GAA - Derry v Fermanagh preview

Derry v Fermanagh Sun 2pm, Celtic Park By Steven Doherty

WHEN Pete McGrath was handed the Fermanagh reigns in 2014, it was a case of the old dog for the hard road. Too long have the Lakesiders wallowed in the National League’s hinterlands, and while former manager Peter Canavan made improvements and lifted them out of the bottom tier, Fermanagh still harboured ambitions to rise further. The appointment of the former Down legend has proved to be an inspired one as the Ernemen’s progression has been very much on the upward trend, building and improving on the good work of his predecessor. Fermanagh Gaels enjoyed a superb 2015 with McGrath guiding the county to the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-finals and securing promotion from Division Three of the National Football League. Fermanagh began 2015 as they meant to continue and blazed an early trail of destruction through the league that included three straight wins over Louth, Sligo and Tipperary. A hard fought draw with Armagh was followed by another win, this time away in Wexford. Their last league game finally brought defeat, but that proved immaterial as the Erne men had already booked their place in the Division Three final in Croke Park which they eventually lost to Armagh. Fermanagh carried that fine early season form into the Ulster championship where they comfortably brushed aside the challenge of Antrim in the quarter-final 1-13 to 0-08. Defeat to Monaghan in the semis paired them once again with Antrim in the qualifiers, and again they easily prevailed. Still unfancied, Pete McGrath’s men had built up a steady momentum and lit up the qualifier series with victories over Roscommon and Westmeath before their season finally ended with that memorable loss to Dublin in the All Ireland Quarter-finals. The Erne men have again began 2016 brightly. McKenna Cup wins over St. Mary’s, Down, and most impressively of all, Donegal saw them top their group and paired with Tyrone in the semi-final. Producing some scintillating football Fermanagh very nearly threatened to dethrone the McKenna Cup kings before the sending off of key man Eoin Donnelly swung the contest in Tyrone’s favour. Fermanagh may well be ambitious, and idle talk of back to back promotions is not without merit. With four of their seven league games at home, and strong in many sectors of the pitch, that is not out of the question. However, consolidating their Division Two berth would represent a successful season as Pete McGrath plots his Ulster Championship campaign which begins against Antrim on 15th May. As with 2015, Fermanagh will look to captain Eoin Donnelly and twin sharpshooters Tomas Corrigan and Sean Quigley for inspiration, and any number of their newer faces for the perspiration. Like so many of their contempories, Fermanagh have been perfecting their defensive set-up in the last couple of years, a style of play that brought them so much success last year. Combative defender Cian McManus very much fits the DNA of a modern defender. The MacRory Cup winner can fill a number of roles, particularly bat the back for Pete McGrath. Along with McManus, much is expected of Ryan Hanna and Paddy McGovern in 2016. Ambitious Fermanagh are no longer a side underestimated, certainly not under Pete McGrath.

Karl McKaigue

Slaughtneil’s Karl McKaigue typifies the type of footballer that the early days of the Damian Barton regime has been built on – young, talented and hungry. Barton is currently working with an extensive portfolio of players in preparation for Derry’s assault on Division Two, and McKaigue has been integral to Derry’s early season plans. The young Emmet welcomed Derry’s McKenna Cup exploits as the perfect preparation for the 2016 National League. “Without a doubt. Even for a game in January, the McKenna final had incredible pace, and to go 90 minutes at that level, it’s very tough, and it shows both teams and squads are in very good condition already. There’s absolutely no substitute for a game like that. You want to be playing the best teams in Ulster, and Tyrone are that. We had five games there in the McKenna Cup, everybody had a good run, and I think the panel is going to be trimmed down a wee bit now before the National League. “But everybody got their chance and a lot of game time, and we’re well enough set going into the National League.” Battered and bruised they may well be after another typically ferocious derby battle with old foes Tyrone, McKaigue and Derry must lick their wounds and prepare for another onerous contest with the Erne men. McKaigue hopes that despite losing to Tyrone last Saturday, the whole experience should leave Derry battle-hardened for Sunday’s league opener. “There’s no better way to go into that Fermanagh game than coming off that sort of game there, even though it was a defeat and a disappointing defeat. The intensity it was played at will really leave you in good stead for the opening round of the National League.” Derry manager Damian Barton targeted promotion to Division One as his key aim for 2016, and young McKaigue is in agreement. “That is the goal, to try and get into a league final, which could be another fixture with Tyrone. “That’s our main aim, and we want to get these first two weeks with two victories going into the three-week break, and that will leave us in good stead for after the break. “But all focus now switches to Fermanagh.” Pete McGrath has got a very good system in place, which can’t be overlooked. They’re very well organised and they’re utilising their players in the best possible way. We’re under no illusions about how tough it’s going to be next week, but we’re going into the game completely confident that we’re good enough to get a win out of it.