Both managers disappointed as Beacom’s late goal snatches draw

Enniskillen Santos and Enniskillen Rangers had to settle for a share of the spoils from their derby encounter on Saturday but both managers were disappointed not to have picked up all three points.
Rangers had led through Adam Wallace’s 15th minute effort but Cathal Beacom levelled up things with virtually the last touch of the game to ensure a point for the home side.
And Santos boss Joe Keenan feels it was the least that his side deserved from the game.
“When you score as late as we did then you have to be delighted to take a point but I thought we could have got more than that. Rangers started really well and played some great football in the opening period but I thought we got to grips with that over the final 25 minutes of the first half and we created some very good chances. I felt the second half was a stalemate but we pushed hard in the final ten minutes and in the end we were pleased to get the equaliser. I was happy with our performance, especially in the first half,” he said.
Rangers manager Michael Kerr accepted that a draw was a fair result from the contest but he was disappointed not to hold on for the win as his side conceded another costly late goal.
“Over the 90 minutes a draw was the right result but I’m very disappointed not to have held on for all three points. To concede so late in the game again is hard to take but we just have to move on and we have another big derby game ahead this week against Enniskillen Town. I would think it will be a competitive game and it will be a different type of one to the Santos game but it is one that we need to win,” stated Kerr.
On the back of their win over Strathroy the previous week, Rangers began Saturday’s clash in a confident mood and they dominated the opening stages of the game before deservedly taking the lead in the 15th minute.
And it was a cracking move as the ‘Gers knocked the ball about before James Turley and Andy Johnston combined to set up Adam Wallace who fired a shot to the bottom corner for 1-0.
As the half progressed though Santos started to grow into the game and they created a number of good opportunities over the remainder of the half.
Craig Johnston was denied by the legs of Rangers goalkeeper Jerome Carleton while Carleton then pulled off a fine save to deny Jason Keenan who had skipped past Leon Carters and Neil Coulter.
The next chance of the game fell to Christopher Keenan who on this occasion beat Carleton with a well hit shot but the ball struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced down on to the line before it was cleared to safety.
Santos midfielder Niall Cassidy was then involved at both ends of the pitch as he headed wide from a Johnston cross before he then cleared a Ciaran Smith effort off the line as it remained 1-0 to Rangers at the interval.
There was little between the sides in the second half and there was nothing in the way of clearcut chances at either end of the pitch.
However, Santos pressed as the game came to a conclusion and Beacom volleyed over from the edge of the box after a mix up in the Rangers defence before the home side forced a corner deep into added on time.
The ball in was cleared for another corner and from this one Beacom got his head to it at the back post and the ball went through a ruck of players and ended up in the back of the net much to the delight of the home players and supporters.
And with the referee calling an end to the game, the sides had to be content with a point apiece.
For Rangers it maintains their unbeaten start to the season although it is another late goal conceded in an away game that has again cost them the three points.