FC Isle of Man had a late effort cleared off the line as they were narrowly beaten by promotion-chasing Chadderton in the North West Counties Football League at the Bowl on Saturday evening.

With results elsewhere going their way, the Ravens are one point from mathematical safety in the Premier Division.

Chaddy arrived at the Bowl in third place looking to extend their 11-game unbeaten streak led by the league’s top scorer Lewis-Simon Byrne.

After Byrne dragged a shot wide in the eighth minute, he made amends moments later to net his 51st goal of the season when reacting quickest when Ravens’ goalkeeper Mark Blair made a save to deny Connor High.

Byrne held his nerve to control the ball in the box, swerve a block challenge from Harry Best and tap into the empty net to make it 0-1.

After a tight first half with only limited half-chances opening up for either side, Byrne almost added a second when he rattled a half-cleared corner off the bar.

With the game refusing to open up, chances were still at a premium in the second half, but Byrne would be the man to score the second as he burst through the Ravens’ backline just before the 70th minute.

Nodding past the defence, he rushed through and, while Blair got a big hand to the ball, he could do nothing to stop it trickling into the corner, with Byrne bagging his 52nd of the campaign.

With Chaddy looking to see the game out, FC Isle of Man hit back when a brilliant ball from Kyle Watson picked out Ste Whitley burst into the box from out wide. He chested it down and showed great composure to pick out Sammy Gelling who slotted home into the far corner and give the hosts hope.

As the Ravens went hunting for an equaliser, Callum Sherry almost turned the unlikely hero when a corner dropped to him in the box, but his volley was deflected just over.

With Chadderton making their first dangerous attack since their second goal, the Ravens had Blair to thank for keeping them in the game as he made a brilliant double stop to deny Anis Benoussaid and Byrne.

Diving down to his left to stop Benoussaid’s effort, he got up and spread himself big to deny Byrne with some help from Jacob Crook who slid in to get a well-timed touch to slow the ball down.

The Ravens, now down to 10 men with Higgins sin-binned, came within centimetres of drawing level as a corner was headed goalwards by Karl Clark, but it was cleared off the line by a Chadderton defender.

With the ball lifted back in, Clark again rose highest, but this time his effort was saved by Culkin to secure the three points for the Greater Manchester side.

- The Ravens are back in action this weekend for the visit of Cheadle Town, with the match kicking off at the Bowl at 6pm.

SAM TURTON

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