Improving Wanderers pull clear of relegation

Editorial Department • Published 4 Mar 2010 14:28 0 Comments

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Jason Keenan breaks forward for Enniskillen Santos as they lost to Irvinestown Wanderers at the Forum on Saturday.

Enniskillen Santos 1; Irvinestown Wanderers 2;

Irvinestown continued to pull clear of the relegation zone with a fully deserved 2-1 victory over Enniskillen Santos at the Lakeland Forum on Saturday.

A good run of form has taken Irvinestown away from the bottom of the table, the Wanderers rising up to seventh in the table although manager Greg Copeland is not about to rest on his laurels just yet.

"I was pleased with both the result and the performance and I thought we played well in all departments. I was delighted to have got the three points and we're heading in the right direction but we're still not safe yet and there is more work to be done," he said.

Irvinestown could have won this game much more comfortbaly had it not been for some wasteful shooting and a number of terrific saves from home goalkeeper Gary Ramsey who was one of the few Santos players to show any kind of form on Saturday.

The visitors started the contest brightly and with 20 minutes played they took the lead. A ball from the left by Greg O'Donnell was met by Darragh McGovern on the half volley and his effort looped over the top of Ramsey to the back of the net for 1-0.

Wanderers then had a couple of further chances to increase their advantage but Lydon Johnston slipped a shot wide when one on one with the goalkeeper while Gareth Clarke went close to equalising, his shot shaving the crossbar.

However, a mistake at the back did allow Santos to get back on level terms before the interval. Duwayne Carleton took too much time in clearing a ball with an extra touch seeing the ball run over the sideline. The throw in was taken quickly and when the ball was played into the box Stephen Clarke connected with an outstretched foot to poke it to the back of the net.

And although having played second fiddle to the visitors, Santos should have grabbed the lead early in the second half as Rory Cassidy's cross gave Gareth Clarke a free header but he missed the target.

In the second half Irvinestown welcomed back Gary Maguire from injury but it looked as of it was going to be one of those days for Copeland's side as they wasted chance after chance with Lyndon Johnston among the guilty parties.

However, with 15 minutes to go they got in for what proved to be the winner. Niall Donnelly lobbed the ball from the right into the path of Johnston and he finished expertly, lifting the ball over Ramsey to secure a 2-1 win and another three crucial points for his side.

Santos manager Joe Keenan was disappointed with his side's performance on Saturday.

"We were missing five good players so it was a makeshift side that we had out. There was no heart or character there and when we went 2-1 down I could never see us equalising. In fact if they had scored six we would have had no complaints," he said.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 04 Mar 10

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