Northend ‘Blitz’ event attracts bumper turnout

Northend welcomed their friends from Larne Youth, Ballymena Youth Academy, North Belfast United and Roe Valley to the Showgrounds with many of the teams fielding two teams at each age group.

In the National League, Mark Herbison’s U15s lost a close encounter with Irish League Academy side Glenavon by the odd goal in seven in an end to end match. Also in the National league, an understrength U17 team lost to Cliftonville at a foggy Showgrounds on Friday night.

The U13s uncharacteristically lost their match against host team, Lisburn Youth on Saturday in the Lisburn Youth league, while the U14s ran Donegal Celtic close before eventually losing the match by a 2-0 score-line.

MINI BLITZ

Northend United Youth again hosted a Small Sided Games Football Blitz at the Showgrounds on Saturday for the U8 and U10 age groups and what a day of football all the teams served up on a bitterly cold morning in front of the large crowd of parents and family members who came to support their teams.

Under-8 results - Section A: Northend United 6 (Pearce McAuley 2, Conan McKeown 2, Justin Mark, Callum Burnside), Larne Youth 1; Northend United 2 (Callum Burnside, Callum Hendron), Ballymena United 2; Northend United 4 (Alex McPeake, Conan McKeown, Pearse McAuley Callum Hendron), Northend Tigers 1

Panel: P Murphy, A McPeake, J Mark, P McAuley, C Burnside, C Hendron, C McKeown

Under-10 - Section B: Northend Youth 0, Roe Valley 3; Northend Youth 2 (Lewis Devlin 2), Ballymena Town 2; Northend Youth 2 (Lewis Devlin, Daniel Patterson), Larne Colts 3.

Panel: L Devlin, PP Donegan, S McDermott, K McAlister, D Patterson, C Lyness

Under-10 results: Northend United 0, Larne Youth 2; Northend United 0, Larne Colts 1; Northend United 4 (Owen Campbell, Jack Adams 2, Kevin Cosgrove), Northend Youth 3 (Jordan McFetridge 3).

Panel: N Devine, D Magill, K Cosgrove, C McMillan, J Adams, P Bristow, C Lennon, and O Campbell.

UNDER-13

Lisburn Youth 3, Northend United 1: Northend were two goals down within 10 minutes, both resulting from decisions which the Ballymena side had gone against them.

Ruairi Campbell pulled one back for Northend to make it 2-1, five minutes before the break.

Northend were much better the second half and began to create a few goalscoring opportunities but Lisburn Youth scored on the break shortly before the end to make it 3-1.

Northend will put this result behind them, regroup this week in training, and get ready for Saturday’s NIBFA Cup derby with Carniny Youth. MOM - Robert McCluney, Sam Frew.

Northend: C McGarry, S Frew, S Lecky, R McCluney, J Mitchell, P Kyle, N Craig, M Willighan, T Patchett, J Brady, R Campbell, C Brennan, C Gordon, T McAuley.

UNDER-14

Donegal Celtic 2, Northend United 0: Northend U14s came up a good Donegal Celtic team at Lisburn on Saturday morning, having lost heavily earlier in the season to the same team.

However this is a Northend team who is now playing with a lot more confidence and who have been turning in a lot of recent impressive performances.

A mix-up in the Northend penalty box, five minutes before half time, allowed the Celtic striker to slip the ball past Josh Mark in the Northend goals. Half time score 1-0

Into the second half and Northend were slow to start and allowed Celtic to score a second goal two minutes after half time, when again a defensive lapse let their striker in to score. MOM - Josh Mark

Northend: J Marks, A O’Boyle J Hayburn, A Shaw, D Dobbin, S Hutchinson, J Stevenson, T Evans, B Millar, G Macartney, A Campbell, E McLaughlin, M Kirk, L McLean, J Wharry, H McClurkin

UNDER-15

Northend 3, Glenavon 4: The U15s welcomed Irish League Academy team Glenavon to the Smithfield pitch for their first match of 2014.

The Ballymena boys started the match off well and it wasn’t long before they took the lead, with new signing Jordan Savage beating a player before putting Johnston Kirkpatrick through and he raced past a defender before steadying

himself and firing low past the keeper,

Glenavon started coming more into the game and after twenty minutes they equalized. Their left winger was tackled just inside the box with what looked like a great tackle as the ball changed direction but the referee pointed to the spot. New keeper O’Neill was unlucky as he just got a hand to the ball but the shot was too powerful.

Just after this Northend thought they had a penalty when Herbison was brought down by the Glenavon keeper but the referee pointed for an offside instead.

On 30 minutes Glenavon took the lead when the big forward cut through and lobbed the ball into the net.

The second half got underway and within a couple of minutes Glenavon increased their lead when the big midfielder’s shot took a deflection and sent O’Neill the wrong way.

Worse was to come as Glenavon scored their fourth goal as a midfielder rode a number of lacklustre tackles before squaring for his team mate to shoot low past the keeper. A few changes were made with some players changing positions and this seemed to help. Robbie Dennison’s lob from his own half seemed to cross the line before the keeper saved but the referee deemed it hadn’t,

Bradley Cairns played Zack Herbison through and when he was brought down in the box by the keeper the referee had no hesitation but to point to the spot, Herbison stepped up and dispatched the ball into the corner for Northend’s second goal.

With five minutes remaining, Northend scored again, when good work from Sam Bennett, Cairns, Kirkpatrick and Savage and the ball was played into the box it was only half cleared to Herbison who’s curled shot from 16yards flew into the corner of the net. However the Blues kept up the pressure but there just wasn’t enough time for the boys to equalize. MOM - Bradley Cairns, Jordan Savage

Northend: A O’Neill, L McFall, J Anderson, O Boyle, R Dennison, B Cairns(c), S Bennett, L McCann, J Kirkpatrick, Z Herbison, J Savage, C McLaughlin, M Waide, Dylan McKelvey.

UNDER-17

Wakehurst 0, Cliftonville 5: Wakehurst U17s fell to their heaviest defeat of the season against Cliftonville at a foggy Showgrounds 3G on Friday night.

The Ballymena team were down to the bare bones for this match, with injury affecting a number of players, but the players on show certainly weren’t found wanting in this high profile match.

Wakehurst were equal to Cliftonville from the start of this match, with the first real chance of the game falling to Ryan Gault but unfortunately he delayed his shot and allowed the Reds defender to get in a good tackle.

Play swung from end to end with Wakehurst giving as good as they were getting, with Michael Laverty and Jonny Hanlon having good games in the home defence. Jamie Speirs and Thomas Brady were keeping the experienced Cliftonville midfield under wraps with their tireless running.

With 30 minutes on the clock, the referee awarded an innocuous looking penalty, when the ball struck the home defender as he closed down a Reds shot. The Cliftonville striker made no mistake to give them a 1-0 lead.

This decision clearly rattled the home players and Cliftonville had scored a second goal within minutes, when their striker was given too much time in the Wakehurst penalty box. Cliftonville added a third almost on half time, as their Northern Ireland striker Andy Mooney ran through the home defence and planted the ball wide of Aodhan Tolan, in the Wakehurst nets. Into the second half and Lee Scroggie replaced Waring in midfield for the home team. Wakehurst again started strongly but it wasn’t long before they conceded a fourth goal. The game was over as a contest when Cliftonville scored their fifth goal shortly afterwards when a free kick was palmed clear by Aodhan Tolan but the Reds striker was first to react and planted the loose ball into the roof of the net.

However Wakehurst settled down after this and again looked dangerous on the break with Stevie Hare seeing a shot just go wide of the Reds upright.

However a tired looking Wakehurst saw out the rest of the game.

Wakehurst: A Tolan, J Hanlon, M Laverty, K McCollum, N Swann (c), T Brady, J Speirs, R Gault, S Hare, A McAvoy, C Waring, L Scroggie

FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

Northend United’s Football Development Centre returns again on Friday 24th January at its indoor venue of the Ballymena North Centre from 6.00pm to 7.30pm.for boys and girls aged 4 to 10 inclusive. For more information, or to reserve your child a place on the eight week course, please call John Devlin on 07919056834. Application forms can also be printed off the Northend website www.northendunitedyouthfc.co.uk

PLAYERS WANTED

With the transfer window open in January, Northend United and Wakehurst Youth are on the lookout for players and coaches to add to their teams.

If you were born between 1997 and 2006 and are interested in playing competitive football in either the National League, the Lisburn Youth League or the North West and Coleraine and District Youth League, get in contact with the following Managers: U8s (2006) Ally McGarry 07779005441; U9s (2005) John Devlin 07919056834; U10s (2004) Robert Adams 07766257645; U11s (2003) David Wylie 07792887435; U12s (2002) Conor Connelly 07713269897; U13s (2001) Mark Lecky 07792887435, U14s (2000) Johnny Sayers 07563854345; U15s (1999) Mark Herbison 07850669727; U17s (1997) Glenn Speirs 07799895213.