IT’S thirteen years since Fermanagh were in Division Four but their bad luck with injuries at the moment is putting them at risk of demotion to the basement.
They last dropped down there in 2010, which ended up being the last season in charge for their own Malachy O’Rourke.
Current boss Kieran Donnelly is another Erne man with strong Tyrone connections, a teacher at Omagh CBS, but the Brookeborough clubman is working with an understrength squad.
Antrim aren’t the toughest opponents Fermanagh could have coming to Ederney, but the Saffrons will travel with confidence, for at least two reasons.
Firstly, they opened up with a home win over Clare, whereas Fermanagh were thrashed away to divisional favourites Kildare.
Secondly, Antrim won away to Fermanagh – albeit at Brewster Park, Enniskillen – in last year’s Tailteann Cup quarter-finals, a game which still causes the Erne county players involved to shudder.
One of those was wing-back Josh Largo Elis, who, before the question about that match was even finished, sighed and said: “Ah, Jeez… We played unreal in the first half and then I don’t know what happened. We let them get on top, couldn’t control the game any more.”
The 23-year-old Lisnaskea man does not dismiss any concerns with an ‘early days’ comment, instead accepting that Fermanagh really cannot afford to lose this one against their Ulster rivals:
“If we don’t get points on the board this weekend then we could be in a wee bit of trouble – because we then go to Clare in two weeks’ time…So we really need to get something on the board this weekend. Antrim beat Clare, so we know it’s going to be tough.”
Fermanagh have moved between Divisions Two and Three over the past decade, whereas Antrim have been in Three or Four – but in here and now the Saffrons look the stronger side.
Donnelly is unlikely to have many back this weekend, if any, with Largo Elis acknowledging that the trip to Newbridge was a chastening experience, ending in a thumping 15-point loss, 2-24 to 1-12: “There’s a lot of boys out injured, we lost more against Monaghan [in a challenge game] and then in training… it was hard now.
At least Antrim only scored 1-9 in their three-point win over the Banner men, so the Fermanagh defence should not be under such pressure, although that was a weather-affected contest at Corrigan Park.
Fermanagh were also able to bring the influential trio of Ultan Kelm, Ryan Lyons, and Che Cullen off the bench in Newbridge, along with Josh’s twin brother Jack, making his debut at wing-forward.
Under Meath man Andy McEntee Antrim have impressive physicality in their ranks so Fermanagh will have to hope home advantage and the likes of Darragh McGurn, Conor Love, and Garvan Jones are on scoring form if they are reduce their risk of relegation.
