It’s over a decade now since Pete McGrath managed Ireland to victory over Australia in front of 60,515 supporters in Croke Park.

One of the Irish stars that day was Mattie Forde and it was telling that the Wexford maor uisce made a beeline for his old mentor after Fermanagh’s victory in Wexford Park on Sunday.

There was a smile on his face and as the pair chatted you could see he was clearly pleased to see the Down maestro still had the old magic.

That’s a small insight into the kind of devotion McGrath seems to be able to command from his players.

But after this one, McGrath was putting the credit for promotion firmly at the feet of his squad.

“The players have worked exceptionally hard from the start of the season. They’ve bought into everything we’ve asked them to buy into. There’s a good system there and players have responded superbly in their training, matches, attitude and preparation,” said McGrath.

“The first half with the very strong breeze you’d like to think you’ll be four or five ahead and that wasn’t the case. We were struggling a bit and things weren’t going our way, but goal before half time was crucial and then in the second half I think the players, given the type of team we are, playing against breeze, retaining possession, support play is no bother to us.

“In the second half we played great football against the breeze, controlled football, supported each other, showed our fitness and won the game comfortably in the end. I think it’s marvellous that we’ve got promotion with a game to go and we can look forward to that last game and then a league final in Croke Park.”

Before that though there is the trip to Ennis and an unbeaten league record to be protected.

“It’s a game you want to win obviously, but it’s also a game where you can look at certain things. A lot of players have done a lot of training and whenever the team is winning opportunities for game time are maybe reduced. We will look at all of that when we pick our team for next week,” said McGrath.

Irrespective of what way the clash with the Banner men goes, Fermanagh are promoted and that marks an important step in the development of this young team.

“We’re building something here,” said McGrath. “I always think when teams are trying to improve and climb up the ladder the league is so important. Getting promotion into a bigger league next year and better matches, it all drives you forward. We have one more game in the league and then a league final in three or four weeks time and that’s the perfect build-up to the championship at the end of May, you couldn’t ask for more. Given the mindset and workrate we’ve seen so far there’s no doubt we’ll get every last drop of benefit out of the league final against Armagh.

“You get to a National League final, there’s no point ducking the issue, you want to win it. Armagh will want to win it. It’s a tremendous opportunity, a tremendous occasion, it’s up to us to maximise that opportunity. I keep telling the players, great players and great teams seize opportunities. This is another opportunity and we’ve got to make sure we seize it with both hands.”

One of the great qualities which have seen Fermanagh gain promotion has been the commitment right across the defence. In Wexford Park that was exemplified by a series of excellent blocks. Who says it’s a dying art?

“I think when you have a team performing a lot of blocks in a match, that’s a good indicator of their commitment, intensity and that never-say-die attitude, there’s never any such thing as a lost cause,” said McGrath. “I think of Decky McCusker’s two blocks against Limerick a fortnight ago and we’ve had other examples of men putting their bodies on the line. For me that typifies and personifies the group and the mindset and the determination and the energy that they bring to their football and their training.”
And if one man embodied all those characteristics in Wexford, it was probably the member of the starting 15 who had seen the fewest league minutes this season.

“Ciaran [Flaherty] has worked very hard, he hasn’t got a lot of game time, but the opportunity presented itself today in Richie O’Callaghan’s absence and at vital times in the game his ability to win the ball and strength coming out, being in the right place at the right time, certainly contributed handsomely to the performance and the victory today. Ciaran is all heart and he’s worked very hard. He’s come back after a couple of years out of inter-county football and got stuck in a worked hard and he showed a lot of fine qualities today,” said McGrath.

Another thing which will have pleased the Erne boss is the spread of scorers against the Yellabellies, six in total.

“That’s vital,” said McGrath. “In any team that’s going to do anything you can’t be relying on one or two players. Today I was delighted that there was a big spread of scorers and at the end the further you go on the closer scorers are going to be marked, so therefore you need other people popping up and contributing. The bigger the spread, the bigger the threat you carry.”