Newtowbutler are one step away from making an immediate return to Intermediate football in 2025. 

After a disappointing relegation to the Junior Championship, the First Fermanaghs have impressed in their run to the final this season despite being hit with a string of long-term injuries.

They face Aghadrumsee in the final having already beaten them in the quarter-final stage of the competition and the club has experience of winning the Junior Championship before.

In 2022 they again defeated Aghadrumsee with many of the present squad still involved.

Joint manager, Frank Mulligan, believes that winning experience will stand to his team when they face the Magpies in in Roslea on Sunday.

"The win in 2022 was a great experience for the boys. The squad is still very young. The win two years ago will give the whole squad the belief and will to win again which you need to get across the line in these big games.

"The squad has worked very hard on all areas from fitness, strength training, ball work and tactics.

"From the start of the championship, we have really tried to bring all these areas together to ensure the boys perform to a high level which we know they can.

"Come Sunday evening if they perform the way we know they can we will win the game."

Mulligan also said there will be learnings from the earlier championship meeting between the sides that his side will be looking to take advantage of.

With threats like Eddie Courtney, Eoin McCabe, Aidy Bannon and Damien McCarville Aghadrumsee could pose plenty of problems for Newtown.

But on the other side, Newtown have plenty of young quality in the likes of Diarmuid King, Conor Courtney, Sean Conlon and Kealan Fitzpatrick to go alongside the experience of James Maguire, Jarlath Jackman and James Connolly.

"The first round of the championship against Aghadrumsee was a good game. It showed us certain areas where they are strong and other areas where we may be able to expose them. 

"We have worked hard on these situations from the last game to try and make our performance even better in the final.

"Aghadrumse have threats in a number of areas throughout their team. We are well aware of who they are and have worked hard on this from the first game to ensure they are kept quiet.

"The boys will have to bring a really high level of performance and work rate on Sunday to win. We are confident that they will do this and have seen it numerous times over the year."

That win would see a step up to Intermediate football and Mulligan is acutely aware of what playing at a higher level would mean to a club with such a prestigious history as Newtown.

"A return to Intermediate football next year is really important for the club and town. 

"There is a fantastic underage set-up in the club at the moment with a lot of talent ready to come through to the senior squad.

"If the current senior squad, who are also very young want to improve, they need to be playing at a higher level of football and we believe they would comfortably hold their own in Intermediate football," Mulligan concluded.