Kesh 5-0 Killen Rangers

Kesh assistant manager Shane O’Brien described their second half performance as  ‘unbelievable’ as they opened their season with a 5-0 hammering of Killen Rangers.

The Tyrone side came into the match on the back of an impressive opening day success over Tummery, but they had no answer for Kesh’s second half display, with goals from Alex Brownlee, Josh Fleck and Nathan Cashel adding to first half strikes from Danny  Wilson and Gary Henderson.

“I think we put in an unbelievable second half, and to win so convincingly in a game that could have been a lot tighter, it’s a good statement,” said O’Brien.

“We knew they would be up for it, but we wanted to go out and show what we could do and play our style of football.

"We did that in the first ten minutes and went one up. We played good one-touch football, but we stopped playing and allowed them to come into the game.

"To be fair to them they battled hard in the first half and we got a penalty against the run of play in my opinion. I was impressed with the way we lifted our game in the second half.

"We got back to the way we played in the first ten minutes of the first half.”

Kesh were missing four players including player manager and last season’s top scorer Ryan Campbell, but they made light of their absences in the opening minutes of the contest.

After four minutes, Josh Fleck broke down the left wing and pulled the ball back to the edge of the penalty area, but Alex Brownlee fired wide of the post.

It was only a temporary reprieve for Killen however as Kesh took the lead one minute later.

Fleck again broke through down the wing, and this time his low cross across the six-yard box was tapped in at the far post by Danny Wilson.

Killen responded well to falling behind and Tristan Roberts curled a shot onto the crossbar, but Kesh were defending resolutely and they snatched a second after 35  minutes when they were awarded a penalty for handball, with Gary Henderson despatching the spot kick.

Kesh took a firm grip on the game in the second half. Sam Robb had a shot well saved eight minutes after the break, but they did add a third on the hour mark.

Danny Wilson broke clear down the right wing and Alex Brownlee fired his cross past Alan Buchanan in the Killen goal.  

Fleck then blasted over the bar with the goal gaping, but moments later he made amends when he slotted past the keeper after he was released by a Gary Henderson through ball.

Henderson claimed another assist as Nathan Cashel added a fifth, with the late dismissal of Matthew Buchanan completing Killen's torrid night.