Mixed results for Maiden City Academy sides

The Under 13’s lost 3-2 at home to Ballymena United but Under 16’s had an impressive 8-2 success over Trojans.

Maiden City Academy U13 2-3 Ballymena United U13

MCA lost out to a good Ballymena United team at Lisneal on Friday night and again they will have come away thinking they could have got more from the game.

The visitors started on the front foot and couldn’t have asked for a better start when two minutes into the game a lack of communication in the city defence lead to the ball not being cleared properly and the sky blues striker took full advantage to put his side ahead.

United were at this stage in full control of the game and City were struggling to contain them. The second goal didn’t take long and the Ballymena midfielder was given too much time on the edge of the edge and he fired his shot high into the net.

The home started to slowly come back into the game with Jordan O’Doherty prominent in midfield and City’s two full backs Ross Barr and Aaron Rush were also seeing plenty of the ball.

City’s first chance of note came when Cahir McMonagle was found inside the box by Matthew McGarrigle and with the ball bouncing McMonagle tried to lift on over the onrushing keeper but he was out quickly and able to smother the danger.

With the home side growing more and more into the game they created another chance when O’Doherty found McMonagle on the edge of the area with two unmarked City players waiting at the back post but McMonagle couldn’t get the ball under control and out of his feet in time.

Just before the break City felt they were denied an opportunity to get back into the game when the away goalkeeper came out of his box and punched the ball clear of danger only for the referee to wave play on.

In the second half the home side started to take control of the game and a goal always looked likely, however the visitors were dangerous on the break and kept the city defence honest throughout.

Jamie Robinson was re-introduced fifteen minutes into the second half in the unfamiliar role of centre forward, this paid dividends shortly after when he raced onto a Matthew McGarrigle pass and shot first time across the keeper into the side netting to give his team a lifeline.

The game then became a little scrappy for the first time with both sides sensing victory was close, when City managed to regain their composure and put five passes together they worked the space for Ben Bucannon just inside the box and he was able to place his shot in the same place as Robinson minutes earlier.

Just when it looked like City had got them back in a position to win the game they won a free kick just inside the Ballymena half and committed to many players forward and Ballymena hit them on the counter attack put themselves 3-2 up eight minutes to go.

City pushed in the final moments but couldn’t find another way through the now resolute defence of Ballymena.

MCA U13: Ben Mills, Ross Barr, Aaron Rush, Tom King, Tom McLaughlin, Jamie Robinson, Luke Toland, Jordan O’Doherty, Cahir McMonagle, Matthew McGarrigle and Cathel O’Kane. Subs: Conor Polley, Ryan Ward, Ben Bucannon, Cormac Norris, Tyler Toland (All used).

MCA U16 8-2 Trojans U16

This game was a case of two halves with MCA not really getting their game going until after the break.

Kyle Walker and Adam Dougherty both netted hat-trick’s while Dylan McCorkell and Oran Higgins also scored. That’s four hat-trick’s for Walker in the last five league games

Drawing 2-2 at half-time a few harsh words at the break meant City started the second half like a house on fire and they blasted Trojans out of sight with six unanswered goals.