Irvinestown 0 Omagh Hospitals 1

A goal from Gerard Duddy midway through the second half gave Omagh Hospitals victory over Irvinestown Wanderers in the top of the table clash in Division Two on Saturday.

Wanderers led their opponents by two points going into the match, but Hospitals now hold the advantage after seven games after they edged a closely contested game at the Bawnacre.

Irvinestown had the better of the first half, but they failed to find the net and it was their inability to capitalise on those chances that manager Darren Higginbotham felt was the difference between the two sides.

“It was very disappointing in the way it happened,” he conceded.

“We felt on the day we created more than enough to win the game, but it’s the old adage that if you don’t take your chances you don’t win games.

“On Saturday that was prevalent.

“I felt it was a decent performance and we kept the ball and passed it quite well. It wasn’t perfect, but we created numerous chances. We had about four in the first half and another two or three in the second half and we hit the crossbar, but Omagh Hospitals got a chance and they took it and saw it out.

“If we had taken our opportunities, particularly in the first half, we would have been in a much better position come half time, but we didn’t take them and we were punished. We only have ourselves to blame, but it is all about the response now.

“On Saturday we weren’t going to win or lose the league and the same applies this week. We are back to trying to get three points this week and trying to stay at the top end of the table.”

Positive start

Both sides went into Saturday’s match undefeated in the league this season, and it was Hospitals that were to keep that record intact despite a positive start for Irvinestown.

The home team were immediately on the front foot as they looked to get in behind the Hospital’s defence and on several occasions they got into promising positions in wide areas and delivered threatening crosses into the box, but were unable to apply the finishing touch, with Joey Millar denied by a good block and some smart goalkeeping from Andrew Hamilton.

After half time Wanderers continued to press forward and almost registered the first goal when Jordan Palmer got to the byline and cut the ball back for Gary Maguire, but from the edge of the six yard box his shot struck the crossbar and bounced to safety.

The decisive moment of the match arrived midway through the second half when the Wanderers’ defence misjudged a long clearance allowing striker Gerard Duddy to control the ball and slot it into the corner of the net past Jerome Carleton.

With five minutes remaining Wanderers almost hit back with an equaliser, but a last ditch tackle denied Josh Largo-Ellis when it seemed he would convert, and Hospitals held on to take what could yet prove to be a crucial three points in the race for the Division Two title.