Fermanagh manager Kieran Donnelly says that the players left Brewster Park on Saturday evening already determined to make their mark in the Tailteann Cup.

Defeat at the first hurdle in Ulster to Derry at Brewster Park confirmed Fermanagh’s place in the second tier championship and Donnelly stresses that it is one that really appeals to his players.

“We said to the group after the game that we have had a real good league campaign and, yes, we have come up against a real good top six team in an Ulster Championship match but we now have a chance to keep pushing on for the rest of the season and there is still a lot of football to be played.

“I think the group are looking forward to it. As disappointed as they were, they were very determined leaving the ground on Saturday that they would give this a rattle and that is something we are keen to do as a squad.

“They got a taste of winning games in the league and the momentum that gave us and the confidence it gave us in the squad so I think they would like to regroup and capture that again in this competition,” he explained.

However, he knows that there is likely to be plenty of top quality sides playing in the competition when it gets underway next month.

“It is going to be an extremely competitive Tailteann Cup which could include the likes of the Meaths, Kildares, Cavans and Downs of this world in it who are all big teams in their own rights.

‘High quality’

“It is going to be a competition therefore of high quality which is good too. I do feel that there is enthusiasm for the competition among our squad.”

And Donnelly is a supporter of the competition especially with the group stages coming into play this year.

“A second tier competition is a natural progression given the way the game has moved on.

“It showed it worked in hurling and it was just a matter of them getting the structures right, marketing it right and putting the group stages in it.

“I think players just want more exposure to championship football and playing those games allows then to play against teams that they are confident that they can compete against and beat. I think that’s what the Tailteann Cup allows every squad to do, have a realistic chance to prepare to win a competition at championship level. And again, when teams train all year that is all they want. The format this year is good,” he added.

Donnelly went into the Derry game without Sean Quigley with the manager confirming that he picked up a hamstring injury which ruled him out but he hopes to have the Roslea Shamrocks man back for the Tailteann Cup while he believes the gap between now and the start of the competition will allow other niggles to clear up.

“Unfortunately, Sean sustained a hamstring injury and he couldn’t make it for the Derry game but he should be back for the Tailteann Cup,” said Donnelly.

Clean bill of health

He added: “We hope to have a clean bill of health going in and it will let some lads clear up those niggles and a couple of the recent injuries to settle.

“We are going to need everybody for this push because the fact it is group stages we are going to be playing more football and then if you progress through that for that final push there will be a lot of football to be played so you are going to need a big squad.”

He also believes that the period between now and then will be vital to get some work done that they couldn’t do due to the intensive schedule in the league.

“It has been a very intensive period and it gives us a chance to spend four or five sessions getting the base up again and then looking to bring that into the competition in the middle of May,” he said.

On Saturday’s loss to Derry, the Erne boss acknowledged that they needed to make a good start in the game but instead it was the Oak Leafs who did and it was always a difficult task after that.

“We were very aware that going in against the likes of Derry that we needed a good start and that was something we were very focused on but they are quality and how quickly they moved the ball didn’t enable us to get as much contact as we wanted.

“Once they got ahead of us it was going to be extremely tough ask,” he said.

He did though feel that his side competed well at times but they missed too many chances while at the other end the fortune favoured Derry.

“I still felt we competed well as a squad, we had 34 attacks to Derry’s 39 attacks and we felt that we left five or six easy scores behind us.

“Also, and it wasn’t talked about much, but the Derry second goal was really fortuitous and I think the penalty was soft. I still think we got at Derry and caused them problems with the high ball.

“The players kept at it like we asked them to do at half time and I was happy with our character and the response and I’ve nothing but credit and respect for the boys,” he said.

Derry benchmark

Derry though laid a benchmark on Saturday that Fermanagh have to aspire to reach.

“There is no doubt that Derry conditioning was extremely high, that was very evident and they have serious pace all throughout the team.

“They have a very experienced squad and they have grown up winning All Irelands at minor level and so on so they have that winning belief among their team.

“We feel that we are going in the right direction but it does give you a benchmark to hit,” he concluded.