Results heighten survival hopes for Wanderers
half, we looked a lot sharper and when we equalised I thought we would maybe go on and win it.
“Our tails were up and we were pushing, but the last 15 minutes was end to end and it could have gone either way.
“Probably on reflection, a draw was a fair enough result, but I feel we didn’t play that well so from that point of view it feels a bit like two points dropped.”
Lisbellaw held the upper hand in the first half and Irvinestown keeper Jerome Carleton was the busier of the two netminders, having to save efforts from Sam Lindsay, Jack Foster and Scott Moutray.
The home team’s best effort fell to Lindsay, who pounced on a rebound after a Carleton save, but he blasted over from 12 yards out.
Lisbellaw’s Lindsay then had a back post volley saved by Carleton, and one minute later Jamie Coalter’s header from Paul Elliott’s deep corner came back off the post.
Five minutes into the second half Irvinestown took the lead when Stephen Sheridan fired in Gary Maguire’s cutback.
But Lisbellaw equalised midway through the half when Paul Mcgrath cut in from the right wing and fired in a low shot that squirmed under the body of Carleton.
Both goalkeepers had saves to make in a frantic finish to the match, with Sam Mcdonald’s full-length save from Danny Hughes the closest either side came to finding a winner.
Irvinestown’s bid to escape the drop zone continues with a home game against Tummery on Saturday, before they face another midweek away fixture next Tuesday when they travel to Strathroy Harps.
Manager Higginbotham admits he is frustrated at the scheduling of the games, with his side and fellow relegation strugglers Beragh Swifts the only two sides having to travel away from home on successive Tuesday nights. I am trusting that everything is taken into consideration, but I have to be honest,” he said.
“We have two midweek fixtures, both away from home and both 6.45pm kick-offs. Next week we are away to Strathroy, and I have to be fair to my players. A 6.45pm kick-off in Junior football isn’t kind.
“They have children and jobs, and I just don’t see how it logistically makes sense, given we are one of the very few who have two away games.
“All we are looking for is consistency in terms of what all the teams are doing, in terms of travel and in terms of the spread of home and away games. It puts a lot of strain on us to try and be able to field a team.
“I can see if everyone is doing it, but it seems to be just us as a club who travels all these distances for midweek away games. We watch on with interest.”
their own penalty with three minutes remaining.
Stephen Browne missed his spot kick however, and Tummery took full advantage with Mchugh scoring a 90th-minute winner.
Against Enniskillen Town on Saturday Tummery took an early lead when Shea Devlin converted Hanna’s cross, but they failed to convert chances to extend their advantage and Town hit back to take a 3-1 lead early in the second half. Martin Hughes reduced the deficit to one before Lee Brennan made it 4-2.
Tummery looked to have salvaged a point when Blain Campbell and Paudie Dillon scored to level the match, but Town snatched victory with an injury-time winner from Brennan.
“I was very disappointed at the end of the game,” admitted Hanna. “We had enough chances, particularly in the first half. We had four or five really good chances, but it is a summary of the last few weeks.
“We had good chances and then got punished at the other end. In the second half, Town sat in and made it difficult for us. When we got back to 4-4 I thought the momentum was with us, but we got sucker punched again.
“It was disappointing given the chances we had but on the day it was a master class in finishing compared to us. Clinical finishing was the difference.”