Miles of smiles for Carniny sides

Pick of the bunch was the under-17s defeating nearest title challengers Aquinas 4-2 to go six points clear at the top of the league.

The 14s also had a tremendous result down in County Tyrone in the Elite National League beating top of the table Dungannon Youth 1-0.

The 15s meanwhile beat Limavady for the second week in a row with a 2-1 National League cup win after battling back from a goal down.

Both the 11s and 13s drew their games, 2-2 and 3-3 against Springfield Star and Ballinamallard Utd respectively although the 12s lost to Coleraine side Bertie Peacocks whilst the 10s lost their 'derby' with Ballymena Youth Academy at the Showgrounds.

UNDER-10

Carniny 0, Ballymena United Youth Academy 2: The first big chance in this third and final league meeting went Ballymena's way when they were awarded a sixth minute penalty but O'Brien's effort was kept out by Carniny keeper Dobbin as the first half finished scoreless.

The teams continued to cancel each other out until Ballymena broke through the Carniny defence and took the lead in the 45th minute.

This seemed to liven the match up, but six minutes later Ballymena doubled their lead.

Carniny: Dobbin, McHenry, Reid, Marshall, Neilly, Young, Leetch, Lemon, Dawkins, Stewart, McDonnell, Apsley, Shaw, Wylie, Hood, Lennon.

UNDER-11

Carniny 2, Springfield Star 2: Carniny, with just 12 available players due to illness, fell behind from a corner kick on 15 minutes but they had levelled by the interval after McNeil lobbed a free kick into the penalty area which Adams controlled and slotted home.

Carniny took the lead when, following a Keenan and McKee one-two, Doherty was sent clear to round the keeper but with five minutes left, Star equalised following a long throw-in.

Carniny: McClean, McComb, Adams, McGall, Evans, Keenan, Stewart, McNeil, Neilly, Doherty, Anderson and McKee.

UNDER-12

Carniny 2, Bertie Peacock's 5: The opening piece of early action saw Carniny keeper Owen Marquess make a superb diving save to his left to keep out a penalty, but from the resultant corner, the ball wasn't cleared and Carniny found themselves a goal down.

Worse was to follow for the Ballymena boys as they conceded a second five minutes later and a third went in before the break.

During a spell of Carniny pressure, a free kick from Fyfe broke loose in the penalty box and was hammered home by Brandon Moore but the Ballymena boys were caught on a quick break for a fourth Peacocks goal.

A brilliant 20 yard free kick from Eamon Fyfe gave Carniny renewed hope but the Coleraine side scored again late on.

Carniny: Marquess, McCullough, Rowe, Harwood, Sharpe, Feeney, Fyfe, Killough, McDonnell, Moore, Millar.

UNDER-13

Carniny 3, Ballinamallard 3: Carniny made a blistering start to this game with two goals in the opening 10 minutes.

The first saw Leon Bonnes lob the keeper and then the same player grabbed his second with a strong header but the Fermanagh boys fought back to level at 2-2.

David Calderwood made it 3-2 with a strong shot from inside the box, but Ballinamallard forced a late equaliser.

Carniny: Gillespie, McAvoy, McClean, McNeice, A Graham, D Graham, Nixon, Cummings, Bonnes, Calderwood, McCready, Lemon, Barr, Kirk.

UNDER-14

Carniny 1, Dungannon 0: The decisive moment in this game came in the second half.

Henry, from the right-back position, played a 25-yard ball between Dungannon's two centre backs and Johnny Douglas, who looked second favourite to get on the end of it, took a chance and his effort flew into the back of the net for what proved to be the match winning goal.

Carniny: Holmes, Henry, Graham, McClure, Rainey, Beggs, Flynn, McCartney, Galloway, J. Douglas, McGurk, Kinny, C. Douglas, McComb, Dunlop, Crawford.

UNDER-15

Carniny 2, Limavady Youth 1: Carniny suffered an early blow as a Limavady forward slipped the offside trap to fire the north west side ahead in the fourth minute.

It took Carniny until the second half to get anywhere near their stride when Gary Greene thumped home a free kick via the underside of the crossbar.

Craig Todd then ensured the Reds progressed to the next round when he climbed the highest to nod home from a corner with five minutes to go.

Carniny: Dunlop, McAllister, White, C Greene, Todd, Barr, G Greene, Black, McKelvey, Apsley, Carson, Wright.

UNDER-17

Carniny 4, Aquinas 2: Carniny took the lead in the fifth minute when right-back Gordy Dillon curled home a spectacular free kick before captain Ryan McCartney scored direct from a corner to double the lead.

Aquinas scored two quick goals at the start of the second half to level the match but Carniny responded by moving right winger Daniel McCloskey up front to partner Deboys and on the 57th minute he skipped past the centre back and drilled a low shot under the Aquinas keeper.

McCloskey then scored an almost identical goal after he was put through on goal by Michael O'Mullan on the 73rd minute to move Carniny six points clear.

Carniny: Quigley, McGarry, Thompson, Sands, Dillon, McCartney, O'Mullan, Gilmore, McCloskey, Deboys, Scroggie, Cubitt, Moore, Blair, Cassidy, Kernohan, Friel.

COACH EDUCATION SEMINAR

As part of the National League Coach Education Programme aimed at raising the standards of coaching in N.Ireland eight of the clubs coaches will be attending a one day session at Jordanstown University this Sunday, February 21.