NFC Kesh 0 Tummery Athletic 0

Tummery Athletic must beat Strathroy Harps on the final day of the league season if they are to be sure of winning the Mercer Cup, after they failed to defeat Kesh at Connolly Park.

The Tyrone side are one point clear of Dergview Reserves as the season reaches its climax, but Athletic manager Ryan Hanna remains confident they will get over the line, despite suffering a late wobble that has seen them claim four points from a possible twelve.

“You are never content with just a point but it’s one point more than we got the previous week, and we are in a better position now than we were before the game,” he said.

“It’s never easy winning leagues. We have had a tough run in and we are going to do it the hard way, but we knew that it was going to be a difficult five or six weeks with the teams we had to play.

“Now it’s about physically and mentally putting all the doubts aside and trying to go into Saturday positively. It is still in our own hands. We deserve to be where we are because we’ve worked hard for it, and we have to go and finish the job now.”

Draw a fair result

There was little to choose between the sides sitting first and third in the league, with Hanna admitting his side did not do quite enough to deserve the three points.

“A draw was probably a fair result,” he conceded. “It was a tough game played in good spirit and well refereed. It was disappointing that we had the biggest chance of the game but hit the bar and maybe should have scored from the follow up. That was our big moment.

“We are creating chances but it’s just not going in the net for us at the moment, but at least we are creating them and we are performing well. In the end I was happy enough. I’m content with a point.”

Kesh manager Scott Robinson was happy with his owns side’s performance in the closely contested match.

“We were missing so many players so it’s a real credit to the squad how strong we were, and I was really pleased from that point of view,” he said.

“It was a really good game played at some pace. We were out to beat the only team we hadn’t beaten this season, and they obviously needed the points for the league. I thought we could have had a penalty and then they could have scored near the end, although I think that would have been harsh on us to be honest.

“I felt we could have won it, but I can’t complain with the draw. The referee was very good the whole game and controlled it very well which was excellent to see. It was a good honest game and neither team gave an inch.”

Kesh went into the match without Beacom, Frempong, McCauley, Walker and Jones, and Tummery looked to take advantage immediately with McCusker called into action early on.

Martin Hughes had a shot deflected wide for the visitors and Aaron McNulty also came close, while at the other end Campbell was denied by the outrushing McCrory and Cadden had a shot saved in a tight first half.

Kesh’s penalty claim came early in the second half when Beatty went over inside the area, but the referee ignored Kesh’s appeals.

Sludden had a header over the bar and Campbell had a shot saved as both sides struggled to make a crucial breakthrough.

With 15 minutes remaining Tummery came within inches of going ahead when Hughes blasted his shot off the bar, and Ciaran Beacom headed over the rebound.

Sludden then clipped the top of the bar and had a shot touched around the post by McCusker, but the game remained goalless and the title race will go down to the final match of the season.