Strathroy Harps’ relentless march to the Mercer League title continued on Saturday as they maintained their 100 per cent record with a convincing 5-2 victory over a depleted Enniskillen Rangers side, and in doing so recorded their 20th straight win.

The victory leaves Harps eight points clear of Enniskillen Town with a game in hand at the top of the table and Enniskillen Rangers joint boss Gordon Cutler feels that nobody will stop Strathroy retaining the title.

“They are a very good side and they look like they will go on to be champions again and rightly so,” he said. “We were very understrength on Saturday but there’s no excuses. They were the better side early on and took the lead but we finished the first half well and went in level at the break. It was the spell at the start of the second half that sealed it though as they scored three times to put it out of reach for us. In fairness to the boys they kept going and we pulled a goal back as well as missed a penalty but there was no complaints, they were the better side.” Strathroy manager Seamus Fanthorpe felt that the Rangers equaliser before half time was needed to get his side going.

“That was the wake up call for us and we came out at the start of the second half and put the game to bed,” he stated.

And Fanthorpe has urged his side to simply continue what they are doing.

“That’s 20 competitive wins in a row for us and all I can ask is for the boys to keep doing what they are doing. We will hit a sticky patch but we’ll deal with that when it comes around,” he added.

It did not take long for Strathroy to take the lead with the home side going in front after four minutes. An error by ‘Gers goalkeeper Alberto Garcia saw him knock the ball out for a throw in. Strathroy worked the ball to Darren Teague and he clipped in a fine cross to the back post where it was met by Ryan Mayze who headed home.

The Harps continued to boss matter after this and Garcia made good stops to deny Ryan Sharkey and Mark Sloan but as the half wore on Rangers did come more into the contest with William Burleigh firing wide on the half hour mark before they levelled up proceedings soon after.

A tidy piece of play down the left resulted in Jarno Glass picking out Burleigh with a cross and he headed home at the back stick to make it 1-1.

Indeed, Rangers enjoyed the better of things for the remainder of the half but it was the home outfit who regained the upper hand early in the second half.

Teague was to the fore during this spell as he rattled home two identical goals, drilling the ball to the back of the net after powering down the left hand side. The game was over as a contest when substitute Cathal Moore produced a quality downward header to the net from a Teague cross and Ryan Sharkey then made it 5-1 following a scramble in the Rangers box. Rangers did keep going and they were awarded a penalty when Stuart Rainey was taken down in the area. Rainey dusted himself down to take the spot kick but he blasted over the bar.

Strathroy were then reduced to ten men when Aidy McCaffrey was red carded and the ‘Gers did manage a late consolation goal as Burleigh bagged his second of the game after a one-two with Glass.