BY DAMIAN CAMBELL
After two successive home games, Fermanagh are back on the road this coming Sunday as they trek west to Markievicz Park to play Sligo.
So far so good for Fermanagh with a full haul of points collected from their four games and they have moved into leadership of the division, one point ahead of second placed Wexford.
Promotion is now very much a prize that can be claimed but there is still a lot of ground to be covered. The run in is laced with menace, particularly the final two fixtures with the other promotion candidates, Wexford and Down.
But the immediate task is to take both points on Sunday against Sligo and though the Connacht team have been poor, just one win in four outings, nothing can be taken for granted.
Over the years they have always been tricky opposition and regardless of how they are performing at the moment, they will present a demanding test for Fermanagh. Sligo too will be coming into the game with sharp motivation.
They have the spectre of relegation now hovering over them and with games running out they will be all the more determined to get something from this encounter. Another defeat and they would be on the brink of the drop to the basement division.
So it can be taken as read that Sligo will be up for this game in no uncertain fashion and Fermanagh can anticipate another demanding examination.
During the campaign however Fermanagh have successfully negotiated a winning path and though there have been a couple of relatively close shaves all four victories have been merited ones. The team has been playing with a strong sense of purpose and self belief should be bubbling nicely.
Defensively there has been little to quibble about, this sector going about its business with quiet efficiency. In the middle of the park there has always been a sound platform laid down by the differing pairings which have been utilised over the four games so far.
Martin McGrath remains out of bounds through suspension but James Sherry has returned from injury.
Up front the attack has begun to produce some enterprising football and in the Limerick game a clutch of players delivered up highly promising contributions with their pace and movement. And thankfully the scores tally has also shown a highly welcome upturn.
Three goals and ten points against Leitrim, fourteen points against Limerick and even in the Louth match a total of eleven was registered.
Form book then indicates a Fermanagh victory but there will be the realisation that it will require another seventy minutes of hard graft. There will be no presents handed out by relegation threatened Sligo.
There will be a Saturday night match in the division, Down hosting Limerick under the lights in Newry.
Difficult to see a Limerick team who really were poor in Lisnaskea last Saturday, making any headway against a Down team who are much in contention for a top two finish. A Down win keeps their challenge firmly on track.
Wexford entertain lowly placed Leitrim and a home win is hugely likely here. Mattie Forde and company should have more than a few points to spare and if Leitrim do lose then they will be prime candidates for the plunge.
Final game is the meeting of Longford at home to Louth. These two counties will be bitterly disappointed at the way they have failed to make an impact. Mid table finish for both with home advantage to edge this tie for the Midlanders.
