The Isle of Man women’s football team have it all to do to get out of the group stages in the NatWest Island Games after losing 2-0 to Western Isles at Farosund, Gotland on Monday.

It was the first the IoM has lost against the Western Isles and their first defeat in the group stages since 2007.

They now have to defeat Aland in the final group match - a team they have met on five previous occasions and one which the Manx have never defeated - and depend on results elsewhere to have any realistic chance of progressing to the semi-final stage.

The Isle of Man got off to the worst possible start with hardly a minute played when the Scottish side took the lead.

Following a throw-in deep inside the Manx half, the IoM didn’t deal with the danger and Beth MacLeod swung her shot that clipped the inside of the right post before nestling into the net.

The Manx, however, were simply way off the pace at times, the Hebrides side closing them down at every opportunity as the Manx women struggled to get into their passing game.

The island’s best chance in the first half came on the 32nd-minute mark. Jade Burden was the recipient of a through-ball and, beating the offside trap, she rounded the goalkeeper but, staring at an empty net, her shot was intercepted by defender Eleanor Smith who raced in to make an important defensive clearance.

After the interval the Manx still couldn’t gain any momentum and on 59 minutes they were delivered a hammer blow when the Western Isles doubled their lead.

Following a shot, Kayleigh Greggor parried and Mary MacLeod was unmarked to steer the rebound home.

The Isle of Man’s best chance came in the closing stages when Sarah Wignall’s long-range shot just went wide, but throughout the match they didn’t really test the Western Isles goalkeeper as the Hebrides side were happy to run down the clock and clinch a deserved victory.

IoM v Western Isles: Kayleigh Greggor, Shannon Groves, Sarah O’Reilly, Kym Hicklin (captain), Melissa Bell (Emily Jones 45m), Casey Halsall, Holly Sumner (Becky Corkish 71m), Alex Honour, Sarah Wignall, Eleanor Gawne, Jade Burden (Anna Dillon 71m).

PAUL HATTON

Twitter: @Hatty1970