North West Junior League season to get underway

There are 10 teams in the Premier Division with champions Ardmore expected to be in the running to retain the title.

Manager Damien McGee has retained most of last seasons side with a few additions.

BBOB who had a disappointing time last season will be expected to be up there challenging as they have a number of quality players in their line up.

Ballykelly are another side who finished last season well they have lost a couple of players but they are intent in giving a number of promising youngsters a chance this season.

Caw will have to show a big improvement from last season, they have basically the same panel but they do need strengthening.

Lincoln Courts who have not been the force of old in recent seasons will be determined to get back to the glory days and this could be their season.

Drummond have suffered in recent years by not having a settled side and if they are to be a force that will have to change.

Newbuildings United Reserves and Dungiven Reserves will as usual be a nursery for their first team and that will no doubt effect their chances of being among the front runners.

Tullyally Colts will once again be a match for anyone as they proved last season however they lack a bit of consistency and that may happen again.

Donemana will relish being in the Premier Division and they are determined to be no pushovers especially at home watch out for a few surprise results.

Below is a list of fixtures for this weekend’s opening games, in the Premier Division, First Division and Second Division.

Premier Division - Drummond United v Newbuildings United Res; Ballykelly v Caw; Donemana v BBOB; Ardmore v Lincoln Courts; Dungiven Celtic Res v Tullyally Colts.

First Division - Churchill United v Foyle Wanderers; Claudy United v Roe Rovers Res; Irish Street v Ardmore Res; Glendermott v Douglas Bridge; Claudy Rovers v Burnfoot.

Second Division - Lisahally v Dungiven Celtic Res; Greysteel v Donemana Res; Lincoln Courts Res v Dromore; Foyle Wanderers Res v BBOB Res; Eglinton v Limavady Rugby Club. All matches kick-off at 2pm.

Meanwhile Derry Colts started their season in the NIBFA National League with 8-2 defeat at Belfast giants Crusaders at Mallusk on Saturday.

Crusaders started brightly and had Colts under pressure from the beginning and deservedly took the lead on five minutes when Leo Brown smashed the ball home from close range.

However Colts regained their composure and began to play some excellent football with Jack Malone and Dean Campbell pulling the strings in midfield and Colts got back on terms midway through the half with a superb strike from the edge of the box from Conor McGowan.

However within minutes a defensive slip allowed Crues to regain the lead. Once again Colts began to dictate and equalised three minutes before the break through Tom Mullan to make it 2-2.

However the Colts defence was being terrorised by Crusaders excellent striker Brown and just before the break he burst through and finished with aplomb to give Crues a 3-2 lead at the break.

The killer blow for Colts came immediately after the re-start when that man Brown again fired in a strike from the edge of the box which keeper Robert Kelly could only parry into the path of an inrushing Crues forward who tapped home to make it 4-2.

Brown then added two more goals in quick succession which ended the game as a contest but to their credit Colts did not give up and created three good goal scoring opportunities which they squandered. Crues added two more goals late in the game which resulted in a 8-2 defeat for Colts.

This Saturday, Colts take on champions Ridgeway Rovers.