NFC Kesh clinched the Division Two championship in style, thrashing Spamount 9-1 to win the title with two games to spare. The win confirms their return to the top flight after an unsuccessful spell in the Northern Ireland Intermediate League ended with their return to the bottom tier of the Fermanagh and Western League two years ago.

“We are just happy to be back in the first division,” said a delighted Niall Amos. “We walked away and it didn’t work for us, and we put our hands up and we were glad to get back in. We started off in Division Three and we were big favourites to win it and although we did get over the line we knew this year it would be harder in Division Two. There was going to be bigger commitment needed and the players raised themselves for it. The club wants to play first division football. In my opinion that is where the club needs to be, and hopefully now we will be there for years to come.” Kesh have been the dominant team in Division Two this season, but despite already securing the title, manager Niall Amos still has ambitions to crown the season with further success. “We would like to stay unbeaten and we are still in the quarter finals of the Mulhern as well,” he said. “The main goal was of course to get promoted but now we have done that we still have the cup and the chance to go unbeaten. To go without losing a game would be an unbelievable season.” Despite the apparent ease with which Kesh won Division Two, Niall admits he is not really sure how his side will fare in the top flight next season. “That’s the million dollar question and we just don’t know,” he admitted. “The first year will be about stability and getting ourselves bedded in. I would imagine it will be hard for us. Everyone is probably expecting us to be able to stay in the division but there are a lot of teams who will fight to the last to stay in that division so it will be hard. It’s been two years to get back to where we want to be, and it’s a few years that maybe a some of the older guys didn’t have to spare. I would like to think they all want at least one more year at it though. They have worked this hard to get where they want to be so I’m sure they would like to give it a go. Maybe after that one season they will have realised they’ve had one too many birthdays! The plan is to stay there for a year or two and hopefully by that stage the young guys will have come up to the mark and we will see what happens.” Kesh went into the match against Spamount confident they could get the win they so badly wanted, but it took them a while to settle as the visitors matched them in the early stages. The game changed 15 minutes in however when Kesh scored their first. Lee Walker broke down the left wing before cutting inside and unleashing a shot that found the bottom corner. That strike opened the floodgates, and the goals rained in for the remainder of the first half. Nicky Noble quickly made it 2-0 and two minutes later another Walker surge down the left wing provided a back post header for Naill McMenamin to net a third.

Not to be outdone, Jones scored the fourth and a minute later Noble robbed the keeper and rolled in his second and his team’s fifth. Jones then got his second of the game to make it 6-0.

Spamount managed what was already looking like merely a consolation al with a good free kick into the top corner, but Kesh were back on the score sheet immediately when Noble broke through the defence to complete his hat-trick before half time.

Ten minutes into the second period Jones grabbed his hat-trick, and minutes from the end of the match he got his fourth goal of the game to start the promotion party.