FC Isle of Man were left heartbroken as a late, last-gasp equaliser saw them held to a 1-1 draw by Bury in the NWCFL Premier Division at the Bowl on Saturday evening. 

Ben Hockenhull’s stoppage-time leveller shattered the Ravens’ hopes of securing all three points in a hard-fought contest in front of 2,055 fans under the late summer sun at the national stadium. 

Despite being goalless, the first half was full of intensity, with both teams fighting for control as FC IoM showed resilience against a Bury side that came into the match riding high on a seven-game winning streak.  

The Ravens had their first major chance when Sean Doyle’s header found Ste Whitley who spun and unleashed a powerful effort, but Bury goalkeeper Mitchell Allen was there to make an impressive stop. 

Bury, too, posed a threat, especially through the lively Tanaka Cherera whose effort on the half-hour mark was superbly stopped by goalkeeper Adam Killey, ensuring the scores remained level.  

Though both teams enjoyed spells of possession, the first half ended with neither side able to break the deadlock. 

The second half saw an early setback for FC Isle of Man as defender Jamie Corlett was forced off with injury only two minutes after the restart, replaced by Ryan Burns. 

But the Ravens soon took the lead in the 56th minute when the in-form Doyle rose high to meet Adam Adebiyi’s cross. His perfectly-placed header flew past Allen in the Bury goal, sending the Ravens fans into wild celebrations. 

Bury responded by applying sustained pressure, forcing FC Isle of Man to defend deeply. The momentum shifted in the 86th minute when Callum Sherry, already on a yellow card, was controversially sent off for time-wasting, leaving the Ravens down to 10 men. 

This sparked a relentless surge from Bury as they pushed for an equaliser.  

As the game entered stoppage time, Bury’s chances seemed to fade when both Andrew Briggs and Tanaka Cherera were sin-binned for separate offences, reducing the visitors to nine men.  

But in the fifth minute of added time, Bury’s persistence paid off. A long ball from Lewis Earl found Hockenhull who, despite being pressured by Alex Maitland, rounded Killey and slotted home, sparking wild celebrations from the travelling supporters behind the goal. 

The 1-1 result felt like a bitter blow for FC Isle of Man who had defended valiantly and gone so close to securing the win, but they will take heart from their strong performance against one of the league’s form teams. 

 - FC Isle of Man’s next test is away to league leaders Ramsbottom United this evening (Tuesday), kicking off at 7.45pm. 

DEAN TURTON