Fermanagh manager Kieran Donnelly will be without Darragh McGurn for Sunday’s Tailteann Cup opener against Wexford at Brewster Park.

McGurn is still hampered by an ongoing hip issue although Donnelly hopes to have the Belnaleck attacker back before the end of the group stages of the competition.

Too soon

The game has also come too soon for Ciaran Corrigan following a broken wrist although both he and Joe McDade are back in training.

“Darragh McGurn won’t make it for the weekend but hopefully he will resume training in the next week or two. It’s just a bit too soon for Ciaran though is back training and Joe McDade is now back training as well which is a plus,” said Donnelly.

Fermanagh will be hoping to go deep into the competition and the Erne boss says that the players are determined to make their mark in it.

“They have bought into it. We had a week off after the Derry game and that helped our boys and they have come back with a real buzz and there has been no real let off.

“They are very keen to get back to Croke Park and make a marker.

“The league has given them confidence that we are at that level and we are now just keen to back it up in this championship format.

“It is a brilliant competition for us and ideally suited for where we are at at the minute and it is up to us to perform and get the most out of it,” he added.

First up is this Sunday’s meeting with Wexford and Donnelly is aware that they will pose plenty of threats.

“What we have seen so far about them, and what you would always expect about Wexford, is that they are a physically big team right up through the middle and they have scoring forwards in the likes of Rossiter and Ben Brosnan who have been scoring regularly for them so we know they pose a threat.

“Any time we have played them in the past they have always given us a tough and close game and we expect nothing different this time around. It will be physical and we will have to be very aware not to get caught in a physical battle with them, and it is very clear that we have to shut down two or three of their key men on top of that.”

Favourites

Fermanagh will enter the clash against Wexford as favourites and Donnelly says that they are keen to produce a performance, especially on their home turf at Brewster Park.

“We are going into the game and people will be making us favourites and that’s a challenge for our boys going forward.

“They know they will have to be disciplined on the ball and do everything right in that respect. Our players will have to be very controlled in and out of possession but they are keen to put a performance in on Sunday, especially at home.”

And Donnelly acknowledges that winning their home game would put them in a good place heading to Carrick-on-Shannon six days later.

It will be vital that we have two points on the board going into that game away to Leitrim because they will feel confident of winning on their home patch. It is a quick turnaround as well with that game being on a Saturday so it’s important we start with a win and get off to a positive start,” he added.

Donnelly is also keen that his players take on board the lessons from the Ulster Championship defeat to Derry.

“We analysed it and we knew that there were certain aspects of the game that was to do with their quality and the way they played it, they didn’t allow us at times to get the pressure on that we wanted.

“I think the key to move on to that next level is you just have to cut out your errors in that last pass and your use of the ball in the final third.

“That’s the one thing you see with the likes of Derry, when they get into that final third they don’t give the ball away and their shot selection is good and that is something we take learnings from and have to get better at.”

And he wants his side to make the most of the chances that come their way on Sunday.

“In any championship game you will get you period of dominance and it is when you are on top that you have to maximise it, and it will be no different against the likes of Wexford.”