Sharp Thistle continue to set the early pace at top of Division One

With strike partnership David Tennant and Matthew Boyd in fine form, Thistle contiued their steady progress with a 5-1 win over Penarol.

DIVISION ONE

FC Penarol 1, Ahoghill Thistle 5: Thistle took a deserved lead midway through the first half when the ball was sent up the left channel and cut back to the edge of the box where Matt Boyd rifled a low drive into the net at the near post.

Penarol didn’t offer much in the way of attack and Thistle continued to control much of the game, however Penarol got an equaliser out of nothing 5 minutes before the break when a mix-up at the back allowed Penarol’s Kenny Wright to race clear and round Thistle keeper Stewart McDonald before he rolled the ball into an empty net to leave the score 1-1 at half-time.

The second half continued in the same pattern with Thistle pressing for another goal, which eventually arrived courtesy of David Tennent who stayed calm to lob the Penarol keeper Andy McCaughern from 25 yards after a great ball from Alan Moore.

The third goal came 5 mintues later when after a great run from Paul McBurney he was brought down from behind in the penalty area. Matt Boyd stepped up to fire the spot-kick into the net to make it 3-1 to Thistle.

The fourth goal arrived soon after with Paul McBurney again making a great run before finishing from just inside the box. Thistle completed the scoring late on when they got the fifth goal which came from a corner kick for Ryan Wilkinson to rise well to put the ball past the helpless Penarol keeper.

Harryville Homers 5, Randalstown Sky Blues 2: A hat trick from Darren Campbell helped Champions Harryville Homers maintain their 100% start to this season’s league campaign.

In a tempestuous start to the game at the newly revamped Wakehurst it was Randalstown Sky Blues who drew first blood when Henry Nutter converted from the spot after Sky Blues were awarded a penalty.

The Harryville side, still smarting from the previous decision were awarded a penalty of their own as the referee adjudged a Randalstown player to have handled the ball in the penalty area. Up stepped Darren Campbell to score his first, scoring low to the keeper’s left hand side.

Randal Reid put the visitors back in front again when he chipped the ball into the unprotected Homers goal from fully 40 yards after the referee allowed play to continue when Darren Campbell’s free kick was blocked from close range.

Homers went in search of a second equaliser and captain Gary Bonnes, as he so often does, came up trumps as he slide in at the back post to convert from close range following more excellent work from Alan Rainey on the right.

Homers were awarded a second penalty as half time approached when full back Ryan Stewart was upended in the box. Up stepped the influential Darren Campbell to score and send the defending champions in at the break with a slender lead.

The Harryville side started the second period on the front foot as they looked to add to their tally. It was David Nicholl who scored his side’s fourth of the game when the ball broke kindly to him just inside the box. The tricky winger, with plenty still to do, curled the ball sublimely into the top left hand corner giving the keeper no chance.

Sky Blues’ race was all but ran when their centre half received his marching orders midway through the half when he fouled Darren Campbell as he raced in on goal.

Homers scored their fifth and final goal of the game as Darren Campbell took advantage of a goalkeeping blunder to walk the ball into the net and deservedly complete his hat trick and finish off a spirited Sky Blues once and for all.

BSML DIVISION TWO

Two teams recorded big score in Division Two with Holywell hammering eleven past bottom team Randalstown while League Leaders North End Shamrocks also reached double figures against Cushendall and with two wins from the week look title challengers.

Raceview also had two wins during the week and are in the chasing pack along with Seven Towers and several others on 9 points including the undefeated Connor who have only played three games.

BSML DIVISION THREE

Woodside 1, Newpark Olympic 4: With Jamie Nutter hitting a brace, Newpark ran out easy winners and maintain their 100% swin start to the season.

Newpark opened the scoring through Jamie Nutter on the 8th minute drilling the ball past the Woodside keeper.

This was the start Newpark needed to settle them and they began to get there foot on the ball and then doubled there lead through Jamie Nutter again on 20 minutes with a great finish slotting by the keeper.

The second half saw Olympic continue as they had finished the first half dominating the play and it was no surprise when they got their third when from a free kick the ball was put in the box for Gary Surgenor to head past the keeper on 51 minutes. Newpark went into cruise control but then conceded on the 75 minute to make it 3-1 and give woodside a glimmer of hope.

But Newpark hit back with another to finish the game off to wrap up the points through Dee Thompson and to make it four out of four in the league.

OTHER RESULTS

County Antrim Post O’Kane Cup 1st Round: Steadfast 3, Cushendall 1; Glenravel 4, FC Bayern Money 1

BSML Division One: All Saints OB 5, Ahoghill Rovers 1; Carniny Rangers 5, FC Penarol 1; Clough Rangers 1, Abbeyview 1; Michelin 3, FC Moylena 1; Randalstown Sky Blues 5, Ballykeel 2; Ahoghill Rovers 1, Carnlough Swifts 3; Clough Rangers 2, FC Moylena 0.

BSML Division Two: Cloughmills 3, Connor 6; FC Antrim 7, Holywell 1; Raceview 3, Braid United 1; Randalstown 0, Riverdale 3; Seven Towers 3, North End Shamrocks 2; Waveney Swifts 0 St, Comgalls 4; Cloughmills 2, FC Antrim 4; Cushendall 0, North End Shamrocks 10; Raceview FC 3, Riverdale 1; Randalstown 0, Holywell 11; Waveney Swifts 2, Seven Towers 3.

BSML Division Three: Cullybackey Olympic 6, Templepatrick 0; Galgorm Blues 1, Steadfast 1; Wakehurst Star 1, Newpark Olympic 5; Woodside 1, Atletico Antrim 4; Galgorm Blues 1, Cullybackey Olympic 3; Lisnafillan Swifts 0, Atletico Antrim 0; Templepatrick 1, Glenravel 4; Wakehurst Star 1, Steadfast 2.

FIXTURES

This Saturday, August 31, is a free Saturday, with no fixtures scheduled.