Irvinestown Wanderers manager Darren Higginbotham felt a slow start cost them victory over Beragh Swifts as they had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

A penalty after six minutes from Eamon McGrath had given Swifts an early lead, but Irvinestown responded in the second half and Ronan Ormsby’s goal earned them a point.

“It was a tale of two halves,” said Higginbotham. “We started the game poorly in the first 25 minutes but towards the end of the first half, we started to have chances.

"In the second half we were much improved and created a lot of clear-cut chances, but just didn’t take them oIrvinestownn the day and you are left to rue that because three points were there for the taking.

"We had five or six good chances on the day and in the end, it feels like two points dropped, although after half an hour I might have taken a draw. We need to be that wee bit more clinical and we will start to see points coming in.”

Saturday’s draw was the third consecutive match which Irvinestown have only conceded one goal, and the manager has been happy with the improvement in his backline.

“Defensively we have shored up really well, particularly since Christmas,” he said. “We lost Dwayne Carleton, who is a massive part of what we do, and we have had to rejig things and guys are playing out of position, but we have worked hard to shore the defence up and in the last two or three games we have been really good.

"They have defended well and at the moment we are probably conceding as little as anybody in the league. If we can maintain that defensive stability and be a bit more clinical in attack that is a recipe for getting points.”

After a frantic start to the game Mahon’s foul on Lee McCullagh gifted Swifts an early spot kick, and McGrath found the bottom corner of the net from 12 yards.

Beragh continued to dominate the game in the early stages and McCullagh got in behind the Wanderers’ defence, but with just goalkeeper Jerome Carleton to beat he dragged his shot wide of the post.

The home team carved out their best chance of the half after 30 minutes when Barry Goodwin burst through on the left, but his shot was saved by Adam Wood.

Irvinestown were forced to replace the injured Jamie McFarland with Ronan Ormsby at half-time, and the substitute led the Wanderers’ revival.

Fellow substitute Daire Gallagher twice went through with just the keeper to beat, but was forced too wide with his first effort and saw his second effort come back off the crossbar.

Wanderers levelled the scores after 75 minutes when Gary Maguire’s free kick to the back post was controlled by Ormsby before he lashed it past Wood into the bottom corner.

The draw leaves Irvinestown one place off the foot of the table and two points from safety, in what looks like being a closely contested four-way relegation battle to stay in the top flight.