Allianz Football League Division Two: Kildare v Fermanagh (tomorrow, 1pm, Newbridge)
TALK of relegation may have started to surface in the Erne County following last week’s eight point defeat in Cork, but Fermanagh followers should cast their minds back 12 months and take heart.
Three games played - one win, two defeats. As they headed into a home date with Laois on March 6, 2016 their future in Division Two was hanging in the balance.
The O’Moore men were swatted aside with consummate ease before battling draws against Galway and neighbours Tyrone on the last day saw Pete McGrath’s men save their skin on scoring difference.
McGrath will be hoping it isn’t such a close-run thing this time around, and tomorrow’s trip to Newbridge to take on Kildare will have a huge bearing on where Fermanagh go from here.
“If you look at the table, everyone’s dropped points. This weekend’s matches will give a pretty definite look to the landscape of the table,” said McGrath.
“If we were to win our remaining four matches, I think we would be promoted. If we don’t get a good result on Sunday, then you’re definitely changing your outlook on the thing.”
Last week’s reversal against the Rebels was hard to stomach, but McGrath is defiant when the dreaded ‘R’ word is brought up.
He said: “We will not go down, we will get enough points to stay up, that’s for sure.
“Against Cork we just couldn’t really establish any kind of foothold in the game, the energy and the enthusiasm we normally bring to our game just fizzled out quite quickly.
“Sunday’s game is about whether or not we have got the artillery to go and get a result against a very good Kildare team in Newbridge.
“If you do, then you can see yourself as a legitimate contender for promotion.”
That artillery has been boosted by the return of the rampaging Ryan Jones to the starting 15 after he played the entire second half at Pairc Ui Rinn.
Interestingly though, Tomas Corrigan is not named to face the Lilywhites, with Barry Mulrone listed at corner-forward and James McMahon coming in at corner-back as McGrath goes for a more defensive-looking outfit.
Chris Snow returns in goal in the place of Thomas Treacy, who can count himself unlucky as he produced some outstanding saves as the Ernemen came under fire last weekend.
Despite Corrigan’s absence from the team sheet, McGrath said the only injury concern was over Eoin McManus, who is unlikely to feature after tweaking a hamstring.
“There are no injury issues after Sunday,” said the two-time All-Ireland winner.
“The rest of them [apart from McManus], in terms of their physical well-being, are okay.”
McGrath wasn’t the only one left scratching his head on a long journey home last Sunday.
Cian O’Neill’s Kildare were riding high in Division Two after opening wins over Meath and Cork, and were strongly fancied to make it three in-a-row against Derry.
Instead the Oak Leafers produced a dogged performance and snatched victory in injury-time, giving an extra edge to tomorrow’s encounter.
The Lilywhites were without the influential Paul Cribbin for that trip to Celtic Park but the Johnstownbridge powerhouse comes back in at number 12 in the place of Peter Kelly.
Cribbin was a notable absentee as Cian O'Neill's side fell to their first defeat of the Division 2 campaign at Celtic Park where they conceded a controversial injury-time goal.
Chris Healy continues at left corner-forward ahead of Ben McCormack, who missed the Derry game with a hamstring injury but featured for the county’s U21s in their Leinster quarter-final loss to Longford on Wednesday.
It is a second away day on the bounce for Fermanagh and, as the League reaches a crucial stage, it’s a game they could really do with getting something from.
Derry showed the way last weekend, but it is hard to look beyond the Lilywhites getting back to winning ways on home turf.
Kildare: M Donnellan; M O'Grady, D Hyland, O Lyons; J Byrne, E Doyle, K Cribbin; K Feely, T Moolick; F Conway, N Kelly, P Cribbin; N Flynn, D Flynn, C Healy
Fermanagh: C Snow; M Jones, C Cullen, J McMahon; D McCusker, R McCluskey, L Cullen; E Donnelly, R Hyde; P McCusker, R Jones, A Breen; B Mulrone, S Quigley, E Courtney
Allianz: for more information visit www.allianz.ie
