MILK CUP: Liverpool and Rangers off and running

Rangers proved to be a big draw at Institute’s Riverside ground.

The Glasgow outfit packed the stands in Drumahoe and put Pat McGibbon’s Armagh side to the sword, recording a 3-0 victory in an entertaining encounter.

Liverpool beat Sheffield United 3-1 in front of a bumper crowd at Scroggy Road, as the Reds put themselves in a good position to make the semi-finals.

Their cross-city rivals and Junior Section holders Everton didn’t fare so well.

They drew 2-2 with Middlesbrough, which makes qualification difficult.

Last year’s beaten finalists County Antrim got their Milk Cup campaign off to a good start with a comfortable 4-1 win over Chilean side Santa Marta de Liray.

Dylan Davidson, Liam McKenna, Tyler Johnston and Jack McCourt were all on the score sheet at The Warren in Portstewart, as Antrim record an impressive victory.

Despite their impressive play, manager Stefan Seaton isn’t getting carried away.

“We got to the final last year but that doesn’t mean an awful now, because only one of those lads is young enough to play for us this season. We’re basically starting with a blank sheet of paper.

“I was pleased with how we played today. It was 0-0 at half time and we could have been a few goals in front but we didn’t get frustrated and did the job in the second half.

“It was a very good performance but we’re not getting carried away. It’s a horrible old cliché but we just take one game at a time. We’ve a really difficult game against Derry next. It’s a derby game and all the players know each other, so it will be a different sort of game.”

Ollie Mullan’s County Londonderry squad got off to a good start with a 1-1 draw with Scottish side Motherwell at Anderson Park. Michael Brown grabbed the goal for the Derry side.

There was another 1-1 draw between a county side and a Scottish club at Castlerock, when Kyle Spiers’ County Down drew with Queen of the South.

Chivas beat County Tyrone 4-0 at Anderson Park in Coleraine. After the match Tyrone manager Conor Marlin wax lyrical about the Mexicans.

“They’re one of the best sides I’ve seen at that level in some time. I’ve told the boys not too worry about the result, we actually played very well against quality opposition.”

Felipe Scolari’s national team might not have lived up to the hype at the World Cup, but a young Corinthians side showed at Portstewart’s Seahaven ground that there is still hope for Brazilian football.

The Sao Paulo club beat County Fermanagh 4-0 with an impressive display of South American football.

Elsewhere, Plymouth Argyle beat North Dublin Schools 5-0 while Donegal Schools lost 3-0 to Bolivian side O’Higgins. Dundalk Schools recorded a 1-0 win over Global Premier Soccer, while Japanese side JFA Academy beat Australian outfit Sydney United 1-0.

Southampton are some people’s favourites for the Junior title.

They got their campaign off to a good start with an impressive 4-2 win over at Clough. At Broughshane, Brentford beat Watford 2-0 in a Greater London derby.

Juan Pablo Gonzales Velasco and Joshua Bohu both found the net for The Bees.