Louth’s Mike Lyons fouls Sean Corrigan
Saturday’s heavy defeat certainly stung Fermanagh, but joint team manager Sean Duffy was adamant that it did not change his attitude in the slightest towards the holding of this play off.
Neither Duffy nor Louth boss Dee McCarthy are fans of this strange fixture.
“Look, last year we were in the same position as Louth and should not have had to play the match at all even though we won it.
“So it is not sour grapes as I believe that Louth should not have had to play us out there today.”
On the heavy defeat, Duffy believed it was vital Fermanagh got a good start and built up a lead, but they hit too many bad wides.
“We shot a few wides and then they got the goals and pulled away.
“They are a very good Louth team and have been all year, but we were short Cathal McGarry, Declan McGarry, Daniel Teague, Mark Slevin and Brian MacLaughlin and we would have really needed to have had our very strongest side out to have any real chance against Louth.
“Since our narrow defeat to Donegal a month ago there has been very little done and ten of lads are playing football so that is the background.”
But Donegal will present a stiff challenge in the Ulster B Championship next week.
Fermanagh ran Donegal to six points around a month ago. Also adding optimism for that Ulster clash is the likelihood that Fermanagh will have most of their absent stars back for that crunch encounter in Brewster Park.
“If we have full squad out I have no doubt that we can really put it up them as we gave then a very good game in the Nicky Rackard Cup a few weeks ago,” said the Fermanagh joint manager.
“A county like ours always needs to have all of our players available as we are picking from a relatively limited pool.
“But these Lisbellaw lads are playing a fair bit of hurling in the Ulster League and are doing quite well which should keep us ticking over.
“Donegal are a good side and would have aspirations of winning the Nicky Rackard Cup any year. We know we will be in a serious game especially when those other lads come back.
“But we are really looking forward to having Donegal in Brewster. There is no pressure on us and we will be giving it a real lash.”