Portavogie Rangers 1 Enniskillen Rangers 3

Holders Enniskillen Rangers powered into the semi-final of the Irish Junior Cup thanks to a hat-trick from midfield powerhouse and captain William Burleigh to see off Portavogie Rangers who finished the game with 10 men.
The win sets up a mouth-watering last four clash against Harryville Homers which will see the winners of the last four Irish Junior Cups clash for a place in the 2018 decider.
Harryville won three in a row from 2014 to 2016 before Rangers won the crown for the second time in their history last year.
The game will be played on Monday, April 9 at Loughgall with a 7.30pm kick-off.
Enniskillen Rangers player manager Michael Kerr’s over-riding emotion after Saturday’s win was more of relief than anything else.
“To be honest, I was more relieved to get past Portavogie. It was a quarter-final and the win gets us back into the semi-finals and a big game at a neutral venue. We said at the start of the year that despite winning this cup last year this remained our target and we are all delighted to get back into the last four,” acknowledged Kerr before adding.
“It sets up a clash with Harryville Homers who were caught out in the first round last year but have been dominant in their own leagues and in the Junior Cup for three years before that. It promises to be one hell of a game and we are really looking forward to the challenge. It should be a great encounter and let the best team win.”
The player manager was full of praise for his team on Saturday and the match winning performance of team captain William Burleigh. 
“I have not played in as poor conditions in a very long time with the rain incessant and the wind driving down the pitch. We battled hard in the first half into the wind and then I thought in the second half we dominated, kept playing the football and got the goals to win the game albeit in the final few minutes. Burleigh’s finish for the first was superb and he organised all the boys throughout the game, it was a real captain’s performance, there is no doubt about that,” said the player manger. 
It did not start that well for Enniskillen Rangers who travelled the night before for the game. 
Portavogie were playing with the wind at their back and forced an early corner from which they played a dangerous ball into the box. Jerome Carleton came to punch but misjudged and the ball skimmed off his fist into the net for the perfect start for the home team. 
Importantly Rangers replied pretty quickly. 
The ball was played into Burleigh in the box and he elected to take it down rather than shooting and showed some superb close control to round the last defender and slot home from close range. 
Rangers had a couple of strong penalty appeals turned away in the opening period in particular a two footed challenge on Stuart Rainey and a foul on Jason Keenan. 
At the other end, Portavogie had plenty of pressure playing lots of direct balls into the box and forcing a number of corners but in truth they never really tested Jerome Carleton in the Rangers’ goal. 
The second half saw Rangers dominate possession and they kept playing football despite the poor conditions. Player manager Kerr came closest with two free kicks, one from fully 45 metres out as he spotted the keeper off his line who then did superbly to tip Kerr’s effort over the bar. 
Then from a free closer to goal, Kerr powered one with his left foot but the keeper who was going to his left managed to change direction to his right and made an excellent save. Stuart Rainey then flicked a Christopher Currie corner onto the bar before Portavogie were reduced to ten men after one of their players received two quick fire yellow cards for similarly wild challenges. 
With extra-time looming, Rangers got the vital breakthrough with three minutes left. Kerr’s throw-in was played back to him by Neil Coulter and he found Keenan on the edge of the box whose shot was goalbound before Burleigh lashed it home from close range. Portavogie appeals for offside were in vain and Rangers led. 
In injury time, Burleigh was played through the middle and he kept his cool to slot home to make it 3-1 just before the final whistle.