Charlie Mulgrew's side suffered NFL relegation to Division 3

Mulgrew has revealed that Carty spoke to the team at half-time during the Erne County's final National League game against Donegal on 8 April.

"Peter gave us a belief that everybody was supporting us within the Fermanagh board," said the Erne County manager.

Mulgrew's side face Tyrone in the Ulster SFC at Clones on Sunday.

The Fermanagh manager says Carty's intervention was crucial in restoring team morale.

Mulgrew believes that the battling display in the one-point defeat by Donegal at Ballybofey signalled a turnaround for his team's season.

"Obviously, Donegal played with a kind of a trial team but it was the first day that we came together as a team throughout the league.

"Peter Carty's speech in Ballybofey was critical in the team's turnaround. It was a key moment."

Mulgrew, himself, had to endure more that the inevitable negative headlines as his side plummeted to Division 3 for next season's revamped league.

The lads are more of a team than we were Charlie Mulgrew

He came in for some very unpleasant personal abuse after the home defeat by Cork on 1 April and team captained Tom Brewster felt compelled to rally to the defence of his under-pressure manager.

However almost six weeks on, Mulgrew looked in relaxed mood at Fermanagh's press championship press night in Enniskillen.

The Donegal man is not always a forthcoming sort with the media but on this occasion, he showed the dry wit which makes him an engaging character, when the mood takes him.

Mulgrew reflected on how things had never got going for his side during those crucial early weeks in the NFL.

"The thing about the National League is that it starts in February and is basically over by the end of March.

"If things go wrong (at the start), it's very hard to realise how steep the slide is.

"But we've got it sorted and turned around now. Post-League our form has been good and the lads are more of a team than we were."

Mulgrew is the first to acknowledge that his team will be big underdogs against Tyrone but it was the same scenario three years ago when they faced the Red Hands.

We have a squad of players that really stuck together through thin, thin and thin Fermanagh captain Tom Brewster

On that occasion, Fermanagh were decidedly unlucky to lose and they went on to produce heroics in the qualifiers as they reached the All-Ireland semi-finals.

"We're looking forward to this championship tussle with Tyrone. We know it's going to be a huge challenge and we respect them hugely.

"But it's in Clones, it's a game of football and there's lot of little things that can happen on the day."

While Fermanagh have endured a few hammering from the Red Hands over the years, Mulgrew insists that he doesn't sense any inferiority complex among his players as they approach Sunday's game.

"I'd say no. I haven't heard that from any of the players or the county board."

Mulgrew's team captain Tom Brewster agrees that the Erne players will go into the game "in a confident frame of mind".

"We have a squad of players that really stuck together through thin, thin and thin and all those boys want it," says Brewster.

"We've trained really hard during the league and since the league and we want to put it right now."