By Katrina Brennan

WHEN Kieran Donnelly said “we don’t make it easy for ourselves” he meant it. Fermanagh had a glorious opportunity to be sitting in second place had they taken their chances against Louth on Sunday past. Instead, they’re sitting in fifth position on five points after Mickey Harte’s men left Brewster Park with all two points.

The offset of that result is that Sunday’s game against Westmeath is even more important because if truth be told, it’s not about promotion now, it’s about survival.

Donnelly has been hampered by injuries in recent weeks and the most significant of which, Declan McCusker, will once again be missing for this all important clash with the Lake County.

Fermanagh have also conceded eight goals to date in the league, something Donnelly will be concerned about as they prepare to take on third-placed Westmeath and fourth-placed Limerick over the next two weekends.

“I felt our defensive shape was very good against Laois and (v Louth) was the same. It was just individual errors. I felt we just weren’t set up properly for the throw-up. I feel we’re solid enough looking at times but I feel it’s just lapses in concentration.

“There’s no doubt, coming up against two good teams, we’re really going to have to up the ante and concentration levels against two good forward lines.”

Fermanagh will again be without their captain McCusker this weekend as he recovers from a calf injury but Donnelly says they’ll take some positives to Mullingar;

“I felt there was some good scores, I felt we reacted well after the goals and we still brought it back to two points in the second half. You take the two goals out of it and the stats proved it as well, the game was even. If we had taken our two goals chances in the first half, football really is as simple as that, they took their goal chances, we missed ours.”

Fermanagh now find themselves in a precarious position and the main focus now will be to avoid relegation.

“We just have to focus on trying to win the next game and see where that takes us, you’re looking up and you’re looking down. They’re two tough games now, so we don’t make it easy for ourselves, especially with the way injuries are as well. We’re just going to have to concentrate and they’re two away fixtures but that’s when we often get our best performances, when we’re least expected to.”

READ MORE – Have a look at Fermanagh’s star players since 2008. Click here…