Irvinestown Wanderers 1NFC Kesh 4

NFC Kesh remain within touching distance of the Mercer League leaders after recovering from a goal down to defeat Irvinestown Wanderers at the Bawnacre on Saturday.

Lee Walker dragged Kesh back into the contest after Stephen Sheridan had given the home team the lead, and in the second half Ryan Campbell, Jake Irvine and Danny Wilson all found the net to give the scoreline a convincing look.

“It was good to get the three points in a derby game,” acknowledged Kesh manager Ryan Campbell.

“I thought we started the better team. They scored a soft goal against the run of play, but we responded well. I told them at half time to try to press them back more, and in the second half it went our way. We got two quick goals and that kind of killed them off.

“We had more possession in the first half and we restricted them well, and I thought our defence was pretty solid all day apart from the one wee collapse in the first half for their goal. They didn’t really open us up too much which was pleasing.”

It is the second week in a row that Wanderers have conceded four goals in the league, but on this occasion manager Darren Higginbotham felt the scoreline was not a true reflection of the game.

“I feel that 4-1 was a bit harsh,” he said. “Up until their first goal I felt the game plan was working really well. I felt that we were competing well, moving the ball well and created as many if not more chances than them in the first 40 minutes.

“Then we gave away bad goals at bad times. If we could have got in at half time one up it would have been a good chance to regroup but we didn’t. For decent portions of the game I was very happy with how the players were carrying out our game plan, but a lapse in concentration cost us. You can’t give quality players the opportunity to put the ball in the back of the net because they will kill you, and on Saturday that was the case.”

After an evenly contest opening Wanderers took the lead midway through the first half when Stephen Sheridan capitalised in hesitation between Nigel Beacom and goalkeeper TJ McMulkin to stab the ball over the goal line from close range.

Kesh came close to an equaliser when Campbell’s pass put Danny Wilson through with just the keeper to beat, but Jerome Carleton made the save. Four minutes before the interval the scores were level when Campbell’s shot was beaten away by Carleton but Lee Walker pounced on the rebound to square the match.

At the start of the second half Wanderers’ Craig Humes robbed Ryan Beatty of possession, but could not find Sheridan with a pass that would have set him in on goal.

Kesh took the lead for the first time on the hour mark when Campbell headed in, and five minutes later they moved further ahead when Grant Ellis headed a deep cross back across the six yard box and Jake Irvine applied the finishing touch.

The victory was completed with ten minutes remaining when Sam Robb’s penetrating through ball set Wilson clear and he slotted beneath Carleton to seal the victory.