Local boys set to ‘Milk’ big occasion

Samuel McIlveen, Peter Duffin, Corey Price and Jack Graham will have even more incentive to do well than the rest of their County Antrim team-mates, with the finals of the world-famous competition being played in Ballymena for the second successive year.

Ballymena Showgrounds will again play host to the eagerly-awaited finals night and the new champions in three age sections will be crowned at the Warden Street venue next Friday evening, July 29.

For the Ballymena-based quartet, it would be a dream come true if the local county side could spring the biggest of upsets and topple the youth set-ups of some of the biggest names in world club football.

For the boys to make the County Antrim panels in their respective age groups is a fantastic achievement, particularly given the heavy emphasis on Belfast-based players which invariably sees the majority of the Antrim panel made up of players from in and around the capital city, with more players to choose from.

Jack Graham is in the Junior (under-14) panel.

The Deramore-based central defender was formerly on the books of Carniny Youth but the Dunclug College pupil now plays his club football for Linfield.

Unfortunately Jack and team-mate Jack Martin, from Carnlough, will have to wait until the knockout stages or the subsidiary competitions for a chance to display his skills in the Ballymena borough with County Antrim’s opening three fixtures - against County Armagh, Ipswich Town and Danish side FC Nordsjaaelland - take place in Portstewart, Limavady and Coleraine respectively.

The County Antrim Premier (under-16) team will, however, get the chance to play on home turf as they take on Hartlepool United at Broughshane in their second match (see inside for full local fixture guide).

That side will be captained by Kells teenager Samuel McIlveen, who will draw upon his previous experience of the tournament, having played in the Junior section in the 2009 competition.

Samuel, a central midfielder who attends the Northern Regional College, was previously with Star United and Carniny Youth before joining his current club Glentoran.

He is joined in the under-16 panel by two players who have come through Ballymena United’s Youth Academy.

Like McIlveen, left-back Corey Price also played in the Junior team two years ago. Corey, from Ahoghill, previously attended Cullybackey High School but has now transferred to Cambridge House to complete his ‘A’ levels.

The other local youngster in the Premier panel is Milk Cup debutant Peter Duffin, a striker from Portglenone, who attends St Louis Grammar School.

Aside from the progress of the four local boys, there will be plenty of action locally to keep football fans entertained during the week, with the Showgrounds and Broughshane hosting more than 20 games between them.

Don’t miss our Milk Cup feature on pages 50-51 for a full breakdown of the dates and times of matches in the Ballymena borough.