NFC Kesh 0 Irvinestown Wanderers 2

Irvinestown Wanderers picked up their first league win of the season as they took the derby honours with a surprise 2-0 win away to NFC Kesh on Saturday.

A goal in either half from Danny Noble and Stephen Sheridan sealed the victory for the away side and inflicted a fifth loss of the campaign on Kesh.

It has been a difficult opening to the season for the Wanderers, who had lost their first five games, but Manager Ryan Beacom is hoping that they can push on from this result.

“Hopefully this is the start for us and it is a good confidence boost and we can push on now,” said Beacom, who was delighted with his side’s performance on the day.

“It was great to get the result, but the performance was the big thing for me on Saturday.

“I thought we were excellent and I can’t fault any of the Wanderers players,” he added.

It was another disappointing result for Kesh and midfielder Nathan Cashel offered no excuses for the defeat.

“Irvinestown deserved the points – we were poor,” he said. “Irvinestown were hard to break and they then played on the counter and they did it well.

“We didn’t create enough either; it was one of those days for us.”

Long-range efforts

Irvinestown started the game brightly with Josh Largo Elis having a couple of long-range efforts while Stephen Sheridan had another chance at the back post.

And with 23 minutes played, the visitors took the lead as Sheridan squared to Danny Noble and he crashed a first-time volley to the roof of the net for 1-0.

Irvinestown continued to probe and Sean Clear teed up Caolan Ward, but he volleyed just wide as it remained 1-0 at the break.

Largo Elis fizzed a shot just past the post early in the second half, but after this Kesh enjoyed more of the possession, although the Irvinestown defence was resolute with Largo Elis dropping back from midfield to play sweeper.

Ryan Campbell did go close to levelling things for the home side but his effort came back of the woodwork and in the dying minutes of the game, Wanderers put the contest to bed when Sheridan finished well to leave it 2-0 at the conclusion.

“We still have players missing, but if we can keep the squad of players that we had out on Saturday available, then I think we will be all right,” concluded Beacom.