Holders into O'Kane Cup final

And to complete another good week for Robert Young's side, they also defeated fierce rivals Harryville Homers in a top-of-the-table clash as they remain favourites to win a fourth successive league title.

ARKMEDIA O'KANE CUP SEMI-FINAL

Randalstown Sky Blues 0, Carniny Rangers 4: Carniny broke the deadlock on 25 minutes when Leslie McCaughern played the ball into the channel for Ryan Canning who squared to Chris Dowie to fire home from close range.

Five minutes into the second half Carniny got their second goal when Maurice McDowell played a short corner to Roger Jones who crossed to the back post for Leslie McCaughern to volley home. Carniny were dominant now but it took them until 20 minutes from time to make it 3-0 and seal their final place when Roger Jones raced onto a Maurice McDowell through ball to slot home and then two minutes later Maurice McDowell got in on the act when he latched onto a long through ball from Alan Gaston to volley home the fourth and set up a Final with Abbeyview.

The league are trying to arrange the Arkmedia sponsored O'Kane Cup Final Carniny Rangers v Abbeyview for Tuesday, April 20, at the Main Arena Showgrounds with a 7pm KO.

At time of going to press final arrangements have not been confirmed but next week's paper will include a preview of the Final.

RAINEY CUP ROUND TWO

Ahoghill Thistle 4, Holywell 4 (Holywell won 4-1 on pens): Ahoghill Thistle started the match on top and finally made the breakthrough with the last kick of the ball in the first half when a trough ball by Chris Montgomery sent Philip Dickey clear and he fired home the opener.

Thistle went two up when Kevin Henderson burst through before hitting the net with a powerful shot from 20 yards.

Things got worse for first division Holywell when five minutes later when Ritchie Irwin ran onto a through ball from Gary Tennant to give Thistle into a 3-0 lead with the tie looking over.

Paul McCallen pulled one back from the spot with 15 minutes to go which was Holywell's first shot on target.

Jeff Johnston pulled another one back for Holywell, with a well-taken finish after a deflected shot at goal left him with only the keeper to beat.

Holywell completed the comeback when they scored another to draw level with five minutes left on the clock when Paul McCallen headed in a cross from Alvin Chan for his second goal of the match, taking the game to extra time.

Holywell went into extra time full of confidence and took the lead for the first time, when Man of the Match Jeff Johnston lobbed the keeper following a long ball from Seamus Melly who had come out of goals to play at centre back due to an injury to team mate Glenn Parker.

Ahoghill equalised in the second period of extra time when Ritchie Irwin took on the Holywell defence before scoring and the game finished four each and went to penalty kicks.

Holywell scored their first three penalties through Paul McCallen, John Majury and Darren Elliott. Ahoghill put one past Holywell’s substitute keeper Keith Weise, who went on to save three spot kicks to send his team into the next round.

BSML DIVISION ONE

Harryville Homers 1, Carniny Rangers 3: This was the first league meeting of the Harryville ‘big two’ and in the end the Champions proved the strongest in the second half to record a very important win in their chase for the title.

Carniny made the all important break through on the half hour mark when an Alan Gaston through ball was chased by Chris Dowie who in a tussle with a Homers defender he chipped the ball over keeper Richard Aitcheson and into the net.

This loss of a goal by Homers spurred them on and they put Carniny under intense pressure before the half time break.

This paid off when Jason Stevenson worked his way to the bye line before crossing into the penalty which Carniny protested that the ball had gone out but play continued and the ball fell to Gary Baird who shot came off a Carniny defender's arm and the referee awarded a penalty kick. Ian Millar stepped up and dispatched the ball into the corner of the net to send the teams in level at half time.

The second half started similarly to the first half with few chances being created but the longer the game went on Carniny came more into it and they went ahead again with 20 minutes left. Chris Dowie slipped his marker at the half way line and sent a brilliant cross field pass for Roger Jones to race away down the right he worked the ball to the bye line before cutting inside his marker and slot the ball into the net.

Homers tried hard to snatch an equaliser but it was Carniny who hit the next goal to kill off the match. Chris Dowie collected the ball 20 yards out before sending a low shot into the bottom right hand corner of the net to ensure Carniny Rangers collected the three points.

All Saints OB 2, Glenarm Rovers 0: Two second half goals from Ryan Brady saw Saints come away with all three points which sees them move to the summit of Division One.

After a scoreless opening period, the second half saw Saints up the tempo and they eventually made the breakthrough on 58 minutes when Stephen Tully split the Rovers defence for Ryan Brady to race clear and coolly slot the ball past Stephen Montgomery in the Rovers goal.

Three minutes later it was 2-0 when Liam Cassley was fouled just inside the Rovers area and a penalty was awarded. Ryan Brady stepped up and fired home from the spot to make it 2-0 and ensure there was no way back for Glenarm.

BSML DIVISION TWO

Riverdale 2, FC Penarol 5: This win for Penarol gives them more hope of avoiding relegation from Division Two, but plunges Riverdale even further into trouble.

Riverdale got off to a great start when they took the lead on nine minutes. Penarol failed to clear a free kick from Dennis Weir and the ball fell to Andy Rodgers who found the net via the post. Penarol hit back seven minutes later when a through ball from Johnny Clarke found Ricky Stewart who fired past Chris Will in the Riverdale goal.

Riverdale regained the lead five minutes into the second half when Keith Gibson found the net with a thunderbolt of a free kick from all of 25 yards, but their lead didn’t last long as Penarol hit back almost immediately when Graeme Adams' blocked shot fell to Darren Cummings who hammered in the leveller.

Five minutes later Penarol took the lead when a long free kick from keeper Colin McCaughern was flicked on by Ronald Balmer for David McBride to latch onto and fired home.

Penarol were now on top and made it 4-2 with 12 minutes to go when Ricky Stewart found the net from close range and then in the dying minutes they sealed the points when sub Dean Wright split the defence for David McBride to race onto and score.

Blackstone Rovers 1, Clough Rangers 4: This was another battle at the bottom of Division Two and it was Clough who bounced back from their Semi Final defeat to claim all three points and enhance their chances of staying up.

Clough took the lead on 40 minutes when Ricky McNeil found the net from the penalty spot after Colin Stewart was pulled down.

Clough doubled their lead on the hour mark when Russell Craig rocketed in a volley from all of 25 yards to make it 2-0.

Blackstone fought back though and got a goal back six minutes later when Stephen Johnston poked home after a goal mouth scramble.

This did not rattle Clough though as they regained their composure and regained their two goal cushion with 15 minutes to go when Stephen Steele released Johnny Cameron to score.

With two minutes to go Clough sealed the victory when Richard Gregg set up Stephen Steele to fire home.

BSML DIVISION THREE

The big news in Division Three this week was the promotion of Dunloy Athletic and Westend Athletic to Division Two when Cullybackey Olympic were beaten.

OTHER RESULTS

BSML Division One: Randalstown Sky Blues 4, Templepatrick 1; Glenarm Rovers 2, Templepatrick 2; FC Antrim 2, Ballykeel 2.

BSML Division Two: Broadway Celtic 2, FC Inter Stars 0; Blackstone Rovers 1, Braid United 3; St Comgalls 2, Connor FC 5; FC Penarol 3, Waveney Swifts 2.

BSML Division Three: Inver Athletic 2, Demesne Star 2; Wakehurst Athletic 3, Cullybackey Olympic 2; Woodside 2, Steadfast 1.

Rainey Cup, round two: Lisnafillan Swifts 1, Harryville Homers 2; North End 3, Inver Athletic 1; All Saints OB 2, Dunloy Athletic 1; Michelin 1, Shore Wanderers 1 (Shore Wanders won 4-3 on pens); Randalstown 3, Westend Athletic 5.

FIXTURES

Tuesday, April 13 (6.45pm) - BSML Division One: Ahoghill Rovers v Templepatrick; Carniny Rangers v Ballykeel (Wakehurst 1); FC Antrim v Abbeyview (Forum); Randalstown Sky Blues v FC Moylena; Glenarm Rovers v Harryville Homers; North End v Carnlough Swifts (Dunfane).

Wednesday, April 14 (6-45pm) - BSML Division Two: Riverdale v Ahoghill Thistle (Wakehurst 2); Connor FC v Blackstone Rovers; Clough Rangers v FC Inter Stars (Clough); Waveney Swifts v Shore Wanderers (Waveney 2); St Comgalls v Michelin; Broadway Celtic v FC Penarol (Showgrounds 4).

Thursday, April 15 (6.45pm) - BSML Division One: FC Moylena v All Saints OB (Forum); Abbeyview v Randalstown Sky Blues (Forum); Holywell v Glenarm Rovers; Carniny Rangers v Ahoghill Rovers (Wakehurst 1); Harryville Homers v FC Antrim (Wakehurst 2).

Saturday, April 17 (10.15am) - Rainey Cup, round one: Demesne Star v Waveney Swifts (Wakehurst 2).

Rainey Cup, round two: Broadway Celtic v Clough Rangers (Showgrounds 4); Connor FC v FC Antrim; Carniny Rangers v Cullybackey Olympic (Wakehurst 1); Templepatrick v Steadfast (Forum); Ahoghill Rovers v Randalstown Sky Blues; FC Moylena v Glenarm Rovers (Forum).

BSML Division One: Carnlough Swifts v All Saints OB; North End v Holywell (Dunfane).

George McAuley Cup quarter-final: St Comgalls v Blackstone Rovers.

BSML Division Two: Michelin v FC Penarol; Shore Wanderers v Riverdale; FC Inter Stars v Braid United (Waveney 1).

Sammy Moore Trophy, semi-final first leg: Dunloy Athletic v Randalstown; Wakehurst Athletic/Woodside v Westend Athletic/Atletico Antrim.

BSML Division Three: Lisnafillan Swifts v Atletico Antrim (Galgorm) OR Steadfast v Westend Athletic (Galgorm).

Monday, April 19 (6.45pm) - BSML Division Two: Ahoghill Thistle v Clough Rangers; Seven Towers v Waveney Swifts (Showgrounds 4); Braid United v Broadway Celtic (Broughshane); Riverdale v Shore Wanderers (Wakehurst 2); FC Penarol v Blackstone Rovers; Connor FC v Michelin.

BSML Division Three: Inver Athletic v Randalstown; Westend Athletic v Lisnafillan Swifts (Wakehurst 4); Wakehurst Athletic v Woodside (Wakehurst 1); Demesne Star v Cloughmills Thistle (Dunfane); Dunloy Athletic v Atletico Antrim.