Tummery Athletic 3 Enniskillen Town 3

Enniskillen Town and Tummery managers both declared themselves content with a point on the opening day of the season after the two sides shared six goals. Tummery’s new signing Cathal Beacom gave the away side the lead in the first half, but Town hit back with three quick fire goals, before Tummery responded with two late strikes to ensure both sides avoided an opening day defeat.
“When you are leading with fifteen minutes to go you would be looking to hold out but we were missing a few and to go down there with the players they have brought in this year, I suppose we were happy enough with the point to start us off,” said Town boss Rory Judge.
He added: “We played some fairly decent football and I felt we were the better team throughout. We came out in the second half and I thought we were excellent. We were passing the ball very well and hit three quick goals. At that stage there only looked like there was going to be one winner.
“Every time we went forward we were cutting through them and it looked like we would see it through. We created a few chances, enough to win a few games, and we played some positive attacking football.
“There are plenty of green shoots there and I really do think we are going to be challengers this year. We have lads still to come in like Quigley, Nicky Dunbar, Conor Watson and Darren McQuade and we will be a much stronger outfit in the weeks to come.”
Tummery have made several high profile signings over the summer, and it was ex-Ballinamallard midfielder Cathal Beacom who netted twice on his competitive debut to rescue a point and send his manager home content.
“I was satisfied with a point,” said Tummery boss Benny McElhom.
“We took a while to get going in the first game of the season but they didn’t pose much of a threat in the first half. They had quite a bit of possession but we had the clear cut chances. We let them back into it with three bad individual mistakes at the back. With twenty minutes to go we were 3-1 down and the boys showed some real character and grit to come back.
“The first fifteen minutes of the second half was hard to watch, but we regrouped well and I think we deserved a point at least considering our overall play. It was a well-earned point in a decent game, without playing particularly well. I think both teams would probably be satisfied with a point.”
Beacom’s first goal came midway through the first half and gave his new side the lead. A Kyle McCrory corner was not dealt with by the Town defence, and Beacom pounced on the loose ball to drive a half volley into the back of the net.
Town pressed forward in search of an equaliser and Frank Wallace had a shot from point blank range tipped onto the crossbar, but they were unable to force the breakthrough until the start of the second half. Conor Tummon sent Johnny Hoy clear with a penetrating pass and Hoy dinked the ball over the keeper.
Minutes later it was 2-1 when a flowing team move was finished at close range at the back post by Thomas Owens. Town may have thought they had sealed the points when they added a third through Ciaran Brough, but Tummery fought back.
From a free kick on the right from Declan McNulty, Blaine Campbell headed home, and Beacom completed the comeback when he latched on to a Johnny Windsor pass and slotted the ball past the keeper from an angle.