Irvinestown Wanderers 1-1 Dergview Reserves 

Irvinestown Wanderers hauled themselves out of the bottom two places in Division One with a draw against Dergview Reserves.  

Caolan Ward’s goal early in the second half had given Wanderers the lead, but Sean McCarron equalised four minutes later to ensure the points were shared. 

After not picking up a point in six consecutive league games Wanderers’ have now gone two games unbeaten under new manager Rory Cassidy, who admitted he was content with a draw.  

“We were happy enough with the point in the end up,” he said.  

“We didn’t get going in the first half. They were the better team, there was no doubt about it. We couldn’t get to grips with the game.

"We were a bit flat of ourselves. We made a couple of changes to our shape at halftime, and it definitely helped.

"We were disappointed we couldn’t hold onto our lead for five or ten minutes until the game settled down. We conceded relatively quickly and that was disappointing, but they probably deserved an equaliser given their first-half performance.  

"It was a fair enough reflection of the game, and it gets us out of the bottom two for now, but we have a tough task ahead. We have Tummery this weekend, but you have to meet these challenges head on and try and be positive after a couple of positive results.  

"We are still waiting for our first home win of the season and hopefully, we can get that soon. No better place than Saturday against Tummery.” 

The two teams came into the game locked on six points apiece in the league table, but Dergview’s tally had come from fewer games and they looked the more likely to find the net in the early stages.

Wanderers’ goalkeeper Jerome Carleton was the busier of the two net minders, with a shot from Caolan Ward that flashed wide of the post the closest Irvinestown came to finding the net in a goalless first-half. 

Wanderers changed their formation during the interval and started brightly in the second half, taking the lead seven minutes after the restart when Ward picked up possession on the halfway line and drove towards the penalty area before cutting inside the fullback and firing a shot into the bottom corner of the net. 

The lead only lasted four minutes, Dergview making a quick reply when a cross from the left wing was turned past Carleton by Sean McCarron as the referee waved away Wanderers’ appeals for offside. 

  McCarron had a chance to snatch all three points for Dergview shortly after his equaliser, but he blasted over the bar with just the goalkeeper to beat as the teams shared the points.