After a late start to Group A, Fermanagh began with a win in the All-Ireland Junior Championship.

Sunday’s win over Sligo is followed by Carlow, London and Derry next up on the horizon for CJ McGourty’s side.

“Very happy with the win”, McGourty said after Sunday’s win. “Very happy with certain aspects of the play. We probably believe there’s a bit of improvement to do and we know that, if we want to go further in the competition, we need to improve on things that we are usually good at, but for whatever reason weren’t so good.”

Fermanagh caused Sligo plenty of problems from their kick-outs and could have had a further two goals from dispossessions in the backline as goalkeeper Ellen Maguire denied both Eimear Smyth in the first half, one-on-one, and then Bláithín Bogue in the second.

“It’s something we definitely targeted”, added McGourty. “Sean, our stats person, has said to me that we won 50 per cent of their kick-outs. It’s something that Conor McGovern and Sean do a lot of work on behind the scenes.

"We showed the girls a couple of clips on stuff they like to do, and the girls carried out the message portrayed across.

"That’s why it’s important to have a good management team and a good group of players, as one unit, we are learning together and getting results together. Credit must go to the players and to Sean and Conor, behind the scenes.”

Two first-half Sligo goals caused an area for concern in the Erne camp, however, Smyth’s attacking prowess at the other end and the fluidity of Fermanagh’s attack left spectators in Donagh feeling that there would be room for a response when referee Kevin Corcoran restarted the affair after the interval.

“Funny enough, I said at half-time, we made one or two sloppy mistakes to give them points and, at this level, games come down to fine, fine margins,” continued McGourty.

“This weekend, it will probably come down to a kick of a ball and that’s what I’m trying to get through to the girls. It’s championship football.

"90 per cent of games are going to be in the balance with 10 minutes to go and it’s about carrying them basic skills out during them championship moments.”

Sunday’s meeting with Carlow will see a repeat of the Division Four semi-final where Fermanagh’s promotion hopes were dashed in a 2-08 to 1-10 loss in Dundalk.

“We’re not out for revenge,” concluded McGourty.

“It’s just another game of football. We said at the very start, that this a four-game process to make the semi-final. We’ve game two coming this weekend and then games three and four to try and get out of the group.

"They won the semi-final with the last kick of the ball, and they might feel they deserved to win but we’ll focus on ourselves and getting right the basic mistakes that we made in terms of kick passing and handling.

"We know that Carlow are coming off the back of winning the league, winning three from three in the championship, so, their confidence will be high. We’ll go into it and give it our best shot.”