IFA Junior Cup Round One
Glenavy 1 Enniskillen Rangers 3
ENNISKILLEN Rangers made their promising start to the season even stronger, firing three goals past Glenavy to reach the second round of the Junior Cup on Saturday.
Paul Coulter, Joel Byrne and Jay Keenan all found the net in Craigavon as the ‘Gers backed up last week’s 5-0 league romp, with manager Darren Higginbotham praising their attitude and composure on a testing away trip.
“It was a positive day and result, with three good goals,” Higginbotham said. “Away in the Junior Cup can be difficult – you don’t always know the team, the pitch, or the travel arrangements – so it’s quite special. We probably should have scored more, but the lads were fantastic. We’re going through a season of firsts but how they’re adapting, growing and approaching these challenges has been nothing short of fantastic.”
The opening exchanges were frantic, both sides pressing high and moving at pace, but Rangers soon found their rhythm.
Six minutes in, Coulter put them ahead after a slick passing move. Palmer fed Jamie Edwards, who laid off to Michael White on the right.
His ball down the line found Matthew Dixon, whose low first-time cross allowed Coulter to race in and steer a neat finish into the far bottom corner.
Rangers doubled their lead on 32 minutes after Dixon’s midfield pressure forced a heavy touch from Glenavy. Mark Cutler collected and played a perfect through ball to Stuart Rainey, whose low left-foot strike hit the post but fell for Joel Byrne to side-foot home.
Just before the break, Glenavy reduced the deficit through Conor Totten, curling a precise finish after a flicked-on Ryan Gorman free-kick.
“The last few minutes of the half we were maybe a touch overzealous at the front post, so we were frustrated to concede right before the break,” acknowledged Higginbotham.
But the second half saw Rangers regain control. Stuart Rainey and Matty Dixon went close before Keenan wrapped up the win in the 68th minute.
Joel Peden’s long diagonal was dummied by Keenan for Jamie Robinson to run onto, who slipped it back inside for Keenan to shrug off two defenders, drive into the box and blast a low finish through the keeper’s legs.
Shortly after, Glenavy were reduced to ten men when Cameron Beacom-Hurle received a straight red card.
“The goal and the sending-off killed the tie off,” Higginbotham concluded. “It’s very much the start of a process – working hard to become better week on week. But it was a positive day and now it’s onto the next one away to Killen, which will be an extremely difficult game.”
Rangers’ trip to the reigning league champions next looms as their sternest test so far, but that’s now four games unbeaten under Higginbotham.