Ryan Jones will be a key player for Fermanagh tonight
National League business resumes this Saturday evening with an away assignment in Casement Park and this tie with the Glensmen will be litmus test as to how we eventually shape up in the division overall.
Two wins from two, the only side with a full haul of four points from the opening two fixtures, has hoisted Fermanagh into pole position at the top of the table.
A terrific sprint out of the starting blocks but this is a seven match middle distance race and now comes the task of settling down into a steady pace that keeps the team in contention for the finishing push.
We have certainly established a platform with those two exhilarating wins over Wicklow and Roscommon but a defeat in Casement and we are dragged back into the pack. A win on the other hand would definitely set out a clear signal that this is a Fermanagh side which is to be reckoned with in this division.
For opponents Antrim the game perhaps is of even more critical importance in the context of the campaign.
They have dropped a couple of points and will certainly not want to drop two more, especially on home turf. If they were to lose here it would put not just a major question mark about their promotion ambitions but perhaps even raise the spectre of relegation.
So their manager Frank Dawson will have his charges motivated to the hilt for this weekend’s clash. Antrim really need to get something from this game. From a certain perspective this is a much bigger game for them than it is to Fermanagh.
The pressure is on them to deliver here.
On their home sod of Casement, Antrim have always been difficult opposition to handle and they are a side who, if they are allowed to make early headway in a game, can thrive from there on.
Over the past number of seasons they had made progress under former manager Liam Bradley, notably reaching an Ulster final, but they appear to have reached their limit and since then they have slipped somewhat.
In general terms they would seem to be solid third division citizens and as such they will be tough customers for Fermanagh to deal with.
Lots of experienced personnel on board for manager Dawson to select from and overall they look to be a competent side at relative ease in this standard of football. Their defeat in Markievicz to Sligo was wafer thin, despite finishing with thirteen players.
Among those experienced personnel are defenders Tony Scullion and Justin Crozier at half back, Kevin O’Boyle in the full back line and up front, Kevin Niblock at half forward and place kicker Paddy Cunningham in the front line of the attack.
Antrim’s style of football has always featured pace and movement and Fermanagh can anticipate a stiff examination on Saturday evening from an opposition who will be all too aware that another defeat and their season has begun to unravel.
So a real tester of a tie here for Fermanagh but one which should be approached with an air of confidence.
The two performances against Wicklow and Roscommon have been hugely encouraging over a whole raft of aspects, both collectively and individually.
Without doubt things are in good shape and long may that be the case.