In the somewhat dejected post-match huddle after the disappointing defeat to Warwickshire, Fermanagh coach Daithi Hand spoke passionately to the players about “embracing the hurt” after a depressing defeat.

For this was a game the Erne County were expecting to win as they had already beaten the Exiles fairly easily in a previous round.

But the addition of ex-Antrim star Kevin McKernan has certainly transformed Warwickshire and the superb side-line cut that he brilliantly directed over the bar would have made Galway great Joe Canning proud.

McKernan was in midfield and controlled the game for long periods on a day when Fermanagh missed three good goal chances before going down by 1-18 to 1-13.

Hand’s rally cry was to use that hurt positively and bring it into their first Lory Meagher Cup tie against Leitrim in Drumshanbo on Saturday.

And, for team boss Joe Baldwin and his charges, it is a chance to regain some lost pride and get back on track for the championship.

He also added that they were hoping for “better officiating” on Saturday.

“It is a thing we do quite often, and we did it last year.

“And yes, we were hurting and everybody was disheartened and disappointed and we don’t want to feel that way again.

“We want the boys to experience the hurt and we don’t want to be on the losing side again.

“We did not take Warwickshire lightly but we probably went into the game as favourites and we are also favourites against Leitrim, but Leitrim will come out a different animal to the one we beat easily earlier in the league.

“They will have a lot of hurt from that game in Ballinamore and they will be saying, listen this is not going to happen again.

“Leitrim have home advantage, and this will be a 50/50 game and they will be targeting us and we will have to be at our very best.

“What happened a few months ago means nothing and we will have to be at our very best to get through.”

Fermanagh are sweating on the availability of star player John Duffy who missed the Warwickshire game with a bug while Aidan Flanagan is also ruled out through injury.

“John was a huge loss against Warwickshire.

“He is a natural leader, and he has not been training since the Warwickshire game so we are hoping that he will be fit for Leitrim.

“He is probably 50/50. John picked up a fairly heavy stomach bug and it has been going around and we are hoping he will be there.”

But “hurt” is not a cliché, said Baldwin.

“We know that we were not at our best.

“We are not going to talk about Warwickshire’s antics along the line or the score that was three feet wide, but we are hoping for better officiating this week.

“We looked at the match video and Luke Hands was definitely in the square when he got that goal.

“That was a four-point swing in a five-point game.

“But we have to look at ourselves in the mirror in terms of our shot selection, in terms of goal chances that we created, and we just were not clinical enough and the boys have to take that on board and that a pat on the back is not a million miles from a kick up the arse.

“And this week it was kick up the arse time.

“We had a good session on Tuesday night, and I took the training myself because Daithi Hand had the bug also.

“The response was really good, and there was a lot of bouncebackability.

“We worked on a lot of game-based scenarios and the mood was very buoyant.

“We had an in-house game, and it was ferocious and that is what you want.”

“But we are in good shape going into the championship and we are not all that far off and we have played nine competitive games this year and we have won seven so it is a good record.”

He added: “The Lory Meagher Cup was always the target.

“If I had spoken to you at the end of May and said we won the league, but we did not win the championship I would certainly be disappointed.

“There is no promotion in the league, which is another question.

“It makes the Lory Meagher really important and we are hoping that the experience of playing in the Nicky Rackard Cup last year will really stand to us.”