Strathroy Harps took a huge step towards the league title with a 1-0 victory over closest challengers Enniskillen Town United. A first half goal from Ryan Mayse earned the Tyrone team all three points and sent them five points clear of Town with three games remaining. Although Town have a game in hand manager Rory Judge acknowledges Strathroy are now clear favourites to take their league crown.

“It’s not quite all done and dusted but I’m not expecting them to drop points,” he admitted. “We will still be looking to win the games obviously and we will not give up, but I will be looking more to next season and there will be a couple of younger lads getting a run out in competitive games.” It was a dominant first half display from Strathroy that paved the way for their victory, and Judge had few complaints about the final result. “The best team won on the balance of play,” he said. “We just didn’t turn up for the biggest game of the season and in the first half they absolutely pulverised us. They had us at sixes and sevens right from the off and we couldn’t get anywhere near them. They were probably disappointed to only go in one up at half time. We had chances to score and you could maybe argue for a draw but I do think they deserved the points. The referee Dessie Kerr had a good game as well, so I have no real complaints.” Strathroy’s one first half goal came after 20 minutes. Mark Sloan picked up the ball on the right wing and fed a ball between the centre half and full back for Ryan Mayse to run on to, and he fired a low hard shot into the bottom corner of the net.

Aidan McCaffrey and Darren Teague had chances to add to Strathroy’s lead and Town had both goalkeeper Pat Cadden and the post to thank for keeping them in contention. Town had penalty claims for a handball waved away but their best chance of the half came in the closing minutes when Frank Wallace’s shot was saved by the legs of the keeper.

In the second half Town started to get a foothold in the game but despite carving out several chances they could not find the net. After an hour Conor Tummon dragged his shot wide of the post after running on to a cut back from Matt McAuley, and substitute Stephen Clarke also came close but his lob over the advancing keeper fell the wrong side of the post. With five minutes remaining a lofted ball into the Strathroy penalty area was met by McAuley, but his header came down off the crossbar into the grateful arms of the goal keeper.

“It is a massive three points for us,” acknowledged Strathroy manager Seamus Fanthorpe. “Everyone was aware of the magnitude of the three points and we are delighted. I think on the balance of play we were the worthy winners. We started really well and played some fantastic football in the first 25 minutes. We could have been three or four up by half time. As the game went on we started to creep deeper and deeper and Town were starting to get into the game a bit more but defensively we were very, very strong.” Strathroy have three away games remaining against Lisnaskea Rovers, Dergview Reserves and Fintona Swifts and having opened up a gap at the top of the table they are determined not to let the title slip through their fingers. “There is no point taking three points off your closest rivals and then going out with the wrong attitude to the rest of the teams,” said Fanthorpe. “We will be giving each team the respect they deserve. Lisnaskea took points off us this year and we are under no illusions that anything is going to be handed to us. We know we are going to have to go and work for it, as we have all season long. Everyone is focused on the task in hand and we have our minds set on pushing on and getting another nine points on the board and making it mathematically impossible for anyone to catch us.”