Derby delight for Beragh and Derg Res as Harps salvage point

MATTIE Ballard and Corey Wood were both on target as Strathroy Harps mounted a second half comeback to secure a share of the spoils at Michael Connolly Park on Tuesday night.

Goals by Ryan Campbell and Dylan Aiken had the hosts NFC Kesh well in charge at the interval but Harps boss Benny Boyle reshuffled his pack and his players delivered a second half response to maintain their unbeaten start.

Kesh were first out of the traps and when the ball fell to Campbell around the penalty spot he buried it into the back of the visiting net.

The home side grabbed a second before the interval when Aiken galloped through to slide the ball past Tiernan McNamee.

Shortly after the restart home stopper Stefan McCusker parried a stinging shot by Paul Lowe and Ballard swooped to hammer the ball home low and hard from 20 yards.

That gave the visitors the oxygen they needed and late on super sub Wood pounced to head home an equaliser.

At Killen, 10-man Dergview Reserves came from two goals down to claim the derby bragging rights.

Visiting midfielder Stuart Mortland was sent off with barely three minutes on the clock for taking down Jordan Orr as the last man and Graham Young blasted home the resultant free kick.

Things got even better for Killen early in the second half when Scott Sproule ghosted in at the back post to nod home Matthew Finlay’s flighted cross from the left.

But the visitors refused to throw in the towel and when Conrad Kee, under pressure, headed the ball past his own keeper the Darragh Park second string secured a lifeline.

Within five minutes it was all square when Gary Henderson diverted a Dale Maxwell header into the bottom right corner of Jason Young’s net.

Shortly afterwards Warner Ballantyne waltzed through on the left to square for Joe Breslin to make it 3-2.

Breslin struck again when the striker raced onto a route-one clearance from Alan Buchanan to lob the ball over Young.

Rangers weren’t quite done and they set up a grandstand finish when a Graham Young effort was deflected into the corner of the net.

However the 10 men held out for a win that maintains their winning start to the season.

Beragh Swifts meanwhile made it two wins from two with a 4-1 victory at neighbours Mountjoy United.

Lee McCullagh fired Swifts ahead on 12 minutes and just two minutes later turned provider for Kris Hamilton to sweep home.

McCullagh struck again three minutes into the second period and just four minutes later Hamilton picked out Eamon Donnelly to make it 4-0.

Lee Frazer netted a late consolation for the hosts but it was too little too late to make any diffierence.