BY DAMIAN CAMPBELL

Fermanagh journey back to Carrick-on-Shannon this Sunday for their re scheduled tie with Leitrim and circumstances have changed considerably for both teams since the date of the original fixture several weeks ago.

Leitrim have had their morale severely dented having suffered two fairly substantial defeats at the hands of Longford and Louth and now find themselves propping up the division three league table. Their form has been so poor that they have also shipped a massive scoring difference of nineteen points in those two games.

Any thoughts of promotion which the Dessie Dolan managed side may have harboured before the start of the season will have been buried.

For Leitrim it has now become a question of escaping relegation to the basement division in 2009.

For Fermanagh on the other hand, the prospects remain bright. Long delayed in getting a game, there was to be a terrific result claimed when the team finally got to grips with an opposing side.

Prior to last Sunday's encounter in Pearse Park, the feeling abroad was that this was going to be a particularly testing contest against a side who have had quite a promising opening to their year.

Longford's record in the O'Byrne Cup, they were to lose out in the final when Dublin snapped up very late winning scores, indicated a side who had potential of be a force in this division.

So in many ways, Fermanagh might well have taken a draw as a decent return last Sunday. Instead it was to be victory and a worthy one at that.

So the best possible opener for Malachy O'Rourke's troops and they should now be heading down to Carrick in an excellent frame of mind.

A second away victory and the team would clearly have established a solid base to progress from. And a second win should be well within reach.

It would seem, judging by the way things have developed so far that Leitrim are the weakest team in the division. If such is indeed the case Fermanagh will be disappointed if they don't build on the impetus they have received from the Longford match.

Not that it will be by any means a relatively straightforward assignment. Leitrim will be desperately keen to stop their slide and home base will make them all that bit harder to handle.

But Fermanagh have to be considered as the fancied side coming into Sunday's clash.

Last Sunday the team that was fielded was someway short of what would be considered a full hand. Midfielder James Sherry who has been enjoying a highly welcome return to form was ruled out and the robust presence of Shane McDermott was also absent from defence.

Shaun Doherty was also unavailable so there was a sizeable reshuffle in personnel. But the depth of the panel was sufficient to cope with this and a solid team performance was produced.

The centrefield pairing of Martin McGrath and Mark Murphy provided the essential platform that ensured there would not be sustained pressure inflicted on the defence and that there would be a tidy amount of possession channelled into the attack.

The game in Longford was by no means an unqualified success story. There was one period in the first half when clearcut dominance was not to be translated into scores. And there were also a couple of incidents when sharper Longford finishing could have resulted in goals.

But overall there was plenty to be pleased about and there has to be high optimism in the camp about racking up another victory come Sunday afternoon.

Expectation pre season was understandably high. That expectation has now been raised by last Sunday's fine result. The pressure in now on to collect another brace of points and that would put the team in a terrific position for their first home tie the following week, the visit of Louth.

One step at a time though. It would be depressing to spoil last Sunday's splendid win by falling at the Carrick-on –Shannon hurdle.