Wallace goal keeps Town in the hunt

Editorial Department • Published 11 Feb 2010 09:22 0 Comments

Share this

Enniskillen Town captain Malcolm Crawford looks to head clear against Shelbourne on Saturday.<<

Enniskillen Town 2; Shelbourne 1;

Enniskillen Town manager Rory Judge insists that his side will not give up the chase of leaders Lisbellaw United after they came from a goal down to deservedly pick up the points at home to Shelbourne on Saturday.

Last week's defeat by Irvinestown left Town trailing Lisbellaw by eight but Judge seen his side return to winning ways thanks to a Frank Wallace goal with ten minutes to go and he is looking his charges to keep the pressure on the leaders until the end of the season.

"We know that it is a big ask and we can't afford any slip ups between now and the end of the season if we are to have any chance but we'll keep going at it and force the rest of the teams up there to keep winning," said Judge.

The Town boss felt that on another day his side would have bagged a hatful on Saturday and he believes that he is finally beginning to get his strongest team out on the pitch.

"Without exaggerating we could have scored seven against Shelbourne. We created a lot of chances but just didn't take them. However, I think that we had the strongest side we have had out all season and that told in the way we played," he commented.

The home side had six changes from the team that lost to Irvinestown and the returning Gary Beckett should have opened the scoring in the first minute when he was put through only to see his lob land the wrong side of the goal.

Chances continued to come for Town but they failed to make any of them count and against the run of play the visitors grabbed the lead when a ball through from midfield found Johnny Browne and he produced a fine finish to drive the ball beyond goalkeeper Joe McGovern.

The home outfit regained control of the play thereafter but were unable to find an equaliser despite opportunities falling to Beckett and Wallace as the away side held the advantage at the break.

Within ten minutes of the resumption though Town got the equaliser as a move down the right hand side released Mark Connolly and he drew out the goalkeeper before finishing smartly at the near post.

With Shelbourne offering little threat Town pressed on in search of the three points and they should have taken the lead when Connolly's effort came off the bar and fell to Kieran Leonard but he headed over the top from close range. The pressure though told in the final quarter as Wallace got the goal that clinched the victory. A ball over the top saw Wallace scurry clear and having missed two similar chances in the first half he made no mistake on this occasion as he lifted the ball over the goalkeeper to keep Town's league hopes alive.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 11 Feb 10

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our Sport archives.