SML round-up: Big Ben strikes five in Newpark cup shock

The most eye-catching result of those games came in the Rainey Cup, where third division Newpark Olympic travelled to Division Two and returned with a remarkable 7-3 win.

Ben Armstrong was the Antrim side’s hero as he plundered five of Newpark’s goals.

RAINEY CUP ROUND ONE

Cloughmills 3, Newpark Olympic 7: Cloughmills opened the scoring after poor defending from a corner when Ricky Hanna was on hand to score.

Newpark regrouped and grabbed an equaliser through Marky Freeburn before taking the lead for the first time three minutes later when Freeburn flicked the ball on for Ben Armstrong who rounded the Cloughmills keeper Peter Gillespie and slot it home.

Play was flowing from end to end and it was Cloughmills who struck again when then came back when a shot by Denver Campbell was palmed in by Olympic keeper Gary Heaney.

Both teams struggled under the extreme conditions but it was Newpark who finished the half with two further goals, the first came on 30th minute when Armstrong was on hand to fire home then Armstrong became provider for James Brown to score Newpark’s fourth and give them a two goal lead at half time.

The conditions in the second half were terrible as the pitch cut up but Cloughmills then got a glimmer of hope when Adam Wright scored to make it 4-3.

Ben Armstrong restored Olympic’s two goal lead shortly afterwards with another great finish.

Newpark were dealing better with the conditions and put the game out of sight with Roy Robinson back heeling the ball to Armstrong to score again.

Newpark wrapped up the scoring with Rab Crawford supplying a ball for Armstrong to score and make that 5 for him on the day and book Newpark’s place in the next round of the cup and set up a Derby match against Atletico Antrim.

RAINEY CUP, ROUND TWO

Harryville Homers 7, Wakehurst Star 1: This was the only game in Ballymena due to the heavy rain and it threw together all conquering Harryville Homers against third Division Wakehurst Star.

With virtually the length of the entire league separating the sides, it was no surprise that Homers booked their place in the next round of the Rainey Cup after eventually running out convincing winners against a very enthusiastic Wakehurst Star side.

The first twenty minutes passed by with very few incidents to report as the visitors restricting the Homers to just a few half chances.

The cup holders eventually clicked into gear midway through the first half when Jason Logan’s cross come shot was turned into his own net by the unfortunate Wakehurst defender to break the deadlock.

The second came shortly afterwards when the hard working Jason Logan shot through a crowd of players from inside the box to see his left foot effort nestle in the corner of the net.

The Homers stepped it up a couple of gears after a very lacklustre first half performance and seen a quick return for their increased efforts when Jasin Magill scored his side’s third of the game with a powerful shot on the run, low into the bottom corner.

Ricky Nicholl added his name to the score sheet with the goal of the game. The tenacious midfielder moved the ball onto his right foot on the edge of the box before deftly clipping the ball past the Wakehurst keeper via the upright.

The visitors were not surprisingly beginning to look a bit leg weary at this point having expended so much energy in the first period.

With the chances coming regularly, captain Gary Bonnes inevitably scored for the Homers, heading in David Gibson’s pinpoint cross from close range.

Star got on the score sheet themselves when Michael Ross took advantage of a defence mistake before advancing and slotting past Ryan Martin in goal.

Gary Bonnes scored the Homers sixth of the game with a calm right foot finish from ten yards out, a landmark goal for his side with it being their one hundredth goal of the season so far.

With the game in its dying embers, substitute Darren Campbell added a touch of class to proceedings with a dazzling individual goal to savour to put the Homers into seventh heaven.

OTHER RESULTS

Rainey Cup 1st Round: Clough Rangers OFF North End Shamrocks; Ahoghill Rovers OFF Carniny Rangers; Shore Wanderers 4, Raceview 2; Holywell OFF FC Moylena; Lisnafillan Swifts OFF Cushendall

Rainey Cup 2nd Round: Galgorm Blues OFF Ballykeel; Connor FC OFF St Comgalls; Templepatrick OFF Ahoghill Thistle; Cullybackey Olympic OFF Woodside; Glenravel OFF Braid United; All Saints OBs OFF Riverdale; FC Bayern Money 1, Abbeyview 12.

Ballymena Mortgages BSML Division One: Carnlough Swifts OFF Michelin

Ballymena Mortgages BSML Division Two: Randalstown 0, Waveney Swifts 1; FC Antrim 6, Seven Towers 1.

FIXTURES

Matches this Saturday, February 1, are:

Rainey Cup, round one (10.15am): Clough Rangers v North End Shamrocks (Clough); Ahoghill Rovers v Carniny Rangers (Ahoghill); Holywell v FC Moylena (Forum); Lisnafillan Swifts v Cushendall (Showgrounds 4).

Rainey Cup, round two: Galgorm Blues v Ballykeel (Galgorm); Newpark Olympic v Atletico Antrim (Forum); Connor FC v St Comgalls (Connor); Templepatrick v Ahoghill Thistle (Forum); Glenravel v Braid United (Waveney 2); All Saints OBs v Riverdale (Showgrounds 5); Shore Wanderers v FC Penarol (Forum).

Ballymena Mortgages Division One: Harryville Homers v Carnlough Swifts; Randastown Sky Blues v Michelin

Ballymena Mortgages Division Two: Cloughmills v Randalstown.

Raceview, Seven Towers, FC Antrim and Waveney Swifts Free

Ballymena Mortgages Division Three: Wakehurst Star v Cullybackey Olympic (Dunfane 1); Woodside v FC Bayern Money (Wakehurst 3).

Steadfast Free