Injuries, Handbags and a 50 Yard Goal

If you were to script a nightmare scenario for FC Isle of Man boss Paul Jones, it would probably look something like last night’s game versus Squires Gate.

The Ravens continued their new year slump as they fell to a fourth successive defeat, losing 1-3 at home to the Blackpool side.

The game started at a rapid pace, with Squires Gate scoring in just the second minute of the game, with Nathan Cliffe slotting past Ben Wilkinson, who could do nothing about it.

Jones’ men responded in the best way possible by going for a quick reply, with a Ste Whitley seeing an effort blocked on the line.

However the away side couldn’t stop what Whitley was to do soon after as he picked up the ball in the centre of the pitch, took aim and lobbed the Squires Gate keeper from the halfway line.

The only shame is that the majesty of Whitley’s stunning effort would be lost in what was to follow as the away side regained their lead through an inch perfect Callum Sandles header completed a delightful move from Squires Gate.

It was soon 3-1 as FC Isle of Man failed to clear a ball into the box and it fell perfectly for Cliffe, who grabbed his second and Squires Gate’s third.

Things only went from bad to worse for the Ravens as Sean Doyle, making his return after a near six month layoff, pulled up chasing a through ball with what looked like a hamstring issue.

The collective gasp and groan from the home fans as Doyle was led away by the club’s physio, to be replaced by Tom Creer, led to the Bowl falling eerily silent, with the 12th man sharing in Doyle’s upset and hopes that this injury setback won’t be a long one.

Before the game even got to half-time, it was to get even worse for the Ravens as Ryan Burns went off injured after picking up a knock. His the latest in a long list of injuries to senior players for Paul Jones to deal with.

Throughout the second half, the Ravens tried and struggled to find a way past the Squires Gate back line. When chances did come, they were at best half chances for Frank Jones, who proved a real handful for the away team all night, but even he couldn’t find a way past them.

After a couple of spells of handbags at dawn, Squires Gate found themselves down to 10 men when Nathan Bartram-Conway was sent off for something he said, only for the Ravens to immediately also be reduced to 10 when Jack McVey was sin binned.

As the clock ticked down, Ryan Moore would rub salt into the Ravens’ wounds when he got through, rounded Wilkinson, danced past a defender and grabbed Squires Gate’s fourth of the game.

Speaking after the game, manager Paul Jones was typically honest as said he was ‘disappointed’ with his side’s reaction to going behind and said ‘we get out of this by sticking together’.

If you want to go looking for positives from Saturday’s game, Ste Whitley’s stunning goal aside, it would likely be found in Mikey Williams returning from injury and looking up for the battles to come and Frank Jones completing 90 minutes for the first time since his own return to the side.

However, with injuries to senior members of the squad and the teams around them winning, FC Isle of Man, who are now the league’s least in form side, are just two places and four points above the relegation zone with 14 games to play.

If ever there was a time when the side needed people to rally behind them, it is now.