The Isle of Man men’s national football team completed their preparations for next week’s Orkney Island Games with a 3-2 win over FC Isle of Man on Friday evening at the Bowl.

It was the latter North West Counties Premier League side that took the lead on eight minutes when Callum Sherry headed home at the near post following a corner.

Two minutes lates though, the national team equalised after some good work from winger Connor Clark on the left who delivered a searching pass that eluded two defenders and the goalkeeper for Frank Jones to tap in an easy chance.

It was the FA side who were taking the game to their opponents and deservedly took the lead on 44 minutes, Jones turning provider with a telling pass, that put Tomas Brown clear to sweep home.

But with the match in first-half added time, FC Isle of Man equalised when Dean Pinnington unleashed a telling shot from outside the box which beat goalkeeper Jay Gandy and flew into the bottom-right corner.

Chances arrived for both sides in the second half and, as the match approached the last quarter of an hour, former FC IoM captain Sean Doyle – now playing for the national side - was sin-binned.

It was during this time that, despite the national side being temporarily numerically disadvantaged, they scored the winning goal.

Sam Gelling delivering a perfectly measured, diagonal pass which found Lee Gale who smashed the ball into the roof of the net to secure a 3-2 victory.

- The Isle of Man’s group stage matches at the Island Games next week are as follows: Sunday, July 13 - kick-off midday v Hitra; Monday, July 14 v Froya at 7pm; and Tuesday, July 15 v Orkney at 7pm.

PAUL HATTON