Hanna says Rangers were the best team this season

MAGNANIMOUS Ryan Hanna said “good things come to an end” after Tummery Athletic’s 1-0 defeat on Tuesday evening saw Enniskillen Rangers dash his team’s bid for a fourth consecutive Mercer League title.

An unfortunate own goal by Ciaran Beacom in the second half meant Michael Kerr’s side clinched the Division One title for the 19th time and in doing so brought to an end a hugely successful period for the Dromore club.

As Rangers players and supporters celebrated after being presented with the prestigious Mercer Cup, a reflective Hanna admitted that the Enniskillen side deserved to finish top of the pile.

“I said a few weeks ago I would have bit the arm of some body to have a Mulhern Cup in the bag and three games to potentially win the league,” he said.

“I’m not disappointed about tonight to be honest; I think the lads gave absolutely everything. I said before I left the house that, if we perform well and we lose, I’ll accept that.

“I think we did that for the most part of that game. We should have pushed on a wee bit near the end there but they saw it out and that’s the way it goes.

“It’s a long season, it’s 11 months. Look we have come out on the right side of this for three seasons, but good things come to an end. To win four in a row would have been unbelievable but ultimately the best team always wins and Rangers were the best team.

The winner-takes-all clash, played in front of a bumper crowd, was a titantic struggle of few chances with both teams largely cancelling each other.

It certainly wasn’t one for the purist, but then, more often than not, meaningful games of such magnitude rarely are.

Hanna accepted that the game might not have been easy on the eye but insisted that both sets of players had given their all.

“It was committed, blood and thunder, as it was all game, we were in the wrong side of a bit of luck. Sometimes that’s what happens in these big games,” he continued.

“I thought the intensity was unbelievable from both sides, talk about shape, pressing and organisation. Each team never gave the other an inch.

“In the first half, apart from Cutler’s chance, I thought we were better in the final third. Marty Hughes, wee Mal (McLaughlin) had a couple of chances, Duddy got down the right side.

“But second half, apart from my own chance when I went down the right side and Eoin Mac (McManus) blocked it, we didn’t offer much. I’m not sure Rangers had much in the second half either to be honest

“It was one of those games, so tight, the duels were competed 100 per cent and no team gave an inch, and that’s why it was 1-0.”