Dergview Reserves 0 Tummery Athletic 2
Tummery manager Ryan Hanna praised his side's "character and resilience" as they kept their hopes of a league and cup double alive with a 2-0 victory over Dergview Reserves.
Four days ago Tummery got the better of Dergview to capture the Mulhern Cup, and they had the upper hand again in their league clash as they maintained their chase of Enniskillen Rangers.
After a goalless first-half, Gerard Duddy put the reigning champions ahead two minutes after the restart, and he added his second with 17 minutes remaining.
Ciaran Beacom was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, but 10-man Tummery held on to take a valuable win.
“I am absolutely delighted,” said Tummery boss Hanna.
“After Friday we had a weaker squad, but the lads stepped up. We were like the walking wounded but we showed character and resilience and that is what got us through.
"In the first-half, we were sloppy and heavy-legged and heavy-minded, but neither team created a big pile.
"I think we had more possession than them, and they didn’t create much either. In the second-half, we were a lot better and a lot more controlled. We defended well and didn’t really give up any chances, which was pleasing. We were down to ten, especially after playing extra time a couple of days ago, so it was really good.”
The win leaves Tummery six points adrift of table-topping Enniskillen Rangers with two games in hand, but with the next fixture pitching them against the third of the title challengers, Hanna is refusing to look beyond Saturday’s game against Kesh.
“We will just take it a game at a time and prepare for Saturday and see who we have available,” he said.
“We know that if we want to win it again we have to win them all, but we will take Saturday as it comes and attack it with everything and see how we get on.”
The two teams were meeting for the fourth time this season and the familiarity led to the two sides cancelling each other out in the early stages, with a Duddy back post volley wide of the post the closest either side came to a goal in the first half.
The deadlock was broken at the start of the second period when a free kick was headed out of the danger zone, but Duddy’s volley from 18 yards found the bottom corner of the net. Paul McHugh then set Duddy clear on goal and he slotted past Tiernan McNamee, and although the visitors were reduced to 10 men with the dismissal of Beacom, they held on to take the victory.
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