South Antrim 1-9 Pembroke Wanderers (L.Marshall)

After a brief absence, South Antrim were back in Irish Hockey’s most prestigious competition.  This time around they had one of the toughest draws of the round, facing up against a very talented Pembroke Wanderers side.  This tie maybe came at a good time for Pembroke as it gave them a break from their disappointing start to the new Irish Hockey League.

The First ten minutes of the game was quite a cagey affair with South Antrim creating the better of the chances.  This showed when Ward Phillips beat his man and crossed the ball across the face of the goal only for Chris Henry to narrowly miss the ball after a diving attempt.  As the game grew Pembroke began to take control gaining more of the possession but they still couldn’t find a way through the resolute centre-back partnership of Adam Marshall and Mark Gray with Marshall making some particularly impressive goal saving tackles.  This theme would continue throughout the match.

Pembroke finally made the crucial breakthrough midway through the 1st half when a slick move got them to the base line and a pass to the flick spot allowed for an easy tap in.  The away side continued to defend strongly against a team that contained a number of Irish International players and conceded four more quick goals towards the end of the 1st half, with the home netting three short corners from three attempts.  This made the score 5-0 at half time but didn’t stop the young South Antrim team desire to get back into the match.

The 2nd half was a much tighter affair after South Antrim found their footing.  Continuing their high pressing game, they put the Pembroke defence under pressure and forced a number of short corners which narrowly missed their target.  Maybe one of the toughest jobs of the day for South Antrim was in midfield, facing up against some of Pembroke’s most talented players.  This was done superbly by the tireless work of Lee Marshall and John Semple who managed to win some battles of his own. This work ethic spread throughout the team and made Pembroke frustrated but South Antrim began to tire with the continued onslaught and this showed when Pembroke scored another 3 goals in quick succession.

Towards the end of the game South Antrim began to take the game to Pembroke with Chris Henry having notable success down the right hand side.  This pressure finally got it’s reward when Chris Henry used his pace to get to the baseline and win a short corner.  After discussing tactics at the top of the circle, South Antrim executed a short corner perfectly when Adam Glass switched the ball back to Lee Marshall to duly convert into the bottom corner. South nearly added a second as another reverse stick cross from Phillips was inches in front of both Henry and Gamble as it dived to reach it as it continued on and hit the post and bounced clear.  Pembroke would score one more goal to make the final score 9-1 to the home side.  The difference certainly showed in the quality of finishing from the Pembroke side, where nearly every chance was converted into a goal.

South Antrim can take a lot of heart from this match as it will certainly be the toughest match they will play all year.  It is also this level of competition that they need to be aiming for if they wish to improve in the coming years.

 

South Antrim 2nds 2-1 Mossley 2nds (N.Wilson x2)

South Antrim 2nds faced Mossley 2nds on a windy Saturday afternoon at Friends' School. From the start, William Redpath's team dominated the game with efforts from Chris Arnott going just wide of the post. South continued to apply pressure to the Mossley back four with Mark Conn and Jamie Dawson winning penalty corners. Unfortunately, nothing came out of them until Darren Hutchinson and Jamie Dawson executed a lovely routine on the edge of the circle to win yet another corner for South. This time South were clinical with Neil Wilson scoring with a deflection after an initial save by the Mossley keeper. However, Mossley quickly won a short corner after the restart which resulted in a penalty stroke being awarded after an outstanding stop on the line by Matt Frazer which unfortunately hit his body en route. The stroke was converted and both teams went into the break all square at one each.

The second half started like the first with South applying more and more pressure. Eventually the second goal came after Jamie Dawson and Mark Conn worked together to force a turnover by Mossley. Conn sprinted up the pitch and threaded a neat ball into Neil Wilson who chipped the keeper and slammed it home to give South a 2-1 lead. Mossley tried to answer back with nice work down the right hand side, however Ian Glass was on hand in nets to pull off an excellent save to keep South ahead. The game became more and more open as time went on with Andrew Farrell firing excellent aerials down the line for Jamie Dawson to run on to. Unfortunately nothing came off this play. With the game coming to a close, Mossley became more and more frantic with their efforts to level the game but the South back four remained like a brick wall allowing nothing through. With merely seconds to go, South yet again forced a turnover and countered at pace winning a penalty corner on the stroke of the final whistle. Unfortunately South were unable to convert and the game finished 2-1 to South Antrim. A great team performance from South Antrim to record their yet another win at Prospect Hill. Thanks go to Geordie McCandless for umpiring the match.

 

South Antrim 3rds 4-1 Cliftonville 2nds (G.Glass x2, C.McCandless, K.Gamble)

South Antrim 3rds had a home game against Cliftonville 2nds, although the team were sitting top of the league they knew they had to be prepared for a tough game as captain and goalkeeper, Ashley Sloan was unavailable. However, they had nothing to fear as they raced into the lead with a Callum McCandless tap in after great build up play. George Glass netted a brace soon after, one a trademark hit from a short corner. Kurtis Gamble added a fourth in the second half after dribbling from the halfway before striking across goal into the far corner. Cliftonville scored a consolation goal after the Lisburn side had stepped off the gas.

 

South Antrim 4ths 3-3 Mossley 4ths (J.Taylor, A.Glass Jnr, B.Brittain-Dissont)

South Antrim 4ths travelled away to play Mossley 4ths on Friday night. The team was missing their captain and left back, Graeme Alister, and regular sweeper Alan Smith which caused some problems at the back. However, after a shaky start South went 1-0 up after a great individual effort from Jonny Taylor at a short corner. The cracks at the back began to appear shortly after, and South conceded two in quick succession, including a cruel deflection off a defender’s stick to give the keeper no chance. After the half time break, South came out fighting and managed to go 3-2 up against the Mossley side with goals from Adam Glass and Bryce Brittain-Dissont. Unfortunately, they couldn’t hold on and late in the game Mossley equalised with a break away goal forcing South to leave with only a point. Still a well-earned result on a cold Friday night away to Mossley.

 

South Antrim 5ths 0-4 Lisnagarvey 6ths

South 5ths travelled to Garvey 5ths. Having beaten the 4ths earlier in the season, the 5ths knew they were on for a tough match. However, South opened from the start with an attacking style of play. The midfield moved the ball about and Pyper, McElhinney and Faulkner were causing the Garvey defence problems. With Mills going off early in the first half injured, young Jonny Hailes saw his chance to make a mark on the match. However, Garvey were the first to capitalise. A well worked short corner squeezed past keeper Wallace's outstretched leg to go one up. In the second half, south had numerous chances to score. Hailes won the ball worked his way into the circle but his reverse hit shot was saved by the keeper. McElhinney blasted one from the edge, but again it hit the keeper. Pyper dribbled the ball into the circle but, again, South couldn't find the net. Garvey got themselves organised, and with a break down the right they pinched a second. A short corner soon after made it 3. South pushed but with the last play of the game squeezed in a 4th. The young side will rue their many missed chances that could’ve changed the game.

 

South Antrim Ladies 0-1 PSNI Ladies

With a week off last weekend, the Ladies 1sts were determined to get back on winning form and bag all three points. After beating PSNI 4-0 away at the beginning of the season, the ladies were feeling very confident. However, with a slow start in very difficult weather conditions, PSNI managed to put one past the South keeper in the first 10 minutes via strike from a short corner that took an unfortunate deflection and ended up in the corner of the goal. The South Ladies fought back hard, with great attacks from Abi Trimble and a lot of fight up front from Steph Neill. With tireless work from the midfield, the ladies kept possession and were working PSNI hard. The second half started in the same manner as the 1st ended,  dominated by South. Despite all the possession and shots on goal, the girls  couldn't get one past PSNI keeper and the final score was 1-0 to PSNI. The scoreline definately didn't do the girls justice an didn't reflect how well the girls played. Player of the match was Zara Carson.. Excellent work from the girls who are still determined to climb the league table and still have a good chance of fighting for promotion this season.

 

South Antrim Ladies 2nds v Ulster Elks Ladies 4ths (Postponed)

This 2nd place clash was abandoned due to weather just after South had taken a 2-1 lead. #sorelosers

 

South Antrim Ladies 3rds 1-1 Ards 5ths (L.McConnell)

More history is made this weekend as the newly formed South Antrim Ladies 3rds won their first point. A goal courtesy of Laura McConnell was enough to secure a draw. The girls remain a point behind Ards 5ths and sit bottom, but don't forget their 5 games in hand!

WEEKEND PREVIEW

South Antrim v Pembroke Wanderers

South take a break from the Premier League to continue their Irish Senior Cup exploits. Having gone further than the likes of NICS, Quins, UCD or Raphoe in this competition, the draw was not kind, an away tie against Prembroke Wanderers. Nevertheless the boys travel south with hopes of a huge upset.

South Antrim 2nds v Mossley 2nds

These clubs are tied on points in Junior 1 so this is a proverbial 6 pointer to climb the table. Neil Wilson hasn't scored in 5 games, now would be a good time to find that golden touch he showed at the start of the season. The team's key player is Darren Hutchinson who has attracted rave review in the past couple of games, lighting up games with his signature twirls and spins.

South Antrim 3rds v Cliftonville 2nds

Their final game without captain and goalkeeper Ashley Sloan. He will expect nothing less that the boys to be sitting right where he left them, in 1st place. Cliftonville are at the bottom end of table so the odds are good. With George Glass on point in front of goal, the lads will fancy their chances in netting short corners.

South Antrim 4ths v Mossley 5ths

Every week I seem to be writing the same thing about this team: Can Junior score again? Given that he has scored 9/20 of the team's league goals so far, I'd reckon he stands a strong chance. So, once again, we wish Junior all the best in scoring for the 9th game in a row. They play Mossley, a team that the 5ths beat 3-0 in the cup 2 months ago.

South Antrim 5ths v Lisnagarey 6ths

The 5ths have the second worst defensive record in the league, this is an area the boys must improve upon. The 4ths somehow managed to lose to these boys, despite being at opposite ends of the table so they are no pushovers. Trevor will need and organised defence and lethal attack to win this, no pressure.

South Antrim Ladies v PSNI Ladies

The ladies beat this tea 4-0 in the reverse fixture in Belfast and will look to replicate that performance here. PSNI sit 2 points behind our girls having played an extra game. Vicky Donaldson is the team's top scorer with 5. Having last weekend off the girls will be raring to go.

South Antrim Ladies 2nds v Ulster Elks Ladies 4ths

The 2s lost the reverse fixture 3-2 so will be looking to make amends and win this time about. The Elks are tied in 2nd place on 15 points with the Lisburn Lasses so this is a verryy important game. Captain Nicole Bell has be drafting her big pre-game speech all week.

South Antrim Ladies 3rds v Ards Ladies 5ths

The 3rds prop up the table in Junior 7, with Ards 5ths just above them. The 3rds are 1 point behind Ards, with 5 games in hand. The girls are hoping to get their first point or points in their history. Many of the girls are playing their 1st season of Senior hockey to every game is a learn experience, and with Carol Redpath as their leader, they'll learn plenty!

A reminder that fees are due for both the Mens' and Ladies' Club's Christmas dinners! Money needs to be paid to book your place!

South Antrim 2 -2 Portadown (M.Getty, C.Henry)

It was a cold November afternoon when Portadown travelled to Lisburn in the Premier League. South Antrim looked to continue their unbeaten run of three league games knowing they were facing an opponent who they’ve exchanged wins throughout the last few seasons and that it would be a tough game. The home side had a turbulent start with a few stray passes leaving the defence under some pressure until Portadown won a short corner by finding a South foot in the circle in the first five minutes. The visitors converted the short corner when the initial shot was deflected into the net from close range. The Lisburn men steadied themselves and were able to get a foothold on the game creating pressure of their own and being rewarded with a short corner. Nathan Gamble was unable to convert the dragflick and the score remained one nil to Portadown. South continued to find gaps in the opposition’s defence but weren’t able to capitalise on the opportunities they manufactured. Shortly before the end of the first half, on form Adam Marshall slipped when closing a defender down outside the circle and clattered into the defender’s stick along with the ball. This resulted in a penalty corner for Portadown and a yellow card for the South defender allowing the visitors to score their second goal of the day. The score remained two in favour of Portadown until the end of the first half. The second half began with the pressure once again in South’s favour; within five minutes they found another hole in the defence but this time they were able to exploit the chance as Paul Maguire had the ball in the circle and slipped it across to Matthew Getty who snuck it in on the reverse past the Portadown keeper. South maintained control of the game for most of the second half with only a few chances falling to the visitors, who couldn’t take advantage of any of them. The home team were able to equalise when a ball was played from centre back out to Johnny Patterson at left back. Johnny slapped the ball 50 yards down the line with his first touch allowing Chris Henry to utilise his pace, collecting it and carrying it into the circle where he was able to rifle it into the back of the net. With around 10 minutes to go South Antrim continued to pressurise the visitors and create chances but were unable to find the winner as full time rolled around. While the Lisburn men were glad to have turned around a two goal deficit, they hope to improve throughout the season as they seek to cement their place in the Premier League. South Antrim travel down to Dublin to play Pembroke in the Irish Senior Cup on Saturday.

 

South Antrim 2nds 2-2 Lisnagarvey 3rds (C.Arnott, M.Conn)

South Antrim 2s made the short trip over to Lisnagarvey for their match against their 3s this weekend. South started the game slowly and invited pressure in the first few minutes before picking up the pace and taking the game to Garvey. After some great play in the midfield Neil Wilson slipped the ball through to Chris Arnott at the top of the circle who fired the ball into the bottom left giving South the lead. The second half started with South still holding the lead but Garvey then attacked well and won themselves a short corner which was well executed to make it 1-1. After some individual skill from Darren Hutchinson the ball was played through to Mark Conn who coolly slotted the ball past the helpless Garvey keeper to regain the lead. After some scrappy play in the middle the ball broke free for Garvey who hit quickly on the counter to make it 2-2 and grab themselves a point from a very tough game. Thanks goes to George Redpath for umpiring the match.
South Antrim 3rds 4-1 Kilkeel 3rds (C.McCandless x2, G.Glass, C.Black)

A McCandless double, the second a lovely volley on the turn, a George Glass stroke and a Chris Black finish keeps the win streak alive. Unfortunately they conceded a goal, but they still won, and sit very prettily atop Junior 4. Kilkeel started the scoring with an admittedly soft dragflick/push into the bottom corner. Callum McCandless scored the equaliser moment after, when he dived back post for an easy tap in. Soon after, George Glass put the home side in front after he converted a stroke after John Deane forced the keeper to smother a loose ball. In the second half, Callum McCandless scored his second as a ball deflected at waist height was slammed home on the turn. The two goal cushion allowed South to play with flair and Chris Black hit the crossbar with a reverse with the goal gaping, the crowd loved the effort though. Chris made up for the miss by completing the rout with a neat finish late on.

 

South Antrim 4ths 2-0 Ballymena 1sts (A.Glass Jnr, A,Hamilton Jnr)

He's done it again! Junior scores again!! For the 8th game in a row, Junior scores. Showing his versatility in front of goal, he opted for a lobbed finish this week over the keeper into the far corner. Young Adam Glass scored with a direct hit from a short corner when the ball was slipped right to him from the top.

South Antrim 4ths knew they would be in for a tough match after playing out a 0-0 draw away at Ballymena in the cup at the start of the season. However, with a more settled team, playing good hockey, South had the confidence they needed going into the match knowing that they could go one better and take all three points on this occasion. In a tense affair the two evenly matched teams played out a goalless first half with both defences allowing only a few half chances to the opposition. After the break it was South Antrim’s turn to press Ballymena and got the opening goal of the match from a short corner, with Adam Glass hitting a crisp shot into the goalkeeper’s bottom right corner after the ball was shifted right from the top of the D. South struck again shortly after with Junior scoring, as usual, with a placed effort from the right side of the D into the helpless keeper’s far corner. Junior came close again shortly after when attempting an audacious lob that landed agonisingly on top of the net. After the two goals were scored, Ballymena really pushed on with intent but were thwarted by some fantastic defensive organisation by Jason Stead and some quality keeping in the circle by Andrew Wallace to keep the clean sheet intact and to secure a 2-0 victory for South Antrim.

 

South Antrim 5ths 1-4 NICS 3rds (A.Collins)

The Friday night fixture this week, a mere consolation goal from Archie as Service were 4 up at the time.Trevor will be happy as this is a great improvement on their last meeting, though this may or may not be due to Trevor umpiring. Can a captain be impartial?

 

South Antrim Ladies 2nds 3-2 Ards Ladies 5ths (E.Rennie x2, L.Fitzpatrick)

The run goes on for Nicole Bell's girls as Erin Rennie bags 2 and Lucy Fitzpatrick scores the other. A slightly tighter game than the 2nds would have liked as Ards scored 2 short corners to keep in the game. This keeps the girls in second place in the league.

 

South Antrim Ladies 3rds 0-2 Portadown 3rds

The wait for a first win continues but a resolute performance against the league leaders is great progress. The Ladies match the leaders for long periods, just as the seconds had done, but the Portadown girls were more clinical in the circle and took their chances. Morgan Muir claims Player of the Match and Courtney Mills in nets also put in a great performance.

WEEKEND PREVIEW:

South Antrim v Portadown
South have spent an number of seasons battling it out with Portadown for top spot in Senior 1, but this time its Premier League. The men in blue currently sit one place and a point ahead of South. With Jonny Patterson and Chris Henry as doubts to be fit for the game, this could be a tough day at the office. This game hits off at 3pm at FSL.

 

South Antrim 1-1 Newry (P.Maguire)

Last weekend saw South don their swimwear and travel to Newry hoping to continue their recent good run of form, in the pouring rain. Having already beaten Newry 1-0 earlier in the season in the Kirk Cup group stages, South were confident of getting a result. The Lisburn side put Newry under high pressure from the outset, not allowing the home side to settle. The high tempo set by South allowed them to enjoy lots of possession, which eventually resulted in numerous chances. However, the Newry keeper was equal to both Paul Maguire’s and Adam Glass’ early efforts. South eventually thought they’d struck first when Ward Phillips tapped home, but the whistle rather dubiously went seconds after with the umpire awarding a short corner instead. The home side’s keeper produced a fine save to combat the threat posed by a fine Nathan Gamble drag flick. Gamble was again involved minutes later, holding the ball up well and winning South their 2^nd corner which was put away when Maguire deflected high into the net. As the half wore on Newry grew more into the game and created their own openings, but a combination of resolute defending and some fine saves from Mark Hutchinson kept them out. South continued to press which resulted in their 3^rd corner of the game. The Newry keeper was equal to Adam Glass’ drag flick and had to react quickly to deal with the subsequent rebound efforts from Getty, Glass and Phillips. As the half drew to a close Newry got a rare short corner of their own. Hutchinson, in goal, thwarted away the initial effort but the South defenders couldn’t deal with the scramble which ensued afterwards and eventually Newry drew level on their 3^rd attempt to get the ball over the line.

After the interval, South again began in the ascendency. The midfield duo of Lee Marshall and John Semple continued to dictate things in the middle of the pitch for the visitors with the latter having particular joy. Despite the somewhat numerous dubious decisions given against him throughout the course of the afternoon, Adam Glass proved to be a menace for the Newry back four who, at times, failed to live with his trickery. As the rain became more and more intense, so too did the pressure applied by South to the host’s defence. Matthew Getty and Lee Marshall combined delightfully down the right hand side, carving the Newry defence wide open only for Getty’s touch in the D to let him down. Marshall came close moments later with a quick fire reverse, after being played in cleverly by younger brother Adam from a long corner, but the home side’s keeper was once again found in superb form.

Unlucky not to win the game, but South can be content with a point in tough conditions against a formidable side. The Lisburn outfit return to action next Saturday with a 3pm push back against Portadown at Friends’ School Lisburn.

 

South Antrim 3rds v Cliftonville 2nds

Postponed due to lack of sunshine.

 

South Antrim 4ths 4-1 South Antrim 5ths (A.Hamilton Jnr x3, G.Campbell) (I.McElhinney)

Derby day arrived and so did Hurricane Abigail. The rain wasn't taking time to come down when the match started. However, this did not deter both teams from trying to play some attractive hockey. Both sides started brightly with the veteran Taylor trying to control the midfield for the 4ths but the youthful Bell was cancelling him out. A slight delay occurred 10 mins in when the lights went out. A quick phone call to club captain Marshall and the match resumed 15 minutes later, just as the players had thawed out. South 4ths won a string of short corners but the 5ths defence was resolute keeping efforts from both Taylor and Smith at bay. With 10mins left in the first half, 5ths player, McElhinney, found himself at the top of the circle, with the keeper bearing down on him, with a cool head he deftly slipped the ball past the keeper into the net at the near post. However, the lead was to be short Iived when a 4ths break found Hamilton Junior in his trade mark position, at the back post to tap in the equaliser to make it 1-1 at half time.

Unfortunately the 5s lost 3 key players with Mills and McElhinney having to leave to tuck their kids into bed, and Moore going off injured at the break. This didn't deter the 5ths who started brightly looking to regain the lead, however, with sticks slipping in the wet, passes started going astray and Junior tapped in another after a loose pass was picked off. The 5ths pushed harder but this left gaps for the 4ths to run into and young Campbell for the 4ths in one of his trademark one handed mazy runs scored with a reverse from the top of the circle. South 5ths pushed harder with nothing to lose, but couldn't get past the experienced 4ths keeper. With 10 mins remaining Junior competed his hat trick of tap ins for the game to finish 4-1 to the 4s. Whilst the 4ths come away with the bragging rights this time the reverse fixture on the 19th December will be one not to miss.
 

South Antrim Ladies 1sts 0-2 Ards 3rds

South Ladies were hoping to continue their recent good form in a cup match against Ards ladies 3rds.  The game began with South on the back foot while Ards controlled the early stages with some good all round play creating shooting chances. After 15 mins, South came more into the game and created opportunities, however,  when pressing for the opening goal, Ards counter attacked and some individual skill gave them the lead.  The first half wore on, and some good forward play was rewarded with a penalty corner, but as well defended by the Ards defensive unit.  Ards ladies again, broke quickly and in doing so won a penalty corner which was well executed making it 2-0 at half time.

The 2nd half was a different story for the South Ladies as they took control early on and continued to press the Ards defence.  Excellent link up play between Alannah Richardson and Jill Holley kept the Ards defence guessing.  The girls in the mIddle of the park, Elaine Aiken, Abbie Trimble, Amy Patton and Charis Rodgers, worked tirelessly.  The south girls broke and in doing so won their first penalty corner of the half which was cleanly struck by Vicky Donaldson but was saved by the Ards keeper.

The girls continued to pile the pressure on Ards and won another penalty corner which Charis Rodgers struck beautifully and hit the post, things just weren’t going right.  Ards still continued to press the south defence, but with the defenders holding strong they kept the Ards attackers at bay.  The girls all played very well and the scoreline doesn't give a true reflection on the game.  Player of the match was Jill Holley.

 

South Antrim Ladies 3rds 1-3 Queens 5ths (C.Glover)

Playing their first ever Minor Cup match, the newly formed South Ladies 3rds got off to a slow start against an experienced Queens team on home turf, being three goals down after 15 minutes. The young team started to drive forward and managed to win a number of short corners in succession. Jen Morrow got a great chance to get the 3rds back into the match but was denied by some great defending. The second half was a much more solid performance as the ladies combined their young team with the experience of Julia Moore causing the Queens defence a lot of problems and Catherine Faulkner marshalling the defence to ensure the South keeper, Courtney Mills, had little to worry about. Hannah Erskine and Morgan Muir combined well to set up a number of short corners and with a few minutes to go, Chloe Glover ensured that the young team had something to celebrate with a clean strike into the far corner of the net to score South Ladies 3rds first goal ever.

South travel to league leaders Portadown next week to give them a firm test against what will be tough opposition for the young team. Hannah Erskine and Chloe Glover got joint players of the match. Many thanks to Nathan Donald for coaching and Brian Wilson for umpiring.

WEEKEND ROUND UP:

South Antrim 1-1 Newry (P.Maguire)

South donned their swimwear and traveled to Newry in the lashing rain. In an end to end game throughout, South thought they'd stuck first when Ward Phillips tapped home, but then the whistle went and it was called back for South to be awarded a short that was consequently saved. Paul Maguire was on hand to deflect home in Chris Henry's absence to put South 1 up from a second short a few minutes later. Newry got a short of their own at the end of the half and scored it on the 3rd attempt. The second half was a pulsating affair with South maybe edging the upper hand, having several squandered changes.

 

WEEKEND PREVIEW:

South Antrim v Newry

The men in Red and Black travel to take on the men Black and Red. A victory would mean breathing space between South and the bottom 3 in the Premier League, Newry being one of them. The lad defeated Newry by just a solitary goal in the Kirk Cup meeting, it'll be a different game this time about out on the sandy Newry Olympic pitch.

South Antrim Ladies 3rds v Queens Ladies 5ths

The newly formed Ladies 3rds' second game ever is in the Minor Cup, against Queens Ladies 5ths. It may be possible that South put out the only team in the country younger than Queens' team of Student, with the majority of the girl being of school age.

South Antrim 2-2 NICS (L.Marshall, P.Maguire)

Having won their first match of the premier league campaign a fortnight ago, South went into their match against Civil Service with confidence. Of course, the two sides had previously met in the Kirk Cup group stage in September with the Belfast side coming out on top in a 4-1 victory. But it was South who started the brighter of the two sides under the Friday night lights at Friends' School. The midfield duo of John Semple and Lee Marshall found themselves in acres of space in the middle of the pitch and orchestrated much of South's good play in the first period. Ward Phillips drilled a delightful diagonal cross on his reverse into the danger area which just evaded the stick of the on-rushing Paul Maguire. That man Maguire then had a glorious opportunity to put the hosts ahead on twenty minutes, but could only watch as his reverse stick effort from mid-circle glanced off the upright.

With Service's main asset being Chris Barnes' drag flick, South had their tactics spot on and confined much of the visitors' play to areas of the pitch that were never likely to pose a threat. Pressure from the forward quartet of Gamble, Henry, Maguire and Brown all caused numerous problems to the Service back line during the opening 35 minute period whilst the back four, and Adam Marshall in particular, defended resolutely to keep Service at bay. It was inevitable, however, that the visitors would win a short corner and indeed their first arrived on the stroke of half time. This was competently dealt with by the South defensive quintet and the score remained 0-0 at the break.

Whatever message was delivered to the hosts at half time, by coach Ross Johnston, certainly paid dividends as the youthful South side exploded out of the blocks. A surging run from Chris Henry down the right led to the winning of the home side's first short corner of the evening. After the initial corner was defended illegally with a foot, the subsequent clever routine ended with South's captain - Lee Marshall - putting the ball in the net. Good value for their lead, South continued to make inroads to try and increase their advantage. Mark Gray and Matthew Getty have forged a terrific understanding with each other in the early stages of this season and after some neat interplay, the former tee'd up Paul Maguire who deflected the ball home to double South's lead.

At 2-0, this was the wake up call Service needed and the Belfast side began to assert themselves more on the game as the half wore on. A flurry of short corners was awarded in quick succession but South's 'keeper, Mark Hutchinson, was on hand to avert any danger. Service did, however, reduce the deficit shortly after with a short corner routine switched right which agonisingly crept over the line. With little over ten minutes remaining, that man Chris Barnes grabbed a share of the spoils for the visitors with a trademark drag flick dispatched high into the net. South continued to cause Service problems and very nearly grabbed themselves a late winner. A driven ball from Mark Gray somehow managed to pass everyone in the D little more than 5 yards out from the goal line and, following this, an exquisite through ball from John Semple sent Getty clear, but the covering Service defender dealt with it competently.

Whilst South will perhaps be disappointed to not come away with the three points, they can be happy with their all round performance and application. The Lisburn team dominated large portions of the game against a formidable, established and experienced Premier League side.
The boys will be looking to use this result as a springboard for further success in the coming weeks with Newry and Portadown the next visitors.

 

South Antrim 2nds 3-5 Cookstown 2nds (D.Hutchinson x2, M.Conn)

South Antrim 2nds continued their Junior 1 campaign with a hard fought game on a cold Saturday afternoon in Cookstown. The 2nds made the long journey to compete against Cookstown’s seconds. The Lisburn side got off to a good start, creating chances and having good periods of ball possession but it was the men from Mid-Ulster who got the first goal, a well worked move which lead to a tap in back post. South then showed great character and determination by getting a goal back through a reverse from Darren. After this the Cookstown side applied a lot of pressure, which the South defence handled well, until Cookstown scored a well worked short corner. Once again the Lisburn side showed great character and fought back with another goal from Hutchinson after James Brown read a telegraphed pass and intercepted. This brought the two sides in at half time level.

The second half started, and Cookstown started brightly with a goal from open play early on in the half. This was followed up by good pressure from the Lisburn side but they just weren’t able to convert their chances into goals. Cookstown then added another goal with a counter attack which lead to a well converted short corner. Cookstown then started to pressure the Lisburn men and after a sustained pressure they scored another well worked short corner. South Antrim’s heads didn’t go down as the fought back and scored another, this time from a neat Mark Conn deflection from a tight angle. The men from Lisburn then started to pile on the pressure in the closing stages but were unable to convert their chances as the Cookstown keeper was on top form this day. Thanks must go to Geordie McCandless for umpiring the game.

 

South Antrim 3rds 1-0 Mossley 4ths (G.Glass)

The run goes on, the 3rds are yet to drop points, yet to even concede a goal and they sit pretty at the top of Junior 4. Despite their dominance the 3rds could only register the one goal, another from George Glass at a short corner. Captain Ashley Sloan is now away on a 3 week scouting trip to Mexico to search for hidden talent to help bolster his squad.

 

South Antrim 4ths 6-0 Belfast Harlequins 3rds (A.Smith x3, A.Glass x2, A.Hamilton Jnr)

South Antrim 4ths looked to bounce back after a tough start to the season with an away match at Harlequins 3rds. The game started well for South, with a good short corner routine with Jonny Taylor smartly moving the ball left to Alan Smith who stuck the ball well into the bottom corner of the goal. Alan was a threat that Quins had no answer to throughout the encounter and he added 2 more goals to his tally with another couple of short corners. South, however, were not just a threat from set pieces and Adam Glass proved this with a well struck half volley from the top of the circle that left the goalkeeper with no chance. Adam went on to score again and Junior scored South’s final goal in his customary poaching style. South were very solid at the back and left their own goalkeeper with just a few saves and were able to keep a clean sheet with the scoreline finishing 6-0.

 

South Antrim 5ths 2-6 Ballymena 1sts (I.McElhinney, A.Pyper)

South 5ths travelled to Ballymena to take on their 1sts. South started well pressing the Ballymena defence in their own half. Shortly after, a well worked ball found Geary at the back post but his deflection just went wide.  Further good play nearly resulted in an opener for South but was scrambled away in a mosh pit of players. Half way through the first half, a poor clearance was picked up by the Ballymena forwards and taken into the circle, young Faulkner saved the first shot but Ballymena pounced on the rebound to go one up. South kept on playing, but slack marking let Ballymena thorough on goal to go two up. Two more attacks ended with soft goals and it was 4-0 at half time to the hosts. South regrouped at half time and started the 2nd half strongly and pressed Ballymena back into their own half. After 20 mins McElhinney scored from a short corner to end his drought, with a well hit strike going through the keepers legs. This woke up Ballymena who started to attack but Aaron Moore and the still youthful Gary McCormack kept them at bay. South pushed on and were rewarded when the ball struck by McElhinney hit the post and Pyper pounced for South's 2nd.  South pressed higher but Ballymena countered and exploited the space at the back and scored again. Ballymena ended the scoring with a bizarre goal. The ball came into the South circle and popped up into the air from a stretching defender. With the ball was heading over the crossbar before a Ballymena forward hit the ball down, bouncing it off the unfortunate Faulkner’s head and into the net.

 

South Antrim Ladies 1-1 Instonians Ladies (L.Boomer)

Last Friday night the South Antrim Ladies 1sts travelled to Shawsbridge to take on the league leaders, Instonians 1st. The ladies were on the ball from the first whistle with the South midfielders Vicky Donaldson, Elaine Aiken and Charis Seeds feeding the ball to the forwards, they created numerous chances. Welcoming Wendy Li back from a lengthy injury, the South defensive line confidently cleared any loose balls and prevented the Instonians forwards from entering the circle. The quick transitions around the back between defenders Jo Clarke, Wendy Li and Zara Carson also had the Instonians team unable to set up an effective press. The South ladies created many opportunities in the first half but it was again Lauren Boomer who nicked the first goal for South. Boomer is rapidly gathering the goals for South and this week proved no different. Positioning herself in front of the keeper she picked up a ball crossed into the circle and worked it past the keeper with a clever spin.

After a few necessary changes due to in-game injuries, the South Ladies came began the second half with quite an unsettled, unfamiliar team. Instonians took full advantage of this and managed to convert a corner thus leaving the scoreline 1-1. For the duration of the second half the South Ladies worked tirelessly to try and pull ahead again but unfortunately were unable to net the final necessary goal and the game closed out. However, this gives the ladies another point which leaves them just 2 points behind the Inst and still aiming for the chance of promotion this season.

 

South Antrim Ladies 2nds 2-0 South Antrim Ladies 3rds (L.McConnell, E.Drayne)

The Ladies 2nds proved why they were the 2nds with a comfortable and confident win over the newly formed Ladies 3rds. Laura McConnell opened the scoring with a superbly executed finish from beyond flick spot after the 2nds midfield toyed with the 3rds defence. Emer Drayne scored the second with a powerful precision strike from the edge of the area into the corner after a brilliant through ball was played into her. A great performance keeping up their great run in the league.

 

South Antrim Ladies 3rds 0-2 South Antrim Ladies 2nds

The Ladies 3rds had their first ever match this weekend, they put the Ladies 2nds to the sword and made them work incredibly hard for their points in a game that could have easily seen the 3rds run out victors. The 3rds were easily soaking up the pressure from the 2nds before a hopeful pass into the circle fell to Laura McConnell via a kind deflection, she miscontrolled the ball, wrong footing the goalkeeper, before scoring with a tame push past the stranded keeper. The second was equally as lucky as yet another kind ricochet fell kindly to a 2nds forward, Emer Drayne, who topped her shot, accidentally skewing it into the opposite corner to which she was aiming, leaving the keeper with no chance.