Santos inflict a second defeat on Lisbellaw

Champions Lisbellaw United are still waiting for their first point of the season as they suffered a second successive defeat in losing 3-1 to Enniskillen Santos at the Lakeland Forum on Saturday.
Andy Reilly’s side went into the game on the back of an opening day loss to Beragh Swifts and they fared no better against Santos as the home side secured a 3-1 win.
Jamie Lee Fawcett fired Santos ahead on the hour mark before Jason Keenan doubled their advantage ten minutes later.
Scott Grey did pull a goal back for Lisbellaw to give them hope but their chances of taking something out of the game were ended when Keenan bagged his second of the game to seal a first win of the campaign for Santos.
And Santos player-manager Joe Keenan was in no doubt that his side were deserving winners on the day.
“In my opinion we thoroughly deserved to win the game. I thought we were the hungrier side and the team performance on the day was just superb, we were excellent from start to finish,” said Keenan as his side bounced back from an opening day 5-1 loss to Killen Rangers.
Santos began the game well and had early chances to open the scoring. Jason Keenan twice got into great positions but but his first effort was saved by Willie McFrederick while his second chance saw him round McFrederick but a recovering defender hooked the ball off the line.
Lisbellaw too had opportunities in the opening exchanges with Alan Veitch firing wide while Santos goalkeeper Michael Mooney, who was commanding all afternoon, was then called upon to deny Lee Glass.
Keenan had another chance to break the deadlock but he failed to find the target after good work from Fawcett and Craig Johnston as the game remained scoreless at the interval.
It was the home side who were to go on and make the breakthrough on the hour mark as Fawcett fired home from 25 yards after good play from Jason Farry.
Indeed, Farry, who had come on for the injured Nicky Dunbar midway through the first half was to have a big influence on the contest, the midfielder involved in all three Santos goals.
With 20 minutes to go Farry fed Jason Keenan on the right and he cut inside before slotting a left footed effort past McFrederick to double the home side’s advantage.
However, Lisbellaw were right back in the game when substitute Scott Grey nodded home following a corner to make it 2-1.
The champions ramped up the pressure after this and Raymie Carroll was denied an equaliser by a goalline clearance from Johnston.
Santos though continued to threaten on the break and Farry fired wide when through one-on-one before he then teed up Keenan for his second, the striker finishing with aplomb to secure the win for the home outfit.