FC Isle of Man win to stun title-chasing Avro

Higgins strike moves Ravens eleven points clear of relegation zone

A 20-yard strike from Charlie Higgins saw FC Isle of Man stun title-chasing Avro with a 1-0 win in the NWCFL Premier Division last night (28 December).

Higgins' effort on the hour mark at the Vestacare Stadium means the Manx side move eleven points clear of the relegation zone.

It's the second time the Ravens have beaten their Oldham-based opponents, after also earning a 3-1 win against them in the FA Vase in September 2021.

Speaking to FC IoM's official website after the latest victory, Ravens' interim manager, Paul Jones, believes the win is the culmination of hard work in recent weeks:

Both sides entered Wednesday night's clash in very contrasting league form following the Christmas break.

FC Isle of Man say 18th in the table and looking to recover from back-to-back defeats in their last two outings.

Meanwhile, Avro began the evening just three points off the top of the league table and on an imperious run of eight wins in their last nine in all competitions.

With the wind swirling around the Vestacare Stadium, the first half was a scrappy affair with neither side able to quite find any rhythm.

An uneventful first period ended goalless, with FC Isle of Man matching the discipline and intensity of their high-flying opponents.

The second half largely started the way the first had ended with both teams struggling to take control of proceedings.

However, that then changed with a moment of magic for the Island visitors on 60 minutes when FC IoM midfielder, Charlie Higgins, brought the ball down with space outside the Avro penalty area.

With a sight of goal, Higgins then unleashed a powerful left-footed drive from 20 yards which nestled into Avro goalkeeper, Grant Shenton's bottom-left corner.

Avro then responded by upping the pressure in search of an equaliser, and whilst they began to dominate possession, FC Isle of Man continued to look dangerous on the break.

Despite on onslaught of attacks from the hosts, FC Isle of Man were ultimately able to hold on to their 1-0 lead to take victory in their final game of the calendar year.

The win means FC Isle of Man climb to 17th in the NWCFL Premier Division on 26 points, eleven points clear of the relegation zone.

The Ravens' next match will be against Burscough at The Bowl on Monday, 2 January, kicking-off at 4.30pm.

Manx Radio will be providing full live match commentary on our AM1368 and Digital platforms.