NFC Kesh 1 Enniskillen Rangers 1

Enniskillen Rangers are one win away from the Mercer League title after a 1-1draw with title rivals Kesh.

The result means Rangers will win the title if they can defeat Tummery in their one remaining game, while Kesh must now hope other results go their way if they are to be crowned champions for the first time in their history.

In a tense game with few goal-scoring opportunities, Rangers took the lead through Nathan Khan’s side-footed finish in the 75th minute. The goal looked to have ended Kesh’s title aspirations before a late Ryan Campbell equaliser kept their league hopes alive.

The draw meant Rangers dropped their first league points since January, but boss Michael Kerr was still the happier of the two managers at the final whistle.

“We wanted to go out and win it, but we did not want to lose it, so we were happy enough to come away with a point,” he admitted.

“Overall a draw was a fair result. We were poor in the first half and better in the second half. Our lads were disappointed they didn’t hold on to the lead when they had got in front, but I would have taken a point before kick-off.

"It still leaves it in our hands going into the last game of the season, at home. If someone had offered me that scenario at the start of the year we certainly would have taken it.”

Rangers will now have to sit back and watch title rivals Kesh and Tummery complete their outstanding league matches before they take to the field again.

The Junior Cup final is scheduled for Friday, May 24 before a potential league showdown with Tummery on Tuesday, May 28, and Kerr is happy to have almost two weeks off before their season climax.

“This little break will do us no harm at all,” he said.

“The boys have worked so hard. We started our pre-season in the middle of July last season, so it has been 43 weeks we have been going. Hopefully, it will give Mark White a chance to get over his knock because he has been out since the Mulhern Cup semi-final. Everyone else seems to be fit and strong and the squad is in good shape.”

Kesh will now have to defeat Lisbellaw and Tummery and hope Rangers do not win their final match, to have a chance of taking the top spot.

Manager Ryan Campbell acknowledged that his side did not do quite enough to get the victory they were after.

“When you look back on it as a whole, a draw is probably a fair result,” he admitted.

“I thought we edged the first half. We had the better chances, we defended well and had good energy. They didn’t cut us open too many times. We had a couple of good chances and had one of those gone in it might have been a bit easier in the second half, but in fairness to Rangers, they came out strong in the second half and had their spell for 25 minutes.

"They had us pressed back, although they didn’t really carve us open too much until their goal. That kicked us into life again and we finished the match the better team in the last 15 minutes.”

In a cagey first-half Rangers were limited to several long-range efforts at the Kesh goal, while Campbell had a shot wide of the post and a volley that struck Eoin McManus on the head and deflected over the crossbar.

Rangers started to gain the upper hand in the second half and were pushing Kesh deeper and deeper, and they got their reward with fifteen minutes remaining when Joel Byrne cut the ball back for Khan and he found the bottom corner of the net from 12 yards.

Kesh responded well, and with their title hopes on the line they hit back when Campbell produced a deft looping volley over Joel Peden from Cashel’s flick-on.

As the game approached the closing minutes it opened up, with both teams having chances to win the game.

Rangers wasted a promising attack when they outnumbered the Kesh defence but Mark Cutler’s control let him down.

Byrne then cut inside the defender and fired a low shot goalwards but TJ McMulkin got down to touch it around the post.

At the other end, Rangers needed Joel Peden to produce a diving stop to keep Cashel’s powerful header out, but neither side could find a late winner as Rangers walked off the happier of the two sides.