Sligo/Leitrim District Soccer League 1-2 Fermanagh & Western Football League

Ryan Campbell led a select team of Fermanagh & Western players to a 2-1 win over a Sligo/Leitrim District Soccer League team at the weekend.

A late goal from Strathroy Harps’ Tiarnan Campbell sealed another win for the league select side who continued their winning streak in the end-of-year fixture.

Player/manager Campbell stepped in to take the side last week and was impressed with how the group of players performed at McSharry Park in Sligo after a tough opening 30 minutes.

(Image: F&W)

“We were trying to play football but maybe forcing things, trying passes that weren’t really on at times, misplaced five-yard passes,” he said.

“It took us a while for boys to get used to each other in terms of communication. Once the boys settled, they really showed their quality then.

"It took about 30 minutes to get really settled, the last 15 minutes (of the first half) they were pressing them (Sligo/Leitrim) in their own half.

"I told them at halftime, ‘We just need to relax on the ball’, it’s a pile of players who aren’t used to playing with each other, but it started to tick over better in the second half. I was just glad then that they got their rewards at the end of it.”

It was the Fermanagh & Western’s third win from three games since the fixture was started back up again: “I knew Sligo/Leitrim would be looking to change that statistic around and that’s exactly what they tried to do on Saturday, they were really up for it and dominated the first half.

"Second half we came into it well. I felt for them, scoring in the last minute is never nice. I’m sure they would have liked to go to penalties but it’s nice we kept the statistic going and kept the Fermanagh and Western team on top.”

Sligo/Leitrim were on top in the opening half hour with the F&W side not managing a shot on target, however, they eventually got into with McGrath going the closest for them in the first half as he rifled a shot over the bar after it was cleared from a corner.

After making five substitutes, the away side got on top in the early stages of the second half although it was the hosts who got their noses in front when a cross into the box, from the right wing, was headed into the net by Conor Griffin.

It didn’t take long for the game to be level again as good link-up play between Joel Byrne, Richard Clarke and Duwayne McManus saw the latter slip in McGrath who drilled the ball low into the net.

Ryan Campbell and Byrne both went close to finding the winner, but it took until the final couple of minutes for them to get it.

Barry Goodwin’s ball into the box was met by the oncoming Tiarnan Campbell who flicked his header past the home side’s goalkeeper to snatch the win.