Fermanagh manager James Daly feels it is now time for his side to come out on the right side of the result and win a big game.

Fermanagh booked their place in the Ulster Junior Football final with victory over Derry in Celtic Park last Friday night and they will now face Down in the decider on Saturday week.

Championship finals have ended in defeat for the Ladies in recent times and Daly says it is time to turn that around.

“My thought process is that it is time for us to win a big game.

“We have been the nearly team now for a year and half and it is time to step up and put a marker down and win a big game,” he commented.

Daly’s charges ran out six point winners against Derry having led by 14 points at one stage in the second half before Derry tagged on late scores.

For the Erne boss it was all about getting the win and making the final.

‘Great first half’

“That’s what it was all about. We had a great first half and that was with missing a few girls and we also had a couple of girls who had a rough week with exams and stuff so I emptied the bench five minutes into the second half and gave girls a game.

“Derry kicked a late goal to put a bit of respectability on it for themselves but we were happy enough ourselves. We got enough out of the game and we’ll go on to the final and prepare for Down.”

Fermanagh came flying out of the blocks and three first half goals put them into an unassailable position.

“We knew what to expect from Derry and we put them under a lot of pressure in the first 15 minutes of the game and the game was basically over after 15 or 20 minutes.”

And that allowed Daly to give players championship experience.

“It was good to give other girls a game, girls who have been there or thereabouts all year and it is good to give them a wee bit of championship football.”

The thoughts though have quickly turned to Down with Daly having watched them in their win over Derry while Fermanagh had up close experience of them as the two sides met in the competition recently in a game that finished in a draw.

“We play Down on Saturday week and we have done a bit of homework on them.

“Obviously we played them but Natasha Ferris wasn’t playing so I went up and watched them playing Derry and she is a good player so we will have to work on stopping her. That’s up to us to get the preparations right.”

And he is hoping to have a full hand available for that clash with Down.

I went and watched them play and we’re hoping that between this and the game we played them we will know enough about them to push on and get the victory.

“Roisin O’Reilly has been injured but she came on in the second half the other night and did well. Ashling Maguire has a hamstring injury but we are hoping to have her back although it could be right down to the wire.

“Rachel Monaghan played the game the other night but that was more to do with getting her a game as it is so important to have two goalkeepers coming into championship.

“Everybody is going well and it is just up to us now to get the gameplan right and get our match ups right for Down and hopefully we can win an Ulster Championship,” he said.