Scarva Rangers 2 Lurgan Institute 5

HIS could have been absolute carnage.

 

Scarva had only five first team regulars available for Saturday’s visit of promotion chasing Lurgan Institute.

 

The Lurgan outfit had already inflicted a 6-1 defeat on Rangers earlier in the season and a severely depleted home side knew they had their backs to the wall.

 

But the players showed enormous character, determination and pride to ensure the threatened rout never materialised.

 

As expected Institute were on top in the first half and went into the interval 2-0 ahead.

 

But Scarva were growing in confidence and enjoyed their brightest spell of the game in the early stages of the second half, a spell that was rewarded with a goal.

 

Stephen Anderson found Derek Wilson with a delightful pass and Wilson struck an immaculate shot that arrowed past the helpless keeper and inside his far post.

 

At 2-1 Scarva looked like mounting a comeback and Wes Baird struck the crossbar with a looping long range shot. Moments later Institute scored their third goal of the game and the contest was effectively over.

 

As tiredness set in Scarva conceded twice more but they refused to throw in the towel and their efforts were rewarded with a terrific goal from Wes Baird in the dying stages.