SML: Homers, Sky Blues set up Boxing Day final showdown

Standing in their way in the Boxing Day decider will be Randalstown Sky Blues, who were impressive 3-0 winners over All Saints Old Boys in the other semi-final.

O’KANE CUP SEMI-FINALS

Ahoghill Thistle 1, Harryville Homers 3: Homers reached the County Antrim Post O’Kane Cup Final thanks to a great first half performance but had to survive a torrid second half as Thistle put them under extreme pressure.

Homers took the lead on 15 minutes when Darren Campbell curled the ball into the top corner from a free kick 20 yards out.

David Nicholl made up for an earlier miss when his goalbound shot took a wicked deflection and finished in the net.

Then midway through the half the tie looked over when Gary Bonnes nipped in to finish off a David Nicholl cross for Homers’ third goal.

The second half saw Thistle take the game to Homers and they pulled a goal back on 75 minutes with a brilliant goal from Matt Boyd who collected the ball 25 yards out and fired the ball into the top corner.

Ten minutes later Thistle had a great chance to reduce the deficit when they were awarded a penalty kick but Homers keeper Ryan Martin somehow got down to save Boyd’s spot kick, while David Tennant also hit the post for Thistle in the closing stages.

All Saints OB 0, Randalstown Sky Blues 3: A brilliant first half performance by Sky Blues saw them go in three up at half time and although Saints fought back they were unable to breach a well organised Sky Blues defence

The opening goal came on 11 minutes when Jordan Craig released Henry Nutter and he unselfishly squared to Johnny McKeown to slot home.

Sky Blues doubled their lead on 25 minutes when Jordan Craig drilled the ball across from the left and it found Henry Nutter unmarked at the back post to score.

The Randalstown side capped a great first half eight minutes before the break when Steven Wilson won a header in midfield and it found Randal Reid inside the box and he fired home to make it 3-0.

BALLYMENA MORTGAGES DIVISION ONE

FC Penarol 2, Carniny Rangers 6: Carniny took advantage of the teams above them playing in the O’Kane Cup to move into second place .

It was Carniny who opened the scoring just before the half hour mark after McDowell’s cross was headed in at the back post by Tyler Caulfield.

Within two minutes the lead was doubled when McDowell beat Jimmy King on the right and his ball across the box was deflected past keeper Andy McCaughern by one of his defenders.

The second half began with a flurry of goals after a short free kick McDowell’s cross was headed down by Ryan Bamber for Richard Reid to drill the ball into the bottom corner of the net from 18 yards for Carniny’s third before Tyler Caulfield netted his second from close range.

Penarol then pulled a goal back after Joe Nixon’s dipping volley from 25 yards deceived Foster in the Carniny goal. Then on the hour Dean Magill got a debut goal heading in after good link up play between Mo Spence and Darren Kidd.

Simon Beverland netted for the home side on 75 minutes after Johnny Clarke’s initial effort was well saved by Foster before Carniny sub Dean Dunlop completed the scoring with a minute to play.

Shore Wanderers 3, Michelin 5: This was an important game for both teams in their fight against relegation but a Stephen Sexton hat trick helped give Michelin all three points.

The first goal came after 11 minutes when Sexton ran onto a through ball from Declan McGuckin and fired into the top of the net.

Michelin doubled their lead 5 minutes later when the same duo combined and Sexton got his second goal.

Shore hit back within 8 minutes when they were awarded a penalty kick when Dermot McWilliams was brought down in the penalty area. Mark McNicholl stepped up and hammered home the spot kick.

Michelin then were awarded a penalty kick which Shore keeper Emmett McKay saved only for the ball to come to Michelin’s Leroy Kennedy who fired home the rebound.

Shore had the final say in the first half when Ryan McNicholl broke through to score and leave the score 3-2 at half time.

In the second half, Don McAllister put Michael McQuitty clear and he fired home to restore Michelin two goal lead.

Mark McQuitty hit the post before Stephen Sexton broke clear and rounded the keeper to complete his hat trick and put Michelin 5-2 up.

Shore never gave up and were awarded another penalty which Mark McNicholl scored to make it 5-3 but Michelin held on for an important win.

BALLYMENA MORTGAGES DIVISION TWO

The shock of the day was FC Antrims win over unbeaten Connor FC. Raceview put seven past Riverdale to go top of Division Two jointly with St Comgalls who won a seven goal thriller against Cloughmills. Relegation battlers Cushendall turned in the performance of the day beating Holywell.

OTHER RESULTS

Ballymena Mortgages Division One: Clough Rangers 2, Ahoghill Rovers 1; FC Moylena 2, Ballykeel 1.

Ballymena Mortgages Division Two: Connor FC 0, FC Antrim 3; Holywell 1, Cushendall 7; Randalstown 2, Seven Towers 4; Riverdale 0, Raceview 7; St Comgalls 4, Cloughmills 3; Waveney Swifts 4, Braid United 0.

Ballymena Mortgages Division Three: FC Bayern Money 2, Atletico Antrim 1; Lisnafillan Swifts 3, Woodside 1; Newpark Olympic 0, Cullybackey Olympic 2; Steadfast 0, Glenravel 2; Wakehurst Star 2, Galgorm Blues 5.

FIXTURES

Saturday, December 7 - Ballymena Mortgages Division One (10.15am): Abbeyview v Clough Rangers (Forum); Ahoghill Thistle v Carniny Rangers; All Saints OB v Harryville Homers (Showgrounds 5); Ballykeel v FC Penarol; Michelin v Ahoghill Rovers; Randalstown Sky Blues v FC Moylena; Shore Wanderers v Carnlough Swifts (Forum).

Ballymena Mortgages Division Two: Braid United v Holywell (Broughshane); Connor FC v Riverdale; Cushendall v Raceview; FC Antrim v Waveney Swifts (Forum); North End Shamrocks v St Comgalls (Dunfane 1); Seven Towers v Cloughmills (Showgrounds 4).

CGRSC Sammy Moore Cup, second round, first leg: Newpark Olympic v Wakehurst Star (Forum); Steadfast v Lisnafillan Swifts (Galgorm); FC Bayern Money v Galgorm Blues; Glenravel v Cullybackey Olympic (Waveney 2).

Ballymena Mortgages Division Three: Woodside v Templepatrick (Wakehurst 3).