South come out on top as Linden Cup campaign begins

Despite having four new additions in the starting line-up, the youthful South side, now being coached by Drew Campbell, looked as if they’d been playing a lifetime together and it didn’t take long at all before they broke the deadlock. A free-flowing move down the right hand side culminated in debutant Simon Watt rounding the advancing keeper before bundling the ball home. Chris Henry, who recently rejoined the club following two seasons with Annadale, soon doubled South’s lead having broke free of the home side’s defence.

Having started extremely brightly, the visitors went from strength to strength; Patric Cochrane got his name on the scoresheet, finishing off a slick short corner routine, before Stuart Hunter - another new acquisition - added a fourth goal for the visitors.

Paul Maguire finally managed to bag himself a goal as he scrambled the ball home from less than a yard out. Maguire then finished off an incisive move with a sweetly struck reverse stick effort to double his tally and get the visitors’ 6th goal of the match.

Antrim, who had had relatively little joy in the match thus far, finally gave their supporters something to cheer about, on the stroke of half time, as they took advantage of some uncharacteristically­ sloppy defending from the new-look South back four.

From the beginning of the second half, it was evident that Antrim had thrown whatever tactics they had employed in the first half out the window and instead decided to adopt a more physical approach. However, what South may lack in physical stature, they more than make up for in pace and agility. Paul Maguire was on target again to complete his hat-trick, and register his side’s 7th goal, by deftly deflecting a left wing cross beyond the hapless Antrim ‘keeper. South were soon reduced to 9 men as their skipper, Lee Marshall, was sin-binned for a professional foul before Maguire was ordered to accompany him for dissent. Despite the two man disadvantage, Patric Cochrane further extended the Lisburn side’s lead with a crisp drag flick to the ‘keeper’s right.

Antrim pulled a goal back but it was that man Maguire who had the final say in the game converting, for his 4th goal of the afternoon.

An extremely encouraging performance and result, the Lisburn side’s next match is at home to Queen’s University this Saturday. Push back is 2.30pm at Friends’ School.

Elsewhere, South Antrim 4s completed their preseason build up with an inter-club friendly against South Antrim 3s. A tightly contested game saw the more experienced 4s end victorious with a 2-0 win thanks to two goals from Chris Black. South Antrim 4s begin their Junior 5 season at Friends’ School this Saturday against Portadown 3s.

Thanks, as always, to club sponsor, Phillips Volkswagen.