Rory Judge's Town remain pointless and firmly rooted to the bottom of Fermanagh and Western Division One after a deeply disappointing and ultimately uninspiring 3-2 defeat at the hands of local rivals Enniskillen Rangers at the Lakeland Forum on Saturday last. 

Rangers were left high and dry during pre-season when Billy Reynolds appeared in The Crowes Nest and announced, "My work is done here", thereby, bringing his second coming to an end and also placing faithful assistant Scott Robinson on permanent gardening leave.

The 'Gers committee hastily turned to former club marksman and "a simple carpenter", Gordon Cutler, in their hour of need. On the evidence of this performance he could be the man who eventually leads them out of the wilderness as they recorded their first victory over Town in nigh on fifteen years.  

Town opted for an attacking 4-3-3 formation but it made little impression in what could only be bizarrely described as a dull five goal thriller! Town did start the game in positive fashion. Malcolm Crawford should have done better with a free header after being well placed by a Gary Beckett free-kick on fourteen minutes while Rory Connolly's timid shot was easily saved by Rangers' netminder and Gary Breen clone, Paddy Sweeney, on twenty. Beckett once again the provider.  

As so often happens in these situations, profligacy was to be punished, as the "visitors" took the lead against the run of play shortly afterwards. Not for the last time, the pace of the Rangers attack was to cause problems for the Town back four as the lesser known of the Glass siblings, Jason, latched on to a long ball out of defence before coolly lobbing Pat Cadden in the Town goals. (Ex-Town Supremo and Spurs Superfan Jim Tummons obviously taught him more than just bricks and mortar).Town had the opportunity to respond immediately but Frank Wallace's free header was weak and failed to trouble Sweeney.

Town did equalise on the half-hour mark and they did so in style. Stephen Clarke's pass found Ryan Hanna twenty-five yards out and his first time shot rocketed into the top corner giving Sweeney (or Breen, take your pick) no chance. Undeterred, Rangers regained the lead within five minutes. Adam Chartres' pace took him beyond the ineffective Town offside trap and he was upended by the onrushing Cadden, giving referee Danny Colton little choice but to point to the spot. Robbie Reagan stepped up to make it 2-1.

Once again the lead was to be short-lived. Clarke's corner found Wallace and he made no mistake with his header this time as Town went in level at the break. A dour second-half was to witness few opportunities of any real note. A Beckett shot drifted harmlessy past the post on the hour mark before Cadden saved well from Louis Lindsay after Town skipper Conor Smith failed to clear. The pivotal moment arrived after eighty minutes. The excellent William Burleigh's stinging shot was superbly saved by Cadden but Chartres reacted quickest to score the games decisive goal. Indeed, they could have extended their lead as Smith was forced into a last-ditch goal line clearence after Chartres had left second-half substitute Anthony Fitzpatrick for dead.

There was one late chance for redemption but Beckett's free-kick failed to find the target as even Town's normally effervescent talisman started to cut a frustrated, forlorn figure.

The Town: P Cadden, C Beacom, C Tummon, C Smith, M Crawford, R Hanna, S Clarke, D Callaghan, G Beckett, R Connolly, F Wallace.

Subs - D McQuade for Connolly(62), A Fitzpatrick for Clarke (75). 

Referee: Danny Colton - Great performance. Heartening to see. Attendance: 74 and not a decent wag amongst them. Referee Colton's final whistle barely raised a murmur from either camp or set of supporters. A further nail in the coffin of what was once the most eagerly anticipated date in the local sporting calendar. Is it too simplistic to suggest that the malaise in this fixture has also coincided with the sad demise of the iconic, much missed grounds and spiritual homes of Celtic Park and Derrychara?   

Top Townie: David Callaghan.  

Champagne Moment: Ryan Hanna's thunderbolt should have been the cue for an afternoon of Moet&Chandon. We ended up with Top Deck instead. 

Comedy Moment: Rory Connolly's free eye-testing service. Should've gone to Specsavers my arse! The production line continues! 

Words from a Song: Has to be that old Nick Berry classic that memorably topped the charts for twenty-one halcyon days in October/November 1986 - "Every Loser Wins."

Manager Watch: Never mind him. A special word of praise this week has to go to Town secretary Gerard Connolly who with the imminent demise of Colonel Muammar Abu-Minyar al-Gadaffi is set to become the longest serving dictator of modern times. He plans to celebrate by taking a well earned diplomatic break in Moscow. Monoaeu Manehbknn Nwehnyhar nenewka! For those of you that didn't listen at school that means, "Well-done Wee Scone!" in Russian. I always knew Tony Galvin's mobile number would come in handy one day!