By Jonathan Hogan

FERMANAGH head to Ennis this weekend with a spring in their step after edging past Antrim in a Division Three nail-biter at Brewster Park.

Garvan Jones’s 1-8 heroics, including a crucial two-pointer, sealed a one-point victory that has injected confidence into Kieran Donnelly’s squad.

However, the Erne men face a stern test against Clare, who are looking to back up a convincing week two win of their own, at home to Leitrim.

With both teams sitting on one win apiece, Sunday’s clash promises to be tightly contested, and Fermanagh manager Kieran Donnelly is under no illusions about the challenge awaiting them at Cusack Park.

“There’s been a boost from the last victory, there’s no doubt,” he said.

“A win always sets you on the front foot going into Tuesday night’s training, and that’s the way it’s been.

“But we know we’ve a tough task against Clare, and every game’s important, so we had to knuckle down straight away.”

The journey to Ennis itself, with an overnight stay on Saturday, adds another layer of difficulty, while Clare’s pedigree is not lost on Donnelly.

“The fact it’s an away fixture makes it a more difficult fixture with the journey, there’s no doubt about it,” he acknowledged.

“They’re a good team, ran Kerry close in the Munster Championship last year. They have plenty of experience in Eoin Cleary and Emmet McMahon – they have good players, so it’s going to be a tough task.”

One bright spot for Fermanagh has been the return of Ultan Kelm, who played 50 minutes against the Saffron County, though his comeback has been carefully managed.

“Ultan’s a superb athlete first and foremost, so it doesn’t take much to get him back up to speed,” Donnelly said.

“He’s gradually returning, but it’s just not as smooth as we would have liked. We’re hoping to have him back to full fitness, but at the minute it hasn’t been plain sailing.”

Indeed, injuries continue to test Fermanagh’s squad depth.

“Unfortunately, with the league coming thick and fast, we’re down a lot of players,” Donnelly revealed. “We’ve a bit of an injury crisis, but we have a good depth of a squad – that’s just being tested at the minute.”

Key players like Brandon Horan, Oisin Smyth, and Luke Flanagan remain sidelined, though return dates are edging closer.

“They’re making good progress; it just might take an extra three or four weeks,” Donnelly confirmed.