Lisnaskea Emmetts manager John Reihill will use their Ulster Junior Club campaign as a learning curve for his players and he has urged them to go out and ‘give it a go’.

The Emmetts will travel to Letterkenny on Saturday to face Donegal champions Na Rossa with a place in the semi-final the prize for the winners.

Lisnaskea have enjoyed Ulster and indeed All Ireland success in the past, lifting the titles in a memorable run in 2010/11 but only two of those players remain with Saturday set to be a new experience for the bulk of the squad.

“Mark Little and Mark Smyth would have been involved in the side that won the All Ireland Intermediate title but I think there are 10 lads in the starting team who are under 25 and it is all going to be new for them.

‘Learning experience’

“It is a learning experience for them, that’s how we are treating it. We want them to go out and give it a go and see how we get on.

“Ulster is hard to gauge but certainly it seems as if there are a couple of useful teams in the Ulster Junior Championship.

“You have the likes of Arva in Cavan, Ballymaguigan would be experienced and we actually played Fintona this year, Archie Greene’s team, and they were impressive in the preliminary round,” said Reihill.

It is these type of games though that clubs want to be playing at this time of the year.

“That’s what we are saying to the players, that it is nice to be out training in October and playing in November time. That’s where clubs want to be and there are only two other clubs in Fermanagh left playing so we should be relishing it. The down side is we have lost a few players since the Fermanagh Championship so we have small numbers,” he added.

Na Rossa are managed by former Donegal manager Declan Bonner who has steered them to the Donegal Junior title and Reihill is expecting a big challenge.

“We seen them in the Donegal final and they are impressive. They have been about that Junior championship quite a while and have been close but the experience of Declan Bonner going in as manager has helped them.

“He has two sons playing and we’ve been very impressed with the two McHughs too.

“There is another young lad Caulfield who looks useful. They are very experienced as well so it won’t be easy but as I said we want the boys to go out and have a go.

“I would like to think that it will be a very tight game and I would like to think that we’re in with a shout. Certainly if we are close coming to the end we will be in with a shout.”

In the Fermanagh final Lisnaskea blew away the challenge of Aghadrumsee, hitting five goals in the process and Reihill will be aiming for another big performance this Saturday from his charges.

“Our style of football in the final was good, everything clicked and we were happy with it.

“It is obviously more difficult in Ulster when you don’t know the opposition as well but I still think that if we play to our strengths and ability we will give it a good go” he concluded.