Enniskillen Rangers 3 Beragh Swifts 5

Enniskillen Rangers manager Michael Kerr described the goals that his side gave away against Beragh at the Ball Range on Saturday as “embarrassing” and said that the first 45 minutes was the worst he had seen from a Rangers side in his time at the helm.

The ‘Gers, who had their Junior Cup hopes extinguished last week, found themselves 4-1 down inside half an hour on Saturday and although they hit back to make it 4-3 in the second half, an Eoin McManus own goal ended their chances as Beragh moved level on points with Rangers in second place in the Mercer League.

Rangers had been in fine form leading up the Christmas break but since the return they have lost in the Junior Cup and now in the league and Kerr will be looking for a big response when they take on Kesh this Saturday.

“The break has maybe stopped the momentum we had but on Saturday it was schoolboy stuff,” said Kerr.

“I was very disappointed in the manner of the goals we conceded, the five goals were embarrassing and it was a shocking performance. The first 45 minutes was the worst 45 minutes I have seen in my time in charge and I’ll be looking for a big response this Saturday against Kesh,” he added.

Kerr knows though that it is going to be a tough ask against a Kesh side that have shown good form since Ryan Campbell took over the reins.

“They have been on a good run since Rocket took them over so it will be a difficult game but we’ll be just looking to ourselves and looking for a better performance.

“I’ll be looking a response both individually and collectively and that’s not just the players but the management as well as I put the team out on Saturday,” he commented.

Rangers could not have got off to a worse possible start as Beragh took the lead with only two minutes on the clock.

A long ball was flicked on to Kris Hamilton who had run through untracked from midfield and he went on to slot home to give the visitors the lead.

Rangers though were back on level terms in the tenth minute as Nathan Khan delivered a terrific ball from a free kick on the left and Ciaran Brough glanced the ball home at the back post.

Just when you were expecting Rangers to settle into their rhythm though they were hit with a second as Beragh regained the initiative.

A ball over the top saw Eamon McGrath outpace the ‘Gers central defensive pairing of McManus and Neil Coulter before finishing under Joel Pedan to make it 2-1.

And five minutes later they had their third as Hamilton again broke through the middle before slotting to the back of the net.

It went from bad to worse for Rangers as they conceded a fourth on the half hour mark as Stephen Browne was left unmarked to side-foot home from a free kick from the right.

The home side though were thrown a life line in the final moments of the half as Jordan McClure’s cross was tucked away by Jason Cluff to leave it 4-2 at the break.

Kerr rang the changes at the interval, introducing three substitutes, and his side did show an improvement on the resumption.

Jason Keenan had a chance when he was released by Brough but he shot straight at Wood in the Swifts goal while a series of corners for the home side then came to nothing.

However, they were right back in it when Mark Cutler slotted home from a Keenan cross to make it 4-3.

It was to be Beragh’s day though as they wrapped things up in the 78th minute when a free kick from the right was headed into his own net by McManus to leave it 5-3 at the finish.

 

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