LAST weekend Fermanagh played their final challenge match in preparation for the start of the Tailteann Cup, with a game against Monaghan, and despite losing it by six points, Erne manager, Kieran Donnelly says “the preparations have gone as well as they could have” as they ready themselves for Saturday’s game with Wicklow.
“We purposely left Monaghan to the end because of their quality and I suppose when you play better teams they make you do things better and we feel our three weeks have been positive,” said Donnelly.
“We’ve got plenty of players game time that just didn’t get it during the league because the games came thick and fast, week on week. So when players were starting they tended to stay in. So, that has been the pleasing thing, certain players have put their hand up and are pushing for places this weekend.”
Wicklow will come to Brewster Park looking to continue their recent championship form and Donnelly is expecting a tough, physical challenge;
“They are extremely defensive, they’re very physical. They played Westmeath and Kildare (in the Leinster Championship) and they beat Westmeath. In both games, they brought a lot of players behind the ball and they have physical size. They would have four players over six foot in their forward line and that in itself brings its challenges.
“They have quality players, they’ve experience in Dean Healy their midfielder, Kevin Quinn (full forward) and (Chris) O’Brien at centre-half forward. They have plenty of quality and they have played two good teams in the championship and have ‘lived’ with them, so there’s no doubt we have to give them utmost respect going into the weekend.”
While Wicklow players might be in slightly unfamiliar territory when it comes to playing in Brewster Park, the last meeting between the two sides wasn’t too long ago. Their Division Three league match back in February 2022 saw Fermanagh let an eight point half time lead slip in Aughrim to finish all-square that day.
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