Southside Rangers 2-1 Enniskillen Rangers

Junior Cup holders Enniskillen Rangers crashed out of this season’s competition in the second round, after a 2-1 defeat to Southside Rangers. The reigning champions took an early lead through Mark Cutler but conceded twice before halftime to bow out of the tournament. 

Manager Michael Kerr admitted his team’s performance was below their normal standards.  

“We weren’t good enough on Saturday. We didn’t play well enough,” he admitted.

“We didn’t create enough chances, and we conceded two shocking goals.  Two really, really bad goals. Goals that I haven’t seen us concede before. It was just one of those days.  

"The start was good going one up, but unfortunately, we never pushed on from there. They stuck to their guns, sat in and defended really well. We were just poor on the day.

"We created one chance in the second half when we should have scored, and when that happened I was thinking to myself that it wasn’t going to be our day.  It wasn’t to be.”  

“Of course, it is disappointing to go out of the competition so early, but we can’t be too disappointed because we have had some run in this competition over the last few years. We have been in five of the last seven finals, winning four of them, and that is some going.” 

It looked as though Rangers’ successful Junior Cup run would be extended by one more game when they took the lead after eight minutes.

Southside goalkeeper Ken Dimgba punched a left wing cross into the path of Mark Cutler, and the striker volleyed the ball first time into the unguarded net to give them an early lead.

The reigning champions struggled to build on their early goal however and Dean Graham levelled the match after half an hour when he got on the end of a corner.  

The home team took the lead on the stroke of halftime when Chad Shaw capitalised on a misunderstanding between Mark White and goalkeeper Ben Arthurs to nip in a roll the ball into an empty net.  

Rangers were confined to several long-range efforts as the Southside defence held firm, but they had a great chance to peg the home back in the closing stages when Jake Browne got on the end of a low cross, but from inside the six-yard box he glanced the ball wide of the far post. 

The cup exit leaves Rangers concentrating on the league for the rest of the year.   

“We will lick our wounds and push on now,” said Kerr, who has no game this Saturday after Dergview Reserves took their option of a free week.  

“We will regroup. We will put all our eggs in one basket from now to Christmas and put all our focus on the league and get as many points as we can and see where we are sitting after Christmas time.”