A three pronged attack this week. St Michael's, and Fermanagh will take up most of the space with just a few paragraphs at the end given over to the new grant aid document released on Tuesday. Or should I say tomorrow.

For today is Monday; for me. While everyone else enjoys the splendid sunshine of a St Patrick's day morning I am holed up in the eyrie of the Fermanagh Herald office furiously tapping away on the keyboard.

All I am missing is the half smoked cigarette dangling from the corner of my mouth. That pesky smoking ban! It's 11:05am now and I want to get the first third of column put to bed before heading off to Omagh. And I bet you all thought that the life of a journalist was easy. Not at all. While everyone else nurses a hangover from hell and contemplates getting their lips around the hair of the dog us poor hacks have to work on our National Saint's day.

But I am wasting time. So without further ado a quick fire 200 words on the third win from three for our green and white army. A one point victory against the best opposition to be faced thus far will be perfectly acceptable to all involved in the Fermanagh squad. And with new faces in the forward line beginning to find their feet it seems that there may be a little more cut to the Fermanagh attack than was present in recent years.

But, and there always is a but, a few glass half empty merchants have already unfurled their tongues and let loose with their pessimistic predictions.

A stumbling victory against Longford followed by a four point win over Leitrim, where a last minute goal put some gloss on the final score, were hardly two awe inspiring performances the critics say. And then a win by the slenderest margins against the smallest county in Ireland is tantamount to defeat.

I heard it all on Sunday after the game. "The defence is brutal." "The attack is too light." "If we struggle against Louth what will the good teams do to us."

Nothing like taking the positives from a 100% start to the league lads! But at the same time we should not be naive enough to think that one hand is on the Anglo Celt. A hell of an improvement is needed before the serious teams in Ulster can be put to the sword. But Malachy knows this. Fermanagh is still a work in progress and thus far those who have commissioned the piece must be happy with their investment.

But enough about Fermanagh. They will hopefully fill our pages long into the summer. It's off to Healy Park for me now. Armed with Michael Breslin's press pass, a decrepit second hand Dictaphone and a scrappy old notebook I'm going to take up my position in the press box. I hope they have tae and sandwiches for us!

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Well what a sickener. I didn't go to the press box in the end. Instead I mingled with the mere mortals and took my place on the terrace for the games beginning. The sun was basking down upon us as we watched St Michael's tear into an impressive lead. It was a question of how much by not if. A comfortable five point lead was held at half time and it seemed that if enough ball could be channelled into the inside forward line then it would be done and dusted before long.

But the second half was a complete turn around. The injury to Daryl Keenan was a huge blow to the St Michael's cause. Not only did it cut down his mobility but the knock on effect it had on the rest of the forward line was immense. Chris O'Brien swapped with Keenan and although the little Devenish dynamo was superb on the forty he was not as dangerous as he was when inside. Coupled with this was the fact that Keenan's vision and passing ability was now not in use and it meant that the suddenly slick moving forward unit looked ponderous and predictable.

It was a cruel end to the year for a team whom I was convinced would win and, with my maroon and blue colours nailed firmly on, I think would have won nine times out of ten with a fit Keenan.

But such is sport. It can be a cruel Mistress but hopefully the boys can learn something from it.

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Now, the final third of the column. Player grants. As I am writing this on Tuesday at 12 noon the press conference in Croke Park is just over and I have not seen the final document. But from leaked reports it seems that it was decided that the grants, or awards, would be given as expenses, which means the GAA's rule 11, which governs amateur status, will not be breached. Under the agreement the money will be paid out to cover the difference in the GAA's travelling expenses, which are 50 cent a mile, and the Civil Service's, which is over 1 euro. I should say that the above has not been confirmed at the time of writing but if true the term clutching at straws springs to mind.

So now it is back to expenses. But the value of these expenses will be related to how long you last in the championship. This is not expenses folks.

This is still pay for play and the better you play and perform the more 'expenses' you get. Simple. It drives a wedge between those counties who progress further in the competition and those who get knocked out early on. But anyway, I'm sure the Cork footballers who by virtue of the fact that they play in Munster where the draw is seeded are happy.

They are guaranteed a place in last 12 of the All Ireland every year. Teams like Fermanagh have to work a little harder to get there than the Rebel boys. But still, maybe the Cork boys will send some of their 'extra expenses' down here.