Tummery Athletic suffered only their second league defeat of the season as they went down 3-2 to Killen Rangers at Crawford’s Lane on Saturday.

However, despite the loss, Ryan Hanna’s charges remain in the driving seat for the Mercer Cup with the Dromore side sitting three points ahead of second placed Dergview Reserves with a game in hand.

With Tummery having six games left to play, the destination of the title remains firmly in their own hands.

Player manager Hanna felt his side’s first half performance was first class and put it down to just one of those days.

“It was a surreal game,” he said. “We were brilliant in the first half and could have been four or five up but then they scored with a wondergoal just before half time.

“We had a couple of chances then in the second half but we didn’t take them and they were clinical with theirs. It’s the way it goes some times,” he commented.

It all looked to be going so well for Tummery early on as they opened up a two goal advantage.

The home side started on the front foot with Marty Hughes heading wide from a Declan McNulty corner while player manager Hanna teed up Aidy McCaffrey who fired narrowly past the post.

At the other end, Killen went close from a Graham Young free kick but with 30 minutes on the clock Tummery broke the deadlock.

McCaffrey was impeded in the box and after referee Martin Kerrigan pointed to the spot, McNulty stepped up to send Rangers goalkeeper Gareth Barbour the wrong way.

And Tummery appeared to be well on their way to the points when they doubled their advantage less then a minute later.

McCaffrey was again at the heart of things for the home side as he crossed into the box and although Buchanan headed clear, the ball fell to Ruairi Sludden who volleyed home for 2-0.

Tummery continued to push forward and they felt that they should have been awarded a second penalty soon after when McCaffrey was upended but Kerrigan adjudged the foul to have been outside the box.

From the resultant free kick, McCaffrey delivered the ball on to the head of Hughes but his effort came back off the crossbar.

The chances continued to come for the home side with Barbour pulling off a point blank save to deny Hughes but five minutes before the break Killen were given a lifeline when Jordan Orr speculative effort from distance sailed over Tummery goalkeeper Niall McCrory to the back of the net to make it 2-1.

Tummery did have an opportunity to restore their two goal lead but Buchanan blocked Sludden’s shot as it remained 2-1 at the interval.

Within three minutes of the restart, Killen were back on level terms with Orr grabbing his second of the day, slotting home from six yards out after a cross had come back off the post.

Tummery had the majority of the possession but the final ball let them down at times.

McCaffrey had a strike from distance but this was comfortably gathered by Barbour while a series of corners came to nothing for the home side.

And with 84 minutes gone, Killen swooped for what would prove to be the winner.

A mix up at the back allowed Orr through and he slotted home for his hat-trick as Killen claimed the spoils.