Derrygonnelly are on the hunt to repeat last year’s success of a league and championship double as they face Enniskillen Gaels at Brewster Park on Saturday. 

It may have taken extra time last year, but the Harps eventually fought off Kinawley, 2-13 to 0-14, with captain Shane McGullion lifting the Division One title.

Derrygonnelly sealed second place with games to spare this campaign, winning seven and losing twice.

Defender Oisin Smyth says there are plenty of positives for his teammates to take this year: “Any time you end up in a league final I suppose it’s a good sign, overall our performances have been fairly good but as always there’s a lot to learn from the campaign as a whole.

"After having a good Club Players' league I suppose it was just about making sure we built on that momentum and take lessons where we can.

"Between the Club Players' league and the nine league games, there’s been a lot of different lads that have stepped up at different stages and made an impact which is great to take into the business end of the season.

"Like most teams, we can definitely learn from a few periods we’d be disappointed within a number of our games.

"Thinking back to parts of most games, there are always parts we can really improve on individually and collectively.”

Smyth made a quick transition into club league action with Derrygonnelly, after county football in mid-June and was joined by club teammates Shane McGullion, Garvan Jones and Rian McGovern: “It definitely takes an adjustment going from one to the other, in one way it’s the end of the season but then you’re landing into the start of another really.

"I suppose with my own situation it was a bit of an adjustment getting back into playing full games but after the body adjusts to that, you definitely feel the benefits and it makes club football really enjoyable just to get back to playing games so often.”

Enniskillen were one of two teams to defeat Derrygonnelly in the league this year along with Ederney.

Smyth knows the quality they possess having grown up playing against the Gaels’ main core of senior players who have gone unbeaten in the league this year.

“They are a really well-rounded and talented squad,” he added.

“I suppose growing up I was witness to how many good underage teams they had which has started to come through now. You see it even with their Reserve successes over the last number of years while competing strongly at senior, it’s a testament to the depth of their squad.

"As well as that they have so many forwards that can hurt you, so defensively we’ll have to be really at our best but still be clinical at the other end.”

Smyth, who travels up and down from Belfast for training and games, knows, like last year, a good league campaign can help set the marker for a deep run come championship time as it looms just over the horizon.

“The league campaign has definitely given us confidence as a wider squad and has helped us get to know about what we’re good at,” he concluded.

“It’s given more players time in the team which then makes training a lot more competitive and it definitely helps to get into the habit of winning games where possible.

"Even if we have won games it’s been really helpful in pointing out some of the things that we need to improve on as well.”