Derg defeat Stute to end year on a high

Dergview 2
Institute 1

ORAN Brogan returned to haunt his former team-mates by scoring the winning goal in this north west derby at Darragh Park on last evening.

As the game edged into the final quarter, the former Stute midfielder took the final pass in a flowing attack before stepping in off the left to fire an angled drive from 20 yards low inside the base of Dylan Doherty’s far post.

That strike completed a thrilling comeback after Jamie Browne had cancelled out Mark McFadden’s second minute opener midway through the first half and leaves the Derg men joint bottom of the Lough 41 Championship with Knockbreda.

That might not seem a great position to be in – and it isn’t – however it has to be remembered that after the first nine games of the season Tommy Canning’s team was sitting on a solitary point and seemingly cut adrift.

But the Derg men are now very much back in with a fighting chance. Including this victory over Stute, the Darragh Park side has secured four wins and two draws in the last 10 games and as well going level on points with Knockbreda are now back within touching distance of HW Welders and Newington.

As another new year dawns, it would seem that all is to play for in the relegation battle and for Canning and Co there is now hope where there seemed very little after the opening quarter of the season.

Dergview went into Friday night’s game on the back of a rousing comeback to secure a 2-2 draw at Ballinamallard however the hosts were caught cold barely two minutes in when the unmarked McFadden steered home a Jamie Dunne free kick from the right.

But on 26 minutes the hosts were back on terms. Niall Fielding’s measured ball in behind caused panic in the Stute defence and Browne took full advantage by stepping inside Doherty and steering the ball into a gaping net.

The home side continued to enjoy the better of the exchanges and midway through the second period grabbed the winner.

Following a sweeping attack involving Fielding. Stephen Doherty, Browne, Mikhail Kennedy, Bobby Deane and Garth Falconer, Brogan, who had been switched from right-back to midfield, stepped in off the left to drill the ball expertly inside Doherty’s far post.

FULL REPORT AND PICTURES IN MONDAY’S TYRONE HERALD