Haggan gives Woodlands a win and Kelly’s the hero for Albion

Our weekly round-up of the East Antrim teams involved in the Ballymena and Provincial League.

With all of the Intermediate Division games biting the dust because of the bad weather, it was the junior teams who took centre stage over the weekend.

Junior Division One: Leaders Antrim Rovers opened up an eight-point gap over third-placed Mallusk Athletic thanks to a 4-2 win. Rovers were two up after half an hour with Darryl Brammeld and Anton Watson both on the score sheet.

On the stroke of half-time, Brammeld struck again putting the home side firmly in control.

But whatever was said at the interval seemed to work for Mallusk as Michael Frew pulled one back on 47 minutes. However, the hoped-for revival never materialised and Antrim re-asserted their authority when Graham Carmichael found the net on 66 minutes.

Matt Fegan pulled another back for Athletic just three minutes later but it was pace-setting Rovers who bagged another three points.

Magherafelt Sky Blues notched their third league win on the spin thanks to 3-2 home win over FC Whiteabbey. All the goals came in the second half with star of the show Anthony O’Neill landing a hat-trick. The result signalled Whiteabbey’s third league defeat of the season but they will be aiming to bounce back this weekend when they travel to third-from-bottom Desertmartin Swifts.

Alex Haggan scored the only goal of the game as Carrick-based Woodlands bagged all three points against Cookstown RBL. It means Woodlands occupy seventh spot ahead of this weekend’s trip to play second-bottom Carnmoney FC.

Junior Division Two: Leaders Krag Albion made it six wins from six in the league with Saturday’s 1-0 success at Newington YC II. Both sides created plenty of goal-scoring opportunities but it was Marc Kelly’s second-half strike which proved to be the difference between the teams.

Junior Division Three: Remo FC Reserves landed their fourth league win of the campaign at the expense of Castle Star Reserves. After a scoreless first-half, Remo’s Brendan McWilliams headed the game’s only goal midway through the second session.

1st Carrickfergus Old Boys registered an unwanted statistic as they conceded their 50th league goal in a 6-0 hammering away to Ballysillan Swifts Reserves. Colin Beattie, Dave Smith, George Gibson Jonathan Graham, Craig Taylor and Graham Lorimer got the goals.