Dergview Reserves 2 Enniskillen Town 1

Enniskillen Town suffered their first defeat of the season as they lost 2-1 to a Dergview Reserves team that had not managed a league win all season prior to kick-off.

Dergview scored twice in three second-half minutes through Warner Ballantyne and Ethan Nethery, and although Jordan Breen pulled a goal back for the league leaders they could not find a second to maintain their unbeaten run under manager Ryan Hanna.

Hanna put the defeat down to poor finishing in front of goal and defensive lapses.

“We didn’t convert our chances, and that coincided with a 10-minute spell where we were really poor defensively,” he admitted.

“When you look back on the video it highlights how good we were at times, but it makes the defeat even worse. We had easily eight, nine, 10 goal-scoring opportunities. It was just one of those days where we didn’t click in front of goal, and we made two or three errors and were punished.”

Hanna is confident that the defeat will not derail their strong start to the season.

“You want to keep the momentum going as long as possible, but it's amateur football and these things will happen,” he said.

“That is the way it goes sometimes. It’s a journey we are on, and it is part of the process. We are still a fairly new team with new players and new management, and we will take the learnings from it and reflect as best we can and be better next week for the Junior [Cup].”

Town had the better chances in the first-half with James Harrigan delaying too long with just the keeper to beat.

The striker also had a chance from the edge of the penalty area but fired straight at keeper Tiernan McNamee.

Nick Collen then had a shot saved before Michael Simpson blasted over the bar.

Dergview took a grip on the game with two goals in three minutes in the second-half.

Warner Ballantyne volleyed past Ben Thompson from a long throw-in in the 58th minute and Ethan Nethery quickly added a second when he won possession in the Town half and slotted past the keeper.

It took Town just four minutes to pull a goal back through Jordan Breen, who converted the loose ball after Frank Wallace’s shot was saved.

Town’s hopes were further boosted when Thompson saved a penalty from Nethery.

Breen had a chance soon after to equalise but his volley was saved by McNamee.

Hanna then blazed over from six yards from Collen’s cut back, but despite their superiority Town could not find the equaliser before time ran out.