Carniny's Shield dream intact

CARNINY Rangers made it into the last four of the Junior Shield with a convincing 4-2 victory over Belfast and District Premier League side Tullymore Swifts.

Robert Young's side will now attempt to emulate that feat in the Coca-Cola Junior Cup when they entertain Crumlin Star this Saturday.

Back on domestic matters, a handful of games survived the wintry conditions on Saturday morning, including a first victory of the season for Division Three side Demesne Strollers, who move off the foot of the table.

CO ANTRIM JUNIOR SHIELD

Tullymore Swifts 2, Carniny Rangers 4: Carniny opened well and took the lead on 10 minutes when a Ryan Balmer corner found Chris Dowie unmarked at the back post and he fired home.

The home side battled hard to stem the pressure from Carniny and they drew level on 22 minutes against the run of play when one of their players found the net from 30 yards out.

This could have taken the sting out of Carniny but they kept taking the game to Swifts and went in front again before the half when a Balmer corner was volleyed goal ward by Leslie McCaughern and Dowie made sure it found the net from close range.

The second half saw Carniny again dominate the game with a lot of possession but the home defence was coping well until the hour mark when Jason Robinson hit a superb cross field ball to Maurice McDowell who from right on the touchline audaciously lobbed the ball over the Swifts keeper and into the goal to make it 3-1.

The home side threw everything at Carniny after this and got one back with 15 minutes to go, but some great defending by Derek Reid and Alan Wright made sure they didn't draw level, and Carniny sealed their place in the last four right on 90 minutes when Leslie McCaughern rose highest to head home a Reid corner and keep Carniny's dream of Junior Shield and Junior Cup glory alive.

BSML DIVISION ONE

North End 0, All Saints OB 4: Four second half goals saw Saints claim all three points and see off a spirited North End side.

The first period was a catalogue of missed chances, particularly for Saints, with Stephen Tully hitting the bar with a header and then Aidan O'Kane and Conor Crilly both firing wide when well placed. At the other end Anthony Craig dragged a shot wide as the half ended in a stalemate.

Saints took control and took the lead on 51 minutes when Stephen Tully fed Conor Crilly whose first shot hit the post but came back to him and at the second attempt slotted the ball home from 12 yards out.

Five minutes later it was 2-0 when Eoin Hudson split the home defence for Aidan O'Kane to race onto and he coolly poked the ball home under Sean Ward in the North End goal.

Saints were rampant now and ten minutes later they made it 3-0 when O'Kane pulled the ball across the box for Crilly who hammered the ball into the roof of the net from just inside the box.

Michael McCarry put the icing on the cake for Saints in the dying minutes when he broke from the halfway line and coolly fired the ball home to make it 4-0 and seal a great win for Saints.

GEORGE McAULEY CUP, ROUND ONE

Braid United 1, Broadway Celtic 2: Celtic started this game well and their early pressure paid off on 15 minutes when a Paul O'Neill corner kick was headed home at the near post by David Fusco. Michael Maybin and Darren Burgoyne then spurned chances to double the lead for Celtic before they did make it 2-0 10 minutes before the break when Stephen Sexton fed the ball into Paul O'Neill who turned his man and fired the ball into the roof of the net from 15 yards out.

The second half again saw Celtic on top with Braid keeper Gavin Mark saving from Niall O'Hara, Michael Maybin, Paul O'Neill and Darren Burgoyne as Celtic looked to kill the game off.

Braid did reduce the deficit halfway through the half when Stuart Smyth fired in a free kick from just inside the Celtic half and Connor McLarnon rose highest to head past Benny Marron in the Celtic goal.

Braid were well in the game now and should have drawn level when Richard McClean flicked on a long throw for Connor McLarnon but his effort was saved by Celtic keeper Benny Marron.

BSML DIVISION TWO

Waveney Swifts 2, Ahoghill Thistle 5: Thistle continued their resurgence in the league with a solid win over Waveney in one of the surviving fixtures of the weekend frost.

It was the home side, however, who started more brightly and deservedly took the lead when Thistle keeper Ricky Tennant could only parry a long range shot and William McNabb reacted quickest to drive the ball in to the net.

Thistle were back on level terms when Chris Duff was released down the left hand side and his cross was met by Daniel Brown who rose highest in the box to head home.

The visitors then took the lead shortly before half time when a long kick from the goalkeeper wasn't dealt with in the centre of the Waveney defence and Philip Dickey nipped in to score.

In the second half the hosts almost pegged Thistle back when Ernie Corry saw his shot from range cannon back off the crossbar.

Soon after though, Thistle made it three. Garrett Bell slipped his marker and his low cross was controlled by Philip Dickey who turned in the area and smashed the ball past the keeper.

Gary Tennant then won possession in the middle of the park and his pass released Daniel Brown who unleashed a low drive which went in off the inside of the post for number four.

Thistle squandered a few more chances before Waveney reduced the deficit to two, Ernie Corry converting after a goalmouth scramble.

Their hopes of a fight back though were extinguished five minutes from time when Maurice Spence delivered a pinpoint low cross which Philip Dickey guided in to the bottom corner to complete his hat trick.

BSML DIVISION THREE

Woodside 2, Demesne Star 5: This was a keenly contested Third Division encounter at a foggy and freezing Wakehurst.

Demesne took the lead on 15 minutes, Stuart MacCartney lashing home the loose ball home into an empty net after Woodside had failed to clear their lines.

The away side added to that just before the break when David Connaughty ran from the halfway line, cut neatly inside a Woodside defender and squeezed the ball underneath the goalkeeper at the near post.

Woodside came out much more positively in the second half and grabbed a lifeline early on, Mark Tweed deservedly pulling one back.

They continued to press forward and it was no surprise when Woodside equalised on the hour mark, Phil Davison getting his side's second.

With 20 minutes to go Demesne substitute Ian McCracken's incisive through ball opened the way for David Connaughty to round the keeper and make it 3-2.

There was then a short delay while the ambulance arrived to treat Steven Marks in the Wooside goal who had a suspected broken ankle.

When the match re-started Stuart MacCartney found himself in space and unleashed a right foot shot into the top left hand corner to make it 4-2.

Minutes later, MacCartney completed the scoring and his hat-trick when a Woodside defender's unfortunate clearance ricocheted off him and into the net to seal the first league win of the campaign for Demesne, which sees them climb off the bottom of the table.

OTHER RESULTS

BSML Division One: Harryville Homers 1, Ballykeel 0; Carnlough Swifts 2, FC Moylena 3.

BSML Division Two: FC Penarol 3, Connor FC 7; FC Inter Stars 1, St Comgalls 1.

BSML Division Three: Atletico Antrim 0, Dunloy Athletic 4; Inver Athletic 0, Wakehurst Athletic 3.

FIXTURES

Saturday, February 27 - Coca Cola Junior Cup quarter-final (1.30pm): Carniny Rangers v Crumlin Star (Wakehurst 1).

Rainey Cup, round one (10.15am): Demesne Star v Waveney Swifts (Dunfane); Blackstone Rovers v Clough Rangers (Wakehurst 4); FC Antrim v Woodside (Forum).

BSML Division One: Abbeyview v Harryville Homers (Forum); Ahoghill Rovers v North End; All Saints OB v Randalstown Sky Blues (Showgrounds 4); Glenarm Rovers v Carnlough Swifts; FC Moylena v Templepatrick (Forum); Ballykeel v Holywell.

George McAuley Cup, round one: FC Inter Stars v FC Penarol (Waveney 1).

BSML Division Two: Riverdale v Ahoghill Thistle (Wakehurst 2); St Comgalls v Seven Towers; Shore Wanderers v Braid United; Connor FC v Michelin.

Sammy Moore Trophy, first round, second leg: Cullybackey Olympic (2] v Dunloy Athletic (8] (Tober Park).

BSML Division Three: Lisnafillan Swifts v Cloughmills Thistle (Galgorm); Randalstown v Atletico Antrim; Westend Athletic v Inver Athletic (Wakehurst 6).