Goals continue to fly in

The Villager's, Glebe Old Boys, Bertha's and Riverside maintained their 100% start to the season racking up 14 goals between them.

Reigning champions Hazelbank bounced back from the mid-week defeat by Macosquin Village edging out West Bann Athletic 3-2.

There were two contenders for the game of the day as Hillview and Ballyrashane shared the spoils in an eight goal thriller.

And Villagers and Macosquin Village played out a real game of two halves. The Villagers raced in to a 4-0 lead at the break only for Macosquin to produce a superb second half display but they could only score three in reply.

Coleraine Olympic 0 Brook Street 3

Olympic started the brighter of the two teams and came close to breaking the deadlock when a cross-cum-shot hit the Brook Street bar.

Brook Street hit back and Martin Smith almost scored a wonder goal as he beat five men but he couldn't finish on his weaker foot.

The visitors did grab the opener thanks to Mop Smith who fired a low shot in to the bottom corner.

Olympic pushed for the equaliser but were twice denied by McKissock in the Brook Street goal.

Lee McDonald, playing his first game in two years, extended Brook Street's lead on 32 minutes with a good finish.

Brook Street continued to dominate in the second half with Dinsmore going close at the start of the second half. Olympic though had a 30-yard strike from a defender tipped over the bar by McKissock who had a great game from start to finish.

Dinsmore finally got his goal in the 80th minute after his great run past two defenders before he slipped by ball past the oncoming keeper.

Dinsmore then had a goal disallowed for offside after the unselfish McDonald squared it across instead of going alone with only the keeper to beat. Olympic kept fighting to the end but with Duffy and Smith breaking up Olympic s attacks in the middle of park and Downes, McVicker and Friel tidying up at the back Olympic were running out off ideas. A fair result for a game that was played in great spirit throughout .

Man of the Match: Lee McDonald (Brook Street).

Balnamore 3 Somerset 1

Both teams needed the points in this match,so it was no surprise the game started a little cautious by both.

Balnamore settled and played some good football, but it was somerset who took the lead with a route one ball from their keeper, which bounced over a couple of Balnamore players, before finding Steven Henry who slotted home.

Balnamore hit back straight away with efforts from McKinnon and Hanna which were somehow kept out by Somerset.

But it was an inswinging shot by McKinnon which crept beyond the keeper which pulled Balnamore level.

Balnamore passed the ball well after this and created several chances, with Ryan Maddison getting his side's second goal slotting the ball under the somerset keeper.

It was all Balnamore after this and they grabbed a third after Willie Corr had rounded the keeper, but his goal bound shot was handled on the line by a defender who was subsequently sent off before Nicky Tweed fired home from the spot.

Man of the Match: Scott Fraser (Somerset FC).

Hazelbank 3 West Bann Athletic 2

After the midweek defeat, Hazelbank got of to a strong start, forcing West Bann on to the back foot.

Colin McClarty got in on the action early, heading over from Sheppard's cross. Both Sheppard and Reid were getting involved on both flanks, but a well organised and disciplined West Bann defence kept them at bay.

The deadlock was finally broken on 15 minutes. A good passing move started by Kelly put Reid into space. He squared to McClarty who unselfishly set it for Jason King to tap in a well worked and deseverd goal.

Colin McClarty came close to doubling the lead but his first time shot from King's superb pas beat Tosh in goals, but the upright came to his rescue.

West Bann's first attack resulted in a goal. A mix up between King and Boorman allowed Holmes to release Biggart whose shot beat Crawford's outstretched arm.

Biggart grabbed his and West Bann's second soon after after he took advantage of another slip before finishing well.

Hazelbank though drew level straight from the restart as Reid picked out Sheppard with a great cross and the left winger slotted home.

With the wind now with Hazelbank the West Bann defence really dug in and made this a very tight half, looking to catch Hazelbank on the counter. A string of chances went begging for Hazelbank - Sheppard King and McClarty all failed to get good chances on target.

The next goal was always going to be vital and on 75 minutes Sheppard got what turned out to be the winner.

James Diver put him through and he cut in and his shot found the back of the net with the help of a slight deflection.

West Bann almost drew level right at the death as Biggart broke free but Steven Crawford in the home goal proved his worth with a superb block to deny the striker.

Man of the Match: Lee Biggart (West Bann).

Hillview FC 4 Ballyrashane FC 4

Ballyrashane started strongly and took an early lead when Boyd was left unmarked from a corner to head home.

The first half saw good chances wasted by both teams, but it was Hillview who were next to score. A throw in from the right found Hutchinson. His pass picked out Black who pushed the ball past the last man and fired into the bottom corner.

Ballyrashane regained there lead early in the second half. The Hillview defence failed to deal with a punt up field and as they scrambled to clear, Gaile headed into his own net past McVey who had came out to provide support.

The scores were level again soon after. A free kick by McConnell on the half way line was dropped by the Ballyrashane keeper and fell at Fraiser's feet who tapped it into the open goal.

Ballyrashane regained their lead from the kick off. Freeman cut through the Hillview defence and when finally tackled, the ball fell to Watt who fired it in off the post. This lead was short lived as Hillview struck back from there kick off. McClelland's ball found Close on the left. He was too strong for the defenders and forced his way through to fire into the corner of the net.

Hillview took the lead for the first time with 15 minutes to go. Close found Hutchinson on the left. His cross found Fraiser unmarked at the back post and he finished to make it 4-3.

Ballyrashane didn't lie down though and they equalised to make it 4-4. Fillis' attempted clearance dropped to Freeman who chipped the ball over McVey in the Hillview goal.

With 5 minutes left on the clock, Hillview pushed for the win and went close when Black's shot went inches wide. Despite this, Ballyrashane held on to pick up a deserved share of the spoils.

Man of the Match: Ronnie McCurdy (Hillview).

Finn McCools 0 Glebe Rangers Old Boys 4

Glebe went on the offensive from the start, and were rewarded when Holmes opened the scoring with his second in consecutive games.

The Old Boys continued to press and were rewarded when the alert Wilmont scored with a quickly-taken free-kick. Steele completed the first half scoring with a well-struck penalty after he was adjudged to have been fouled.

The second half continued in the same theme with Glebe going close on a number of occasions before Steele nodded home a Wilmont corner. Thereafter Glebe were content to see out the game.

To their credit Finns continued to work hard until the final whistle, never giving up, and this should stand them in good stead for the rest of the season.

Man of the Match: Lee Kyle (Glebe Rangers Old Boys).

Bertha's FC 5 Mountview FC 0

Bertha's started this game with two wins and were eager to get their third in as many games and it was a former Mountview player Davy Caldwell who started the scoring for them.

Ten minutes into the first half both team had created a few half chances but nothing to really test either keeper untill David Hoey won a super challenge at the back and played a defence splitting pass into Caldwell who dispatched his effort from all of 20 yards into the top right corner of the net.

This was the start Bertha's had wished for and continued to mount attack after attack with McGarvey torturing the left side but the final balls resulted in nothing.

Mountveiw's first chance came from a corner, the ball whipped in across the box and somehow managed to miss everyone. Mountview continued to put pressure on the Bertha's defence but they found that they were getting very little change from Patterson, MacAulay, Hoey and Cambell who were solid all day. Bertha's appeared to swith off for the last 20 minutes of the first half and started to get sloppy in places but Mountview failed to capatalise on this.

The second half was a much better display of football from the home side, with McCrudden and McGarvey now controlling the centre midfield and spreading the ball well. Bertha's right back Hoey playing out of his skin was up and down the line like a grey hound winning corners.

The second goal of the game came after great pressure from McGarvey forcing the defender to clear the ball for a corner. MacAulay's inswinger was met well by McGarvey, crashing his header into the net from 10 yards.

Mountview's heads started to drop a little at this stage and Bertha's started to gather momentum, simple football tearing Mountview apart and they struggled to stop the wave of attacks.

It was from yet another well worked play down the left with Whyte and McGarvey linking up well McGarvey swung the ball into the box and Caldwell coolly flicked it home from 12 yards.

Mountview's best chance of the game arrived soon after as Crawford crossed for Archibald, but the big defender couldn't believe it as his header crashed off the bar.

Bertha's made it four almost immediately as McAulay's corner was headed home by Darren McCrudden to cap a good performance.

Four soon became five when Davy Cambell somehow found himself on the edge of the area during another Bertha's. He picked up the ball from Cochrane before blasting in to the bottom right hand corner from 20 yards.

With Mountview well and truely defeated Bertha's gave the subs a decent run out including David "I'm injured" Graham. There were little chances in the last 15 minutes but Mountview almost had a consolation goal when their striker was played clean through one on one with McCrory, but the Bertha's stopper was more than equal to it.

Man of the Match: Darren McGarvey (Bertha's FC).

FC Macosquin 1 Riverside 2

Riverside started the game with a strong wind at their backs but it still took them to midway through the half before they broke the deadlock. A corner floated in by Carton was flicked on by Kernohan to put them one up.

What Riverside did to Macosquin in the first half Macosquin then did to Riverside in the second. A corner on 70 minutes was turned in by Moffat to bring the home team level.

As time ran out Blair, up from the back, saw his shot take a deflection to give the visitors all three points.

Macosquin Village 3 Villagers 4

With both teams going in to the game unbeaten you felt this would be a cracker and so it turned out.

Colin McFarlane put the visitors ahead on 24 minutes before Darrell Friel made it 2-0 just six minutes later.

Two became three almost immediately as Hamilton Gamble fired home a cracker. And eight minutes before the break McFarlane grabbed his second to complete a remarkable half for the Villagers.

Macosquin came out a very different side after the break and Chris Wade reduced the deficit on 52 minutes.

Ryan Moffatt made it 4-2 on the hour mark before Darren Stewart set up a tense finish with a close range finish two minutes later.

The Villagers held on to seal the win in what was the ultimate game of two halves.

Taverner's 0 Dunaghy 5

Gary Dunlop almost put Dunaghy in front straight from the kick off. The deadlock was finally broken on 20 minutes as Ian Christie scored with a diving header.

Taverner's upped their game after the break testing Ricky Docherty in the Dunaghy goal.

But it was all Dunaghy after this as Gary Dunlop made it 2-0 before Ian Christie, Paul Robinson and the old war horse himself wrapped up a 5-0 win.

Man of Match: Ian Christie (Dunaghy OB).

Fixtures

Saturday 4 September

Ballyrashane v Taverners FC Ballysally 2

Brook Street v Macosquin Village Crescent 3

Dunaghy Old Boy's v Balnamore FC Dunaghy

Glebe Rangers OB v Coleraine Olympic Riada 2

Mountview FC v Hillview FC Rugby Avenue 3

Riverside Athletic v Finn McCool's Fulton Park

Somerset v FC Macosquin Rugby Avenue 2

Villagers F.C v Hazelbank Castlerock

West Bann Athletic v Bertha's FC Rugby Avenue 1