A Great End to a Season of Two Halves

FC Isle of Man ended their second ever season with a fine 3-1 win over Wythenshawe Town on Saturday, a result which they will hope sets the tone for next season.

After a season that at one point looked to be threatening relegation, Paul Jones has turned his side into a mature and confident machine that has beaten three of the top four in recent weeks.

Saturday’s game saw Town come to the island knowing they needed a win and for Avro to slip up, unfortunately for the visitors, neither of these would happen despite the away side hitting the bar twice early on, as a Frank Jones goal set the tone for the afternoon.

While Jones will get the plaudits for the opener, he owed a lot to Kyle Watson who controlled a cleared corner, beat two and laid it off to the club skipper to slot home.

Ste Whitley, who carried the hopes of the team for large part of the season when others were out injured, would soon double the Ravens’ lead, bursting into the box and slotting home.

Town would pull a goal back soon after as captain Jerome Wright collected a cross and fired low into the corner, leaving Dean Kearns with no chance.

FC Isle of Man should’ve finished the half with a two goal lead after a delightful bit of play which saw McDonnell lifting it to Whitley, he flicked it through to Jones, through on goal, but he could only fire wide.

Before the half was over there was plenty of handbags as Ste Whitley was assaulted off the ball which led to a lot of pushing and shoving, the end result of which was a booking a piece, though Whitley could feel hard done by for that. He would then be involved in another off the ball incident as a Town centre back decided to floor him but the referee didn’t even consider any action, instead just calling for halftime.

While the first half ended with fisticuffs, it was a brilliant half of football, with both sides playing with an attacking flare. The second half meanwhile, saw another mature and confident display from Paul Jones’ side, with the game being wrapped up by a Furo Davies strike after great link up play by Tom Shimmin.

Come the end of the game, Kyle Watson was chosen as man of the match, but it was a performance in which any of the side who started or who came off the bench could’ve been given it.

Speaking after the game, Paul Jones said: ‘It’s a pleasing way to end the season. In the last few weeks the lads have not only performed really well but turned that into results.’

As for Jones, who having silenced the boo boys and turned around a team that at once looked in difficulty, he will now surely be in charge next season as he and the club continue to turn doubters into believers.