SML round-up: Homers keep Cup and Shield '˜double' dream intact

Robert Duddy’s side negotiated a difficult quarter final tie away at Greenisland by winning 2-1 to make it into the last four of the Toals Co Antrim Junior Shield.

Homers game plan was working well as they controlled the opening quarter of the game and opening the scoring as well through Darren Campbell who was in the right place at the right time in the box to calmly slot home.

Homers doubled their lead on the stroke of half time with Paul McNeill taking the plaudits when he tricked his way past a defender before rifling into the net.

The home side made a better fist of the second half and it wasn’t a big surprise when the home team reduced their arrears midway through the half.

The referee adjudged James Gracey to have man handled a Greenisland player as a corner came in. He awarded the penalty which was duly converted as well as giving Gracey a second yellow card and his marching orders but Homers held on to set up a repeat of last year’s Junior Cup Semi Final against Lower Shankill.

FRIMUS ENERGY DIVISION ONE

FC Moylena 0, Carniny Rangers 2: Carniny recorded an important league win in Antrim for the second successive Saturday to move top of Division One.

The deadlock was broken four minutes into the second half when Alan Norton met Lee McCaughern’s corner kick with a fine header for his third goal in four games.

With 15 minutes to play Robert Young freshened up the Carniny attack and it was 17 year old substitute striker Robbie Perkins who sealed the victory in the closing minutes with a fine dipping volley from 25 yards after he latched on to Dean Magill’s through ball.

FIRMUS ENERGY DIVISION TWO

Galgorm Blues 2, FC Penarol 12: Penarol got off to the perfect start, player/manager David Paul with a defence splitting ball to Neil Weir whose shot was parried by the keeper into the path of Kenny Wright to tap in his team’s opener.

On 26 minutes Reg Colville made it 2-0 with a well struck free kick from just inside his own half, the Galgorm keeper getting his positioning wrong.

Galgorm responded well and in the 39th minute, Penarol keeper Jon Cunningham failed to handle a corner from Jason Smyth and Geoff Moffet was on hand to poke the ball home.

Penarol replied after fine passing play involving Neil Weir, Simon Beverland & David Paul with the latter’s final pass laying in the impressive Ryan Gault to dispatch Penarol’s third his first of the season.

Gault’s fine running from midfield saw him race onto another through ball from David Paul before showing great composure to lay the ball off to Kenny Wright to make the score 4-1 at the break.

Penarol added a fifth in the opening minute of the second half as Darren Fletcher swivelled well and dispatched a tremendous volley into the rigging, his 7th goal of the season. His eighth came just nine minutes later as he was well found by Neil Weir in a crowded box, this time tucking away a low hard finish under the keeper.

On 59 minutes Fletcher then turned provider with an excellent through ball to the unstoppable Kenny Wright to tally up the first three of his stunning double hat trick.

Not content with three goals, the next six minutes of the match saw Wright demolish the Galgorm back line with top drawer finishes, making it 9-1.

Galgorm then scored on 67 minutes through Jason Smyth, who beat the offside trap to score. Penarol however responded straight away when Jonathan Carson’s corner proved too much for the Galgorm keeper to handle and he inadvertently ended up punching the ball into his own net.

Carson got his name on the scoresheet on the 70th minute, squeezing in a deft finish from the acutest of angles.

Fittingly, the last goal was struck by Kenny Wright, rounding off his double hat trick with aplomb.

RAINEY CUP, ROUND THREE

All Sainst OB 8, Randalstown 2: In-form Saints took only seven minutes to open the scoring when Gordon Dillon played a great through ball into the path of Liam Cassley who controlled before firing the ball past Dennis Quigley in the Randalstown goal.

Two minutes later Randalstown were awarded a penalty, but keeper Paul McCann dived brilliantly to his left to save Darrin Quigley’s spot kick.

Saints’ second came on 13 minutes when the ball was fizzed into Liam Cassley and he flicked the ball to Aaron Wilkinson whose volley from 20 yards gave Quigley no chance.

It took Saints until the half hour mark to add to the score again, this time Cassley drove at the Randalstown defence before picking his spot. This goal opened the floodgates as two minutes later Cassley completed his hat trick when he headed home at the back post from a Barry Hamill cross.

Dillon made it 5-0 soon after when he drove forward and unleashed a thunderous drive into the bottom corner from 25 yards and Saints completed a great first half when Ryan Wilkinson drove the ball across the six yard box from the right for Aaron Wilkinson to fire home his second.

Randalstown got a goal back on the hour mark when Darren Semple smashed the ball home from 20 yards out, then Randalstown made it 6-2 on 70 minutes when David Waddell made no mistake from the spot after they were awarded a second penalty kick for hand ball.

Saints made it 7-2 with eight minutes to go when Barry Hamill kept alive a corner kick and drove the ball across for Chris Wilkinson to score from close range. Just before the end Saints made it 8-2 when Joe Scullion headed home from close range.

OTHER RESULTS

firmus energy Division One: Clough Rangers 4, Newpark Olympic 1; Riverdale 1, Raceview 3.

firmus energy Division Two: Cloughmills 0, Woodside 1; Seven Towers 0, Carnlough Swifts 4.

firmus energy Division Three: Braid United 2, Rubys Rovers 1; Cullybackey Olympic 2, Atletico Antrim 10; Northend & District 1, Steadfast 4; St Comgalls 3, Templepatrick 0; Southside Rangers 2, Wakehurst Star 1.

FIXTURES

Saturday, March 19 (10.15am) - Rainey Cup, round two: Carniny Rangers v Waveney Swifts (Wakehurst 1); Wakehurst Star v Sporting Ballymoney (Showgrounds 4).

firmus energy Division One: Ahoghill Thistle v Raceview (Ahoghill); Clough Rangers v Abbeyview (Clough); Glenravel v Harryville Homers (Cargan); Newpark Olympic v Ballykeel; Riverdale v FC Moylena (Wakehurst 2).

firmus energy Division Two: Carnlough Swifts v Ahoghill Rovers; Cloughmills v Michelin; FC Penarol v Randalstown (Connor); Galgorm Blues v Holywell (Galgorm).

Clough GRSC Sammy Moore Cup, second round, first leg: Carniny Amateurs & Youth v Steadfast (Showgrounds 7).

firmus energy Division Three: Atletico Antrim v Northend & District (Forum); Braid United v St Comgalls (Broughshane); Ruby’s Rovers v Southside Rangers.