FC Isle of Man lost for a third game in a row on Tuesday night, going down 4-0 away at Irlam.

The Greater Manchester side scored two goals in each half to leave the Ravens bottom of the Premier Division standings in the North West Counties Football League.

The Manx side had the game’s first half chance when Ste Whitley pounced on a lapse in defence for the home team, but he couldn’t find the bend on his shot to hit the target.

Irlam then took the lead shortly after when FC Isle of Man goalkeeper Adam Killey came to try clear a ball and was adjudged to have fouled Jack Mitchell, with referee Ben Cotton pointing to the spot.

Despite going the right way, Killey couldn’t stop Declan Daniels’ powerful penalty as he beat the Ravens keeper down to his left side to make it 1-0 to the hosts.

Ethan Cartwright thought he had made it two soon after following good skill from Mitchell, but the linesman’s flag came to the Ravens’ rescue as an offside was spotted in the build up.

Paul Jones’s Manx team created some half openings but failed to create a clearcut chance, with Whitley, Charlie Higgins and Dean Pinnington looking the most threatening for the visitors.

Killey then made a top drawer save as Daniels looked to add his second at the back post, the Ravens keeper managing to get a big hand to the close-range effort to keep it the score at 1-0.

That reprieve was to be short lived though, as Kingsley Williams soon picked out Mitchell who juggled the ball through the back line before volleying an unstoppable strike past Killey to double the home side’s advantage.

Daniels again went close on the stroke of half-time as his effort was cleared off the line by Jamie Callister to leave it 2-0 at the break.

Nine minutes into the second half, any hopes of an FC Isle of Man comeback were effectively ended when Irlam netted a third. A corner reached the back post where Andrew Langford’s effort was flicked on by Alex Francis to effectively kill the game as a contest.

Moments later, Daniels again went close with a deft header that came back off the post, with the Ravens able to scramble the danger clear.

Irlam added a fourth in the 68th minute when substitute Mitchell Henry controlled a corner and whipped the ball into the top corner to cap a good night for the hosts.

That goal seemed to spark something in the Ravens as Adam Adebiyi went close after good control from Ben Wosser to tee him up, but he was unable to keep his effort down as it went just over the bar.

In the final moments Higgins drew a good save from Irlam’s Jack Buckley but that would be as good as it got for the FC Isle of Man as their opponents saw out the 4-0 win.

- The Manx side are back on the road this Saturday away at Abbey Hey, kicking off at 3pm.

SAM TURTON