Local football round-up

Only two matches survive

Only two matches in the Lisburn Junior Invitational League survived the heavy overnight frost on Saturday morning.

Lisburn Youth beat Donegal Celtic Youth 5-1 in the semi-final of the Under-15 Shield and now play Lisburn Distillery Youth in the final on December 27.

In the only League game to survive, Lisburn Distillery Youth improved their position at the top of the under-17s with a 4-0 win over Carrick Rangers.

Fixtures

MOIRA: 9.30, Ballymena v Windmill u13, Lisburn Y v Chimney Corner u13; 11.15, Armagh v Windmill u14, Lurgan v Hillsborough u17.

BARBOUR: 9.30, Carrick v Willowbank u13, Willowbank v Lurgan u16, Willowbank v Lisburn Dist u17; 11.15, Lisburn Dist v N. End u13, u14, u15.

ORANGEFIELD: 9.00, Greenisland v TW Braga u13; 11.00, N. Belfast v Lisburn Dist u16.

GLENMORE: 9.30, Hillsborough v TTBS u13, Lisburn Rgs v Lurgan u13; 11.15, Hillsborough v Ox Sunnyside Colts u14.

BALLYMACOSS: 9.30, Warrenpoint v Shankill u14, Midway v Lisburn Y u16, Bloomfield v Camlough u17; 11.15, Bloomfield v Portadown u14, Newry v Lisburn Y u15, Newry v Lisburn Rgs u16.

WALLACE PARK: 9.30, Downpatrick v Ox Sunnyside u14, Carrick v Donegal Celtic u15, Ox Sunnyside v Hillsborough u15; 11.15, N. End v Hillsborough u16, Ridgeway v Greenisland u16, Carrick v Dromara u17.

LURGAN: 9.30, Lisburn Y v Lurgan u14.

SUFFOLK: 9.30, Ballyclare v Greenisland u15; 11.15, Lower Maze v Knockbreda u17.

HAVELOCK PARK: 9.30, Banbridge v Newry u17; 11.15, Banbridge v Downpatrick u16.

SOUTH ANTRIM LEAGUE

Ironside Cup

Ballymacash v Warren is a tasty final

Ballymacash YM will play their big rivals, Warren YM, in what promises to be a Boxing Day cracker in the Ironside Cup final.

Stuart Knight scored twice and Chris Hull got the other goal in the 3-0 win for Warren over Clonduff YM at Wallace Park.

But, the other semi-final was creating all the interest with Ryan Graham hitting all four goals in Ballymacash’s 4-3 win over Braniel YM.

It was a thriller with Ballymacash taking the lead, Braniel coming back to 2-1 and also leading 3-2 before ‘Cash snatched a 4-3 win.

Next week’s sport in the Star will come out before Christmas and feature a preview of the final.

Premier Division

Simple for Simon

Simon Hall got the only goal of the game for FC Utd Lisburn away to Sandy Row. Indeed it was the only goal in the Premier Division with the other two games, Belvoir v Glaston and South Antrim v Lambeg Rangers frozen off.

Division 1

Top two win

Braniel YM II beat Village Rec 3-1 thanks to James Warden, two penalties and Alan Millar, which keeps them ahead of Ballymacash YM II who beat Orangefield OB III 1-0 in Division 1.

Stephen Tierney got the goal and Ballymacash also missed a penalty.

Bloomfield III won 2-1 away to Belvoir FC II and Cregagh Wanderers went down 0-2 to Colin Valley III.

Division 2

Rangers thirds fall to surprise defeat

Ballymacash Rangers III have been going well in Division 2 but they surprisingly lost 5-2 away to Clonduff YM III. Lee Parker and Lee Gourley got their goals.

1st Lisburn II had a 7-1 win over Lambeg Rangers II and Moira Albion II beat Glenavy III 2-0, while the Newtown Forest III game with South Antrim II was off.

SOUTH ANTRIM LEAGUE RESULTS

PREMIER DIVISION

Belvoir FC P Glaston P

Sandy Row 0 FC Utd Lisburn 1

South Antrim P Lambeg Rgs P

DIVISION 1

Ballymacash YM II 1 Orangefield OB III 0

Belvoir FC II 1 Bloomfield III 2

Braniel YM II 3 Village Rec 1

Cregagh Wand 0 Colin Valley III 2

DIVISION 2

Clonduff YM III 5 Ballymacash Rgs III 2

1st Lisburn II 7 Lambeg Rgs II 1

Newtown Forest III P South Antrim II P

Moira Albion II 2 Glenavy III 0

IRONSIDE CUP, SEMI-FINALS

Clonduff YM 0 Warren YM 3

Ballymacash YM 4 Braniel YM 3

Tomorrow’s South Antrim League fixtures

PREMIER DIVISION: Glaston v Braniel YM, Warren YM v Lambeg Rgs, Clonduff YM v 1st Lisburn, South Antrim v Ballymacash YM, FC Utd Lisburn v Belvoir FC.

DIVISION 1: Bloomfield III v Orangefield OB III, Belvoir FC II v Victoria Ath, Cregagh Wand v Clonduff YM II, Ballymacash YM II v Braniel YM II, FC Utd Lisburn II v Colin Valley III.

DIVISION 2: Moira Albion II v Carrowdore YM, Lambeg Rgs II v Newtown Forest III, South Antrim II v Glenavy III, Clonduff YM III v Ballymacash YM III, Ballymacash Rgs III v 1st Lisburn II.

SOUTH ANTRIM LEAGUE TABLES UP TO DECEMBER 13

PREMIER DIVISION P W D L PTS

Warren YM 10 6 2 1 23

South Antrim 11 5 1 5 16

Braniel YM 7 5 1 0 13

Sandy Row 8 4 0 3 12

Glaston 10 6 0 3 12

FC Utd Lisburn 10 5 0 4 12

1st Lisburn 10 2 2 5 8

Ballymacash YM 6 2 1 2 8

Clonduff YM 7 3 1 1 4

Lambeg Rgs 8 1 0 7 3

Belvoir FC 9 0 1 8 _3

DIVISION 1 P W D L PTS

Braniel YM II 10 8 1 1 25

Ballymacash YM II 10 8 0 2 24

Orangefield OB III 12 5 1 6 16

Colin Valley III 12 5 1 6 16

FC Utd Lisburn II 11 5 0 6 15

Village Rec 12 5 0 7 15

Clonduff YM II 9 6 0 3 15

Bloomfield III 9 5 0 4 15

Cregagh Wand 11 3 1 7 10

Belvoir FC II 10 4 0 5 9

Victoria Ath 10 1 0 8 3

DIVISION 2 P W D L PTS

Carrowdore YM 10 8 2 0 26

Warren YM II 11 7 2 2 23

Glenavy III 12 6 1 5 19

Ballymacash Rgs III 9 6 1 2 19

South Antrim II 10 4 4 1 16

Moira Albion II 12 4 2 6 14

Ballymacash YM III 11 3 2 6 11

1st Lisburn II 11 4 1 4 7

Clonduff YM III 9 4 0 5 6

Newtown Forest III 11 1 2 8 5

Lambeg Rgs II 12 0 4 8 4

Blues Bus

1st Lisburn Blues supporters club will be running a bus from their Sackville Street clubrooms tomorrow (Saturday, December 20) for Linfield’s match against Portadown.

Wee Whites

Distillery Under 11’s much awaited debut in the NIBFA Cup ended in heartbreak when they lost out on penalties to Shankill Juniors in a pulsating cup tie at The Rec.

The Wee Whites dominated the first half and had numerous chances to take the lead with Noah Kelly and Spencer Maxwell both off target with efforts on goal.

The second half was much the same and it was no surprise when Ross White drilled home an excellent free kick from distance. Instead of keeping things tight the Whites went all out for the second goal to kill the game and were caught on the break when Shankill’s excellent number nine surged forward showing pace and power to hold off the Distillery defenders before slotting the ball home to make it 1-1,

A lesson to be learnt for the boys to just keep things tight for five minutes after scoring in a close game.

The goal changed the game and gave Shankill the confidence to push forward and they were maybe a little bit unlucky not to get a late winner, a volley which just went over the bar the pick of their chances.

Extra time couldn’t split the teams and so it was onto the dreaded shoot out.

Both teams scored their first penalties but then there was a moment of controversy. Kenzie Bradley struck the underside of the bar with the Whites second spot kick and even though the ball bounced down and rolled into the back of the net the referee decided it wouldn’t count.

The episode seemed to unsettle the boys and they failed with their remaining kicks meaning Shankill ran out easy 3-1 winners.

A desperately disappointing end to what was a mostly encouraging performance from the boys in white but best of luck to Shankill in the next round.

Man of the Match and next week’s captain was Noah Kelly.

On Sunday the boys played in Castle Juniors annual seven aside tournament and although missing goalkeeper Xander Power the boys performed well to reach the semi-final of The Plate where they lost out in a close game with neighbours Hillsborough Boys. Highlights of the day included an outstanding start to the group game with a very strong Greenisland team, a thrilling 3-3 draw with Ridgeway Rovers and a super 4-2 win in the quarter final with Ards Rangers.