Fermanagh and Western: Irvinestown disappointed with defeat to champions Lisbellaw

Lisbellaw were hanging on for the most of the second half but hang on they did to secure another three points to maintain their chase of Strathroy Harps at the top of the Division One table.
For Irvinestown this was one that got away as they dominated the second half but spurned the chances to level the game which was very much the proverbial game of two halves with Lisbellaw deservedly ahead at the break.
Irvinestown manager Rory Cassidy was disappointed to get nothing out of the game but admitted that they started too slowly and left themselves too much to do.
“I thought it was a harsh enough penalty for their first goal but we did not play well in the first but I thought we totally dominated the second half but could not take our chances,” explained Cassidy.
“We were all a bit dejected at the end of the game to get nothing from it but we know we cannot wait to get going until half time. In saying that, I can’t complain with the effort of the boys, we are where we are, it is hard to get all our key players out every week but we have to get on with it.”
Lisbellaw took the lead in the 10th minute with a harsh looking penalty when Ryan O’Keefe went down in the box and Matty Woods scored to fire the reigning champions into the lead.
Irvinestown could have hit back within seconds of the restart as Stephen Sheridan played in Joey Miller who lifted the ball over the advancing William McFrederick but clipped the wrong side of the post.
Lisbellaw were on top and doubled their advantage following an excellent move involving Paul McGrath and Tiernan Magee as they set up Ryan Nelson who finished off in style for 2-0.
Irvinestown got back into the game on the half hour mark from the penalty spot but that only tells half the story.
Stuart Cochrane was adjudged to have handled and Gary Maguire stepped up only to see his kick saved but with Ronan Ormsby trying to slot home, Matty Woods tried to clear but only succeeded in hitting the ball off the back of Sam Lindsay’s head which ricocheted back into the net for 2-1.
Crucially, as it turned out, Lisbellaw made it 3-1 before the break when Nelson slipped the ball through to Sam Lindsay and the youngster slotted home to restore the ‘Law two goal advantage at the break.
Whatever Rory Cassidy said to his charges at the break, a different Irvinestown came out at the start of the second half and took the game to Lisbellaw for much of the second period.
The usually reliable Sheridan was in one on one but failed to score and then volleyed over the bar while he also had a header that went wide.
Ronan Ormsby fired over some superb corners one of which had to be hooked off the line as the Wanderers pressed for the goal they needed to get back into the game.
The Wanderers pressure finally told in the 78th minute as the excellent Miller broke in down the right and let fly with his shot taking a slight deflection as it flew past McFrederick in the Lisbellaw goal.
Indeed, Sheridan had another great chance to level the game when he turned in the box but did not get a great connection but the ball crashed off the post for luckless Wanderers. Lisbellaw almost added insult to Irvinestown’s injury when they they broke decisively with their best move of the half but McGrath’s effort was saved as the game ended 3-2 and three vital points for Lisbellaw.