Lisbellaw 0

Enniskillen Rangers 1

Enniskillen Rangers extended their unbeaten start to the league season, with a Christopher Currie second half goal enough to see off the challenge of Lisbellaw United. The defeat leaves Lisbellaw in an unfamiliar tenth spot in the table, but for Rangers the win further strengthened their position as they seek to defend their league title.

“It was a very patient performance,” said manager Michael Kerr.

“Lisbellaw are in a precarious position and they were never going to come out and attack us. Teams with patience in the game nowadays are very few and far between, especially in the Fermanagh and Western.

“For me that patience has come from experience, the boys have grown so much in the last year or two. They have really stepped up. We wouldn’t have won that game two years ago. We just knew that we would eventually break them down.

“Yes we had a bit of luck with the goal, but we felt at the start of the second half we wanted to attack from the wide area and that is where the goal came from. If you want to challenge and win the title then you have to go and win games like that and thankfully we came out and got the one nil win.”

Lisbellaw’s title challenging side of recent years seems a distant memory at present, but the Rangers boss is confident they will turn around their current poor run. “I knew all week that it wasn’t going to be an easy game,” he said.

“I said to Kyle McCleery their position in the league is false and if they put in workman like performances like that and maybe add a few goals then they will be fine.”

Lisbellaw were hoping to contain Rangers’ attacking threat, and in a cagey first half they carried out their game plan effectively.

In the opening forty five minutes there was little in the way of goalmouth action, with a Jason Keenan volley over the bar and a Richard Johnston header that flew wide of the post the best chances for Rangers.

Lisbellaw also had a near post effort just off target as the game reached the half way stage goalless.

Ten minutes into the second half the game changing goal arrived from Christopher Currie when his over hit cross drifted over the keeper and dropped inside the far post.

Willie Burleigh had two opportunities to add a second goal but on both occasions his shot was saved superbly by young Sam McDonald, while Stuart Rainey had the ball in the net, only to see his effort controversially ruled out for offside.

Lisbellaw were restricted to long range efforts, with debutant goalkeeper Cain Newman a match for their efforts as Rangers held on to secure the win.