McLaughlin blasts in hat-trick as Ballybogey smash six past Ballycastle

The game at Quay Road was played in terrible windy conditions last Saturday and both teams struggled to get any sort of football played at all.

It was ‘Bogey who took the lead when Robert Beckett was brought down in the box. Ian Parkhill took the penalty and put the ball into the corner giving the Ballycastle ‘keeper no chance.

The second came when James McLaughlin took a free kick from twenty five yards and put the ball into the top corner bogey two up.

Parkhill then broke down the left and crossed the ball where Andy Mooney made up ground to head the ball into the goal.

Ballycastle then got themselves a goal when they scored a penalty after Jordan McLaughlin was judged to have impeded the Ballycastle striker.

In the second half ‘Bogey again were first off the mark when McLaughlin hammered the ball into the net after a Ballycastle mistake let him in.

Gareth Kane then got on the end of a good cross by Parkhill to make it five.

Ballycastle never gave up and got a second when good play saw them put the ball into the net giving goalkeeper Leo O’Neill no chance.

The sixth goal for the visitors came when McLaughlin picked the ball up on the half way line and shrugged off a couple of challenges and put the ball into the net to get his hat trick.

Final score six two and a result that takes Ballybogey clear second and with five games in hand over league leaders Ballycastle and six points behind.

A good game considering the weather conditions with two good teams on the park trying to play good football.

Ballybogey (player ratings from team management): O’Neill 7, Kearney 8, Nicholl 8, Watson 7, McLaughlin 7, Magee 7, Mooney 7, Beckett 8, Parkhill 9, Beckett 7, McLaughlin 10. Subs: Keys, Hickinson, Kane 7, Clarke.