Killen Rangers 1 Enniskillen Town United 3
ENNISKILLEN Town United laid down something of an early marker for the new season by coming from a goal down to triumph in this Kennedy Cup curtain-raiser at McCusker Park, Dromore on Friday evening.
Mercer League champions Killen took the lead through a looping header by Tristan Roberts but last season’s Mulhern Cup winners Town stormed back to secure the first silverware of the new season thanks to quality strikes by Cathal Beacom, James Harrigan and Jordan Breen.
The last time these two teams met Killen came out on top in what was effectively a league decider, and while Andy Crawford and Clive Morrison’s team were second best here, both teams showed enough to suggest that they will again be in the mix during the forthcoming campaign..
Town controlled large parts of this contest and had threatened Alan Buchanan’s goal early on but it was Rangers who struck first when Roberts connected with a Gareth Milligan left-sided cross to send a looping header over the stranded Ben Thompson.
But that early advantage was short-lived and within a matter of minutes Ryan Hanna’s team were back on level terms. Nick Collen and Jordan Breen combined on the left to tee up Beacom, who gave Buchanan absolutely no chance by rifling the ball inside the keeper’s left upright from all of 25 yards.
Moments later, Town right-back Callum Frempong burst through only to be thwarted by Buchanan while at the other end Dylan Crawford’s 22-yard free kick cannoned off Thompson’s left post.
The final action of the opening half saw Duwayne McManus fire inches wide.
And it was the Enniskillen midfielder who carved out the first opportunity on the resumption of the second period with a diagonal pass from left to right which opened the door for Adam Breen but Buchanan slammed it shut it with a fine save.
In reply Roberts volleyed inches wide but shortly afterwards it was Town who got their noses in front when Collen ushered in Harrigan, a first half replacement for the injured Beacom, and he rifled into the roof of the net.
That goal put the onus on Killen and the north Tyrone outfit almost equalised when Crawford curled wide of the target after combining well with Lee McCullagh.
That opportunity came during Rangers best spell of the game and before their opponents effectively put the game to bed with a third.
Brendan Lilley played the ball to Harrigan who waltzed past two Killen defenders on the left before his deflected cross fell into the path of Jordan Breen, who controlled the ball with his first touch before lashing it home with his second from around the penalty spot.
Killen pushed men forward and went more direct in an attempt to rescue the game, however, it was the Sky Blues who looked the more likely to add to their tally as the game became stretched in the closing moments.
Buchanan did well to deny Adam Breen although the big keeper was thanking his lucky stars when caught out of his goal late on – Lilley’s speculative first-time chip from wide on the left bouncing back off the Killen stopper’s left post to safety.
Teams
Killen Rangers: Al Buchanan; Kee; M Buchanan (Patterson 29); Long (Donaldson 66); Milligan; Clarke; Young; Roberts; McCullagh; Crawford; Aiken (Young 76).
Enniskillen Town United: Thompson; Frempong; Love; Simpson; Lilley; Hanna; McManus (Owens 67); Collen; A Breen; J Breen; Beacom (Harrigan 46). Subs not used: Doherty; McKenna.
Referee: D Gilfillan, Omagh.