Kesh 1-3 Enniskillen Town

Enniskillen Town moved to the top of the Division One table with a 3-1 victory, as Kesh suffered their first defeat of the season. 

Town led at halftime thanks to Nick Collen’s 13th-minute goal, but Kesh rallied in the second half and levelled the game with a Nathan Cashel header before Collen and Dara Carty won the game for Town with two late strikes. 

Town manager Ryan Hanna felt his side were the better team on the day and deserved the three points. 

“I don’t think there is any disputing the fact that overall we were the better side over the 90 minutes,” he said.  

“It was a tough, well-contested game. It was a battle, but the number of chances we created and the number of times we tested their keeper shows that we were the better side on the day. In saying that, Kesh had good spells as well.” 

Kesh boss Ryan Campbell acknowledged that his team were not at their best, and they paid the price.

“I thought we competed well enough and battled well enough, but they probably did edge it,” he conceded.  

“I don’t think our sharpness matched theirs and that was maybe the difference. We had our chances and if we had taken them it might have been a different story, and the goals we gave away were very soft from a defensive point of view.

"It is frustrating when you look back on it. We had a good 15 or 20-minute spell at the start of the second half and put them on the back foot.

"They were starting to get nervy and it felt like the goal was going to come, but then their second goal killed us altogether.

"We are not too far away but we need to make sure we go out to every game with the right attitude and make sure everybody is pushing at the same standard week in and week out. You can’t have anyone dipping off.  

"That is our first defeat of this campaign. It is still early days, but we have to make sure we are stepping up to the mark every Saturday or it will tell.” 

Kesh made a bright start and Campbell had a shot from distance saved by Ben Thompson, but Town soon gained the upper hand and went ahead through Nick Collen.

Duwayne McManus won a header against Lee Walker, and with the Kesh defence appealing for a free kick Town took advantage of their hesitation and Cathal Beacom slipped a pass through for Collen to fire into the bottom corner of the net. 

In the second half, Kesh pressed forward and their spell of pressure was rewarded with a goal when Cashel headed in Lee Walker’s cross.

Town responded well to the equaliser and Collen restored their lead on 73 minutes when he headed in Beacom’s cross from close range.  

Town wrapped up the victory with an injury-time goal, Carty lashing an effort from 25 yards into the top corner of the net.

 The win takes Town back to the top of the table and sets up a first versus second clash this Saturday.  

Ryan Hanna takes on his old club Tummery at St Michael’s Sports Pavillion, but the Town boss is solely focused on the on-pitch elements of the much-anticipated match.  

“If it was April maybe there would be a bit more weight on it, but for now it is just the next game that we are focusing on and nothing else,” he said.  

“It is a new chapter for me now. I had a great chapter at Tummery and that is now in the past. When the new season starts you have to focus on the here and now, and that is what we will all try and do.”