Strule United 1
Enniskillen Rangers 1

An injury time equaliser denied Enniskillen Rangers all three points on their opening day visit to Strule United with manger Michael Kerr saying that if his side are to challenge this year, they are going to have to hold on to leads at tough away venues.
Kerr rued: “I have no doubt Strule will take points off teams but for us with the late goal conceded it was definitely two points dropped.”
He added: “We were one up and deservedly so but after we scored we dropped back too deep and allowed them to come on to us and eventually they got the equaliser. We are going to have to manage games better and see them out. But we will just have to get back down to training and work on that. We have another big game coming up against Kesh and we know that won’t be easy either.”
Strule manager Niall McAleer felt a draw was a fair result.
“Overall, I thought a draw was a fair result, they had the better of the opening period and we finished the stronger. We competed well on our debut in the top flight and might even have knicked it in the 94th minute.”
Rangers started well on a poor pitch at Donnelly’s Holm and definitely had the better of the opening half, hitting the bar and forcing Strule keeper Niall McCrory into a couple of smart saves.
Rangers’ best chance in the first half was a Mark Cutler header at the back post which was superbly saved by McCrory while Andy Johnstons’s overhead kick rattled the Strule bar.
Christopher Currie and Willie Burleigh also forced McCrory into good saves.
At the other end, last ditch tackles from David Crozier and Matty Chambers kept Strule at bay with the home team claiming the ball hit a hand while the dangerous John McPeake headed over at the back post.
Rangers took the lead ten minutes into the second half when Crozier and Currie combined well with the latter producing a great reverse pass to Johnston who slotted home for a 1-0 lead.
Rangers, though, did not press on for a second goal and slowly but surely Strule got back into the game.
Carleton saved well to prevent an own goal as Joe Doogan intercepted a dangerous Johnny Windsor cross.
The Strule pressure was rewarded when John McPeake’s cross was palmed away by Carleton but fell to Connor McCullagh on the edge of the box who controlled and then sidefooted the ball into the net.
Strule had one more chance in the 94th minute when McAleer shot over the bar as both teams had to settle for a share of the spoils.