Enniskillen Athletic 3 Orchard Farm 1

Enniskillen Athletic secured the Division Three title on Saturday with a 3-1 win over Orchard Farm at the Lakeland Forum.
Paul Crane’s side have enjoyed an unbeaten run in the league and finally clinched the crown thanks to two goals from the penalty spot from Darren Rodgers and a goal from Duwayne Beacom against a game Farm outfit.
Player-manager Crane was delighted to have landed a first league success for the club.
“It’s a great feeling as it is the first league title for the club at senior level.
“It’s been a real tough season for all the managers with so many cancellations but to get over the line is amazing and fair play to the whole squad,” he said.
And although promotion and the league title are safely in the bag, Crane wants his side to keep going over the final two games to ensure that they remain unbeaten in the campaign.
“We have two big games remaining against Galaxy and Augher and we certainly want to be the only team to go through the whole season unbeaten, so we are still very focused. To win my first league title as a manager is a wonderful feeling that I wont ever forget and this club’s future is in a great shape with the youth all winning titles and trophies,” he added.
Orchard Farm set out with a plan to frustrate the champions elect and this worked for the majority of the first half.
Athletic did a lot of pressing in the early stages but a combination of wasteful finishing and good goalkeeping kept them at bay.
However, Athletic were to take the lead from the penalty spot. A Gary Lynch corner was adjudged to have been handled by an Orchard Farm defender and Rodgers stepped up to clinically dispatch to send the home side in a goal to the good at the break.
Athletic continued to have the better of the exchanges in the second half and they were to go on and double their advantage when they were awarded a second penalty.
Steven Curley was upended in the box with referee Dessie Kerr pointing to the spot and Rodgers again tucked away the spot kick to make it 2-0.
Back though came Orchard Farm to make it 2-1 through a superb strike from Scott Armstrong that flew into the top corner to bring the visitors back into the game.
It was Athletic though who had the better chances in the final stages of the encounter with Crane teeing up Bryan Owens who fired over the bar and Gary Lynch was then put through one on one only to be denied by the goalkeeper.
The third goal though did arrive late on with Crane setting up Neil McDermott and although his low drive was saved, Beacom was on hand to slot home as it finished 3-1 to Athletic.