Carniny, Homers into last eight in Junior Cup

Having faced Belfast & District League opposition on their last time out, Carniny knew their opponents would be no pushover but a polished performance saw Carniny into the last 8 of the Junior Cup.
Dean Dunlop of Carniny Rangers gets tackled by a Beann Mhadiaghan player. INBT07-238ACDean Dunlop of Carniny Rangers gets tackled by a Beann Mhadiaghan player. INBT07-238AC
Dean Dunlop of Carniny Rangers gets tackled by a Beann Mhadiaghan player. INBT07-238AC

A bright start from the home side saw Beann Mhadiagain on the back foot from early in the game with Frazer Young and Mo McDowell providing the early attacking threat. These two combined to create the first goal of the game in the 23rd minute finished from close range by Dean Dunlop. The visitors, playing with the wind behind them in the first half, were getting little change from Carniny’s central defenders.

attempted to make the breakthrough but again the Carniny full backs Maurice Spence and Ryan Balmer were proving to be a match for them.

In an effort to nullify Carniny’s twin tormentors Frazer Young and Mo McDowell,

Beann Mhadiagain altered their formation at the start of the second half and the home side initially struggled to regain their first half momentum. Mo McDowell came close though on 55 mins when his curling shot across goal was well saved by Mark Dunn.Then James

Gracey’s long throw in the 61st minute was flicked on by Ryan Bamber before Leslie McCaughern slotted home from eight yards to double his side’s lead. Minutes later the home side were reduced to ten men when Ryan Bamber saw red for a second bookable offence. At this point Robert Young reshuffled his pack introducing Tyler Caulfield to replace Jonny

Spence to close up the midfield. The young midfielder made his presence felt soon after when he was on hand to score Carniny’s third, turning the ball into the net after Mo McDowell’s solo breakaway and cross. Carniny closed the game out when Leslie McCaughern scored again.

Harryville Homers 5 Erne Rovers 0: The Homers booked their place in the hat for the quarter finals of this years Coca Cola Irish Junior Cup with another convincing victory, this time against Co. Fermanagh side Erne Rovers.

Homers took the lead in the sixteenth minute from the unlikely source of Ricky Forsythe when the big defender got his head to a David Nicholl corner to convert.

It was all Homers now and they doubled their lead on the half hour mark when their other full back, Ryan Stewart, tapped in from a yard out, finishing off another chance produced by Rainey from the right. The game was finished off as a contest in the first ten minutes after the restart with clinical finishes from Paul McNeill and Gary Bonnes.

Paul McNeill scored the third courtesy of another Alan Rainey assist when the jet heeled wide man evaded his beleaguered markers challenge before cutting the ball back into the path of Paul McNeill for him to despatch the chance with aplomb. Captain Bonnes got the fourth when he chested down Ricky Nicholl’s pass into space for himself before slamming the ball into the bottom left hand corner of the net.

Gary Bonnes made it five nil, scoring his brace in the process when he got on the end of a Ryan Stewart cross to take the plaudits and seal an excellent all round team performance and send Erne Rovers back to Beleek empty handed.

Division One

Ahoghill Rovers 0 Ahoghill Thistle 3: The deadlock was broken on 40minutes when David Tennant timed his run to again beat the offside trap and he raced towards goal before squaring the ball to Matt Boyd who tapped home from 10yards out and send Thistle with a one goal lead.

The second goal came when Jason Stewart slipped the ball outright for Daniel Brown to run on too before he cut in from the right and unleashed a low hard drive to beat Rovers keeper at his front post. The killer third goal for Thistle came soon afterwards from George Courtney who was left unmarked to fire home from 5yards out.

AllSaints OBs 1 FC Penarol 0: Eight minutes before the break Saints opened the scoring. Brian Watt swung over a great free kick from wide right and Gavin Burnside hung in the air to direct his header into the bottom corner and make it 1-0.

It was all one way traffic now and Alyn Shaw did well to block a Ciaran Lemon goal bound shot and then John Cunningham saved from Gavin Burnside. Saints were then reduced to 10 men with half an hour to go when Gavin Burnside was dismissed.

Division Three

FC Bayern Money 1 Newpark Olympic 8: Newpark travelled to Ballymoney to play FC Bayern Money and the Antrim side got of to a flyer opening the scoring on the second minute when Jamie Nutter dangerous cross was turned into his own net by a Bayern defender. Two minutes later Newpark doubled there lead with the goal coming from Rab Crawford. Olympic were well in control now and with 8 minutes played Newpark grabbed a 3rd with Marky Freeburn supplying the ball to Jamie Nutter to slot home. Newpark finished off a great 1st half performance with another three goals the first of these came when Gary brown score from 30 yards with a side footed shot.

Then Gary Brown supplied Ben Armstrong to make it 5. Jamie Nutter played in the pass for Ben Armstrong to score with his left foot and make it 6.0,

Newpark took the foot off the gas at the start of the second half and conceded on the 55 mintue when their keeper Alan Kennedy was lobbed by a Bayern player. Newpark came straight back and then made it seven when a flick on from Sammy Todd found Jack Armstrong who fired home. The eight goal came when Rab Crawford played the ball to Sammy Todd for him to square to Robert Murdough to slot home.

FIXTURES

Saturday, February 15 10.15 KO

Rainey Cup 1st Round: Clough Rangers v North End Shamrocks (Clough)

Carniny Rangers v Ahoghill Rovers (Wakehurst 1).

Rainey Cup 2nd Round- Ballykeel v Galgorm Blues (Ballykeel)

Newpark OIympic v Atletico Antrim(Forum); St Comgalls v Connor FC; Braid United v Glenravel (Broughshane); Shore Wanderers v FC Penarol (Forum); FC Moylena v Carnlough Swifts (Forum). Division One Ahoghill Thistle v Randalstown Sky Blues (Ahoghill); All Saints OBs v Abbeyview (Showgrounds 5); Michelin v Harryville Homers.

Ballymena Mortgages BSML Division Two: Seven Towers v Holywell (Showgrounds 4); Waveney Swifts v Raceview (Waveney 2).

Division Three: Steadfast v Lisnafillan Swifts (Galgorm); Woodside v FC Bayern Money (Wakehurst 3); Wakehurst Star v Cullybackey Olympic (Dunfane 1).