs will be in the shake up when the major honours are being handed out.

“They have been together as group for a couple of years and they have been able to push on. They were Ulster champions last year and they are probably looking to even go one better this year. We knew about it on Saturday.

“I suppose that’s where we want to get to but we realise we are a good bit of that top table and no matter what anyone says, Derry will be in the shake up for the All Ireland as well. It is a benchmark and we have to accept we are a good bit off that at the moment.”