Local football round-up

Lisburn Youth close gap in 13’s

Lisburn Youth have closed the gap at the top of the under-13 section of the Lisburn Junior Invitational League after beating Lisburn Rangers Youth 2-1.

With three matches in hand they are three points behind Rangers and five adrift of Braga.

Results

UNDER-13: Lisburn Rgs 1, Lisburn Y 2; Ballymena 6, Carrick 4; Lurgan 0, TW Braga 2; N. End 4, Greenisland 1; TTBS 5, Lisburn Dist 2; Hillsborough 3, Windmill 3; Chimney Corner 1, Willowbank 3.

UNDER-14: Lisburn Y 3, Hilllsborough 2; Downpatrick 4, N. End 0; Warrenpoint 2, Bloomfield 4; Lisburn Dist 6, Lurgan 3; Ox Sunnyside Colts 1, Armagh 0; Ox Sunnyside 1, Windmill 3; Portadown 1, Shankill 0.

UNDER-15: Carrick 1, Newry 2; Donegal Celtic 2, Ballyclare 1; N. End 0, Ox Sunnyside 6; Hillsborough 0, Lisburn Dist 3; Windmill 5, Greenisland 0.

UNDER-16: Willowbank 2, Banbridge 1; Lurgan 1, Lisburn Rgs 1; Midway 1, Ridgeway 3; Hillsborough 1, Downpatrick 3; N. Belfast 0, Greenisland 2.

UNDER-17: Bloomfield 1, Newry 0; Hillsborough 1, Carrick 0; Dromara 3, Lurgan 0; Lisburn Dist 1, Lower Maze 0; Banbridge 0, Willowbank 3.

Fixtures

WALLACE PARK: 9.30, Ballymena v TW Braga u13, Hillsborough v Ox Sunnyside u14, Lisburn Dist v Hillsborough u17; 11.15, Downpatrick v Lisburn Y u14, Greenisland v Banbridge u16, Lisburn Rgs v Downpatrick u16.

GLENMORE: 9.30, Carrick v Windmill u13, Lisburn Y v Lisburn Dist u13; 11.15, Bloomfield v Portadown u14, Lurgan v Shankill u14.

MOIRA: 9.30, Lurgan v Chimney Corner u13, Dromara v Banbridge u17; 11.15, Ox Sunnyside Colts v Windmill u14, Ox Sunnyside v Newry u15.

BARBOUR: 9.30, Hillsborough v Willowbank u13, u16, Willowbank v Knockbreda u17; 11.15, Lisburn Rgs v N. End u13, N, End v Lisburn Dist u14, u16.

BALLYMACOSS: 9.30, Greenisland v TTBS u13, Lisburn Dist v Windmill u15, Lower Maze v Bloomfield u17; 11.15, Armagh v Warrenpoint u14, N. Belfast v Ridgeway u16, Lurgan v Newry u17.

FULLERTON PARK: 9.30, Hillsborough v Ballyclare u15; 11.15, Lisburn Y v Donegal Celtic u15.

LURGAN: 9.30, Lurgan v Midway u16.

South Antrim League

Premier Division

Lambeg get a win

Lambeg Rangers got a win in the Premier when they beat Sandy Row 2-1 with goals from Mark Coulter and Willie Nelson.

Division 1

‘Cash II almost there

Ballymacash YM II took another big stride towards the Division 1 title with a 4-0 win over Colin Valley III while only rivals, Braniel YM II lost 2-1 to Bloomfield III.

Stephen Tierney got two of the goals and Colin Jamison and Chris Edgar got the others for ‘Cash.

Clonduff YM II beat Victoria Athletic 6-1.

Division 2

Carrowdore still pushing for promotion

Carrowdore YM are still in the Division 2 promotion chase following a 2-0 win over Glenavy III. Josh Dunlop and Ryan Edmunds got the goals.

Warren YM II took another step towards the title with a 9-1 win over Lambeg Rangers II. Scorers were James Lyness 3, Eddie Ferguson 2, Neil Donaghy, Aaron Cahoon, Jordan Cairns and Chris Dickson.

Ballymacash Rangers III kept up their challenge after beating Clonduff YM III 10-2. On target were Graham Phillips 5, Lee Gourley, Jordan Frazer, Ryan Menary, Johnny Smith and Jordan Campbell.

Moira Albion II were 4-1 winners over 1st Lisburn II.

Supplementary Cup

Warren YM received three points in Group A after Braniel YM could not field a team.

Glaston were 4-1 winners over Belvoir FC with goals from Jim Mullan 2, Desi Hall and Paddy Macklin.

Andy Doran scored for FC Utd Lisburn but they still lost 3-1 to 1st Lisburn and the Group B match between South Antrim and Ballymacash YM was postponed due to a death in the South camp.

Supplementary Plate

FC Utd Lisburn II had a 3-1 win over Cregagh Wanderers in Group A.. Gareth Oldroyd, Brian McCall and Stevie Matthews got the FC goals and Graham Montgomery replied.

In Group B Orangefield OB III beat Belvoir FC II 2-1.

Whiteside Memorial Cup

South Antrim II were held to a 3-3 draw by Newtown Forest III in Group B. South scorers were Gareth Johnston, Nathan Norwood and Chris McPoland

South Antrim League Results

PREMIER DIVISION

Sandy Row 1 Lambeg Rgs 2

DIVISION 1

Braniel YM II 1 Bloomfield III 2

Victoria Ath 1 Clonduff YM II 6

Ballymacash YM II 4 Colin Valley III 0

DIVISION 2

1st Lisburn II 1 Moira Albion II 4

Lambeg Rgs II 1 Warren YM II 9

Glenavy III 0 Carrowdore YM 2

Ballymacash Rgs III 10 Clonduff YM III 2

SUPPLEMENTARY CUP GROUP A

Warren YM 2 Braniel YM 0

Belvoir FC 1 Glaston 4

FC Utd Lisburn 1 1st Lisburn 3

GROUP B

South Antrim P Ballymacash YM P

SUPPLEMENTARY PLATE GROUP A

FC Utd Lisburn II 3 Cregagh Wand 1

GROUP B

Belvoir FC II 1 Orangefield OB III 2

WHITESIDE MEMORIAL CUP GROUP B

South Antrim II 3 Newtown Forest III 3

South Antrim League Tables

PREMIER DIVISION P W D L PTS

Warren YM 16 9 3 4 27

Ballymacash YM 12 8 1 2 26

Glaston 15 10 0 4 24

Braniel YM 12 8 2 1 23

FC Utd Lisburn 15 8 1 5 22

South Antrim 16 6 2 8 20

Clonduff YM 12 6 1 3 13

1st Lisburn 14 4 2 7 14

Sandy Row 12 4 0 7 12

Lambeg Rgs 16 3 1 12 10

Belvoir FC 14 0 1 13 _2

DIVISION 1 P W D L PTS

Ballymacash YM II 14 12 0 2 36

Braniel YM II 15 10 2 3 32

Bloomfield III 15 9 1 5 28

FC Utd Lisburn II 15 6 2 7 20

Colin Valley III 17 6 1 9 19

Clonduff YM II 13 7 0 6 18

Orangefield OB III 13 5 2 6 17

Belvoir FC II 14 5 1 7 13

Cregagh Wand 16 4 1 11 13

Victoria Ath 15 3 0 11 9

DIVISION 2 P W D L PTS

Warren YM II 18 14 2 2 44

Ballymacash Rgs III 17 12 2 3 38

Carrowdore YM 15 10 3 2 33

1st Lisburn II 18 9 2 5 29

Glenavy III 18 9 1 8 28

South Antrim II 18 7 5 5 26

Moira Albion II 17 8 2 7 26

Ballymacash YM III 16 4 2 10 14

Clonduff YM III 16 5 0 11 10

Newtown Forest III 17 2 2 13 8

Lambeg Rgs II 20 0 4 15 5

Lisburn Rangers Youth

Lisburn Rangers Youth 1 Lisburn Youth 2

An early kick off on a sunny morning for the two Lisburn teams who seem to be a mirror image of each other, both going for the league title, both in the semi final of the NIBFA Cup and still to meet each other in the league cup semi final.

This was always going to be a tight game and a game Lisburn Rangers Youth couldn’t afford to lose.

The first half was a cagey affair with both teams keeping a tight line knowing the first goal could be crucial.

Lisburn Youth had more control in midfield but could only conjure up a few half chances.

The best chances of the half fell to Rangers; the first came after 10 minutes when the ball fell to Thomas Burns inside the box only to be denied by the keeper.

The second came after 20 minutes when Kurtis Gillespie turned his defender and used his pace to leave him in his wake but was then caught in two minds before deciding to go for goal only to watch his shot go just wide of the far post. The half finished 0-0.

Rangers made a few adjustments to try and get a foot hold in midfield but seven minutes in Lisburn Youth made the breakthrough with a header at the back post coming from a corner.

Lisburn Youth almost made it 2-0 when the attacker rounded the keeper but great defending from Jay McKnight who managed to get back just in time to clear off the line to keep Rangers in the game but this was only a reprieve as Lisburn Youth did get their second with a well worked move five minutes later.

Rangers found it hard to lift themselves, it seemed Lisburn Youth just wanted it more. Rangers got one back when Eion Dixon headed home a great ball from Lee Hutton. Rangers started to apply pressure but with only five minutes left it was too late and Lisburn Youth held on for the victory.

This was Lisburn Rangers first defeat of the season, the boys will be disappointed with the result and even more so the performance knowing they can play a lot better but this is their first full season at 11 a side and they should be extremely proud of what they have achieved, The club and the parents are.

Blues Bus

1st Lisburn Blues supporters club will be running a bus from their Sackville Street clubrooms tomorrow (Saturday) for Linfield’s match at Glenavon. Clubrooms open at 12.00pm. Bus leaves at 1.45pm.

Moira FC

Moira FC’s under-14s will attempt to go from zero to heroes next month.

Just 18 months after fears that the team was going to fold just a fortnight before they were due to begin their inaugural season in league football after a large number of players didn’t return, they have become the first team from the club to reach a cup final.

And the achievement is all the more rewarding given that the team lost every match, in both league and cup, during a painful 2013-14 campaign.

A move from the Lisburn Junior Invitational League to the Mid Ulster Youth League has not only yielded league points, but Moira are still targeting a top-half finish, even though the main focus is now on preparing for their Cup final appearance.

And if that final is as dramatic as their path to the decider then their supporters are in for a treat on the big day.

After staving off a brave second-half comeback from Tandragee Rovers to win 4-3 in the quarter-finals, the Moira boys showed their fighting spirit to come back from 1-0 down to beat Lurgan Town 2-1 in a thrilling semi-final derby clash.

Trailing midway through the first half, Moira equalised when Ross Kennedy pounced after a free-kick from deep wasn’t cleared dealt with to make it 1-1 at half time.

The injection of confidence gained from that goal was clear to see and half-time substitute Marcus Taylor netted from a corner early in the second half to win the game.

“It’s great for this group of boys, after what they came through last season, to have reached a Cup final,” said Matt Peach, Development Office for LOGIC Moira, whose umbrella the football club is run under.

“It is also a reward for the players who stuck with it when things were tough and they deserve to have a special day to look forward to.

“As this is the oldest group in the club, having these boys get to a Cup final also gives the younger teams a goal to aim for in the coming years.”

Moira will find out who their final opponents are on April 25 when the second semi-final is played on Saturday.

Moira FC has playing opportunities for players born from 2001 to 2007, playing in the Mid-Ulster Youth League and Mid-Ulster Games Development Centre.

Anyone with a child who falls into those age groups who is interested in joining the club should email: [email protected] or telephone 07517 611413.