Derrychara 3 Fivemiletown IIs 4

Fivemiletown IIs inflicted Derrychara’s first home league defeat of the season, scoring in stoppage time to claim an unlikely victory against the league leaders.

Prior to kick off Fivemiletown were only kept off the bottom of the Division Two table by goal difference, while high-scoring Derrychara had only lost once in eleven matches and were averaging five goals per game, but they sprung the upset of the season despite having to withstand heavy pressure late in the match.

“We dominated the first half completely, but we rode our luck a bit in the second half,” admitted Fivemiletown IIs manager Aaron Gowdy.

“Sometimes in football you just need that wee bit of luck and on Saturday we got it.”

Fivemiletown have made a habit of losing games by the narrowest of margins this season, and Gowdy feels this result was payback for their efforts throughout the campaign.

Lads deserved this

“It is nothing that the lads haven’t deserved this season,” he said.

“The results have not justified the work and the effort they have put in, and the football they are playing. We have been playing well but we just haven’t been able to get it over the line. In so many games we have been leading this season and have thrown it away, but they dug deep on Saturday and saw it out.

“The second half was very nervy. In the big scheme of things, it was three points that we really needed, even though it was unexpected.

“In our last four games we play the two teams that are above us and the two teams that are below us. Hopefully this is the turn in fortune that we have deserved.”

Fivemiletown more than held their own in the opening exchanges, and took the lead midway through the first half when Derrychara failed to clear a corner and Kenny Weir was able to lift the ball into the roof of the net from close range.

The home team reacted well and were back on level terms within two minutes when Barry McCann fired in his 20th goal of the season, but Fivemiletown continued to look the more threatening side and Noble pulled off a good save to keep his side level. There was nothing the keeper could do however when a Niall Murphy header from a corner bounced into the roof of the net to re-establish the Tyrone side’s lead.

They moved further ahead before half time when 16-year-old debutant Conall McCaffrey scored the third goal from a corner.

Derrychara came out after half time determined to preserve their perfect home record and pulled one goal back inside ten minutes through Stephen Bruce.

Lee Glass then squared the contest and it seemed as though Derrychara had the momentum and would go on to win the match.

They pressed forward in a bid to snatch a winner with Craig Johnston firing over from close range, but it was Fivemiletown that provided the late drama.

From a Derrychara corner, centre back Joshua Little rose to head clear.

Jamie Keenan picked up possession and found debutant Fabio Ledwith who drove at goal and drew out the keeper before squaring the ball for Little to finish the move he had started and spark joyous celebrations among the Fivemiletown support.