FC Isle of Man were beaten by Cheadle Town at The Bowl on Saturday, playing the entire second half with 10 men.
Callum Sherry was sent off on the stroke of half time after a mix up at the back.
Cheadle had the game’s first effort of note, with captain Aaron Hevingham striking the post from distance, with Mark Blair appearing to get a small touch on the strike to tip it onto the woodwork.
While the Ravens, often through Dean Pinnington, plugged away and took control of the game, it was not until the 19th minute when they took the lead.
Sherry intercepted a pass from Hevingham, played a one-two with Ste Whitley he drove to the byline and drilled a cross across goal which came to Jacob Crook.
Crook swivelled on the ball and clipped it into the top corner to score his fifth goal since the turn of the year.
With neither side able to create much in the rest of the half, it appeared the Ravens would go into the break ahead.
However in added time a mix up at the back was pounced on by Sheriff Njie who went down under a slight tug from Sherry and a sliding Blair, with Sherry shown a straight red and a penalty being awarded.
Oliver Kvaternik stepped up and put the ball just out of Blair’s reach as he dived down to his left to make it 1-1 at the break.
The second half saw few chances for either side as the Ravens 10 men, in particularly the midfield trio of Pinnington, Kyle Watson and Shaun Kelly, battled to deny Cheadle of openings.
When the Ravens did get forward, they often found Higgins, Whitley or Kelly isolated.
Cheadle nearly took the lead but were denied by a great double save by Blair when first Kvaternik and then Harlan Rodgers-Morris were both denied by the keeper’s legs.
The visiting team would however take the lead in the 80th minute as Jonathan Nixon got in behind and to slot past Blair.
With the Ravens trying to find an equaliser, they pushed forward but were unable to really test James Hodges in the Cheadle goal.
The Ravens are back at The Bowl next Saturday for the visit of City of Liverpool.
