South Antrim 2 - 9 Kilkeel (J.Brown, M.Getty)

In their last premier league game this calendar year, South made the journey to the Mournes to play second-placed Kilkeel.  South knew they had to be at their best to get anything out of the game but what followed was a mediocre display by the 1sts, with Kilkeel scoring at will.

It began so well for South, putting Kilkeel under early sustained pressure but that was not to last. Quick, precise passing moves in the first five minutes gave way to slow, scattered movement and possession.  The next sixty-five minutes were nearly a nightmare for South.By the end of the first half South were already four goals down with no hope of return.  The first two goals were easy tap-ins for the Kilkeel forward line with South being  far too loose on marking and tackling.  Kilkeel continually broke through in numbers after misplaced or intercepted passes, with Ian Glass in goal left with no chance for any of the goals.  The third and fourth goals quickly followed with the third summing up the afternoon as good block from Chris Redpath saw the ball deflect over the keeper, hitting the crossbar and falling perfectly for a Kilkeel forward to tap in.  Adam Marshall served some time on the sidelines for dissent during the half after a questionable decision that lead to the fourth goal.

Stern words were used at half-time to try and jolt the players into action. However, the renewed vigour didn't last long as Kilkeel were quicker to every ball and continued to receive the ball in space while South were lackluster and sloppy in possession.  Subsequently, the goals followed.  Of the five goals scored in the half, four were a mixture of turnovers in South's half or a repeat of the first half, giving South's defence the unkind situation of facing an overload situation every time Kilkeel came the counter.  The other goal in the half from Kilkeel was a tidy finish by the Kilkeel forward as he rounded Ian Glass in South's goal and neatly reversed into the bottom corner.  South, however, did get a few of their own as a result of a great finish by James Brown and a well taken reverse hit from Matthew Getty in South's only decent passage of play.

South need to cut out the individual errors and up the work rate if they are to have a respectable finish in their debut season in the Premier League. The men hope to regroup over the Christmas holiday and will strive to put in a much improved performance against Belfast Harlequins in the new year.

 

South Antrim 2nds 1-7 Newry 2nds (C.Arnott)

South Antrim's 2nd visit to Newry this season and the final league game before Christmas was a difficult task, with a much depleted South side facing a Newry 2nd XI benefiting from a few ringers from their 1sts, who played prior. South found themselves in a battle from the outset of the first half, which saw a number of physical tackles being played out by the Newry side. This approach was largely ignored by the umpires, and it took an injury to a South player get things settled. In the early stages, South continued to play the fast moving hockey, which has earned them a good position in Junior 1, with Mark Conn leading by example in central midfield with his superb pace. Some fine play by Chris Mark, Andy Farrell and Jack Moore at the back led to the ball being confidently played from the back into the midfield in the early stages. A number of short corners in favor of South resulted from this play, but no goals resulted. The difference between the two sides was to be decided on who could convert the chances and South were found wanting. Newry were able to break the deadlock with a goal coming from a breakdown in play. It was to be Newry's day and South's defence found themselves under continuous pressure after the first goal, with the afore mentioned physical tackling disrupting South's play. In the second half there was to be no let up and despite South's efforts Newry were able to dictate the play. A penalty stroke was conceded by Newry, which was missed by Mark Conn. The hopes of a comeback had taken a knock and it was not to be South's day. Newry went on to score seven goals in total to secure a pre-Christmas victory. Chris Arnott was able to claw one gaol back for South. The 7-1 final score being a harsh lesson to the Junior 1 newcomers.

 

South Antrim 3rds 4-1 Campbellians 2nds (G.Glass, S.Glenn, J.Deane, N.Allister)

South Antrim 3rds entertained Campbellians 2nds on the last weekend of hockey this year, and won 4-1. In a scrappy first half with neither side having sustained possession, George Glass scored for South, with an awkward improvised overhead volley from a deflected John Deane cross. Stuart Glenn scored a back post tap in on his 3s debut after a late call up. Midfielder John deane then put South 3-0 up with a free shot from edge of the circle. Stuart Glenn, filled with confidence, the tried to beat an opponent in his own 25 and lost he ball, giving Campbellians the opportunity to score their first and stage a comeback. Nathan Allstar put the game beyond doubt midway through the second half, as he pinged a reverse in off the far post to make sure South got 3 points and record their 7th win in a row in the league.

 

South Antrim 4ths 2-2 South Antrim 5ths (A.Glass Jnr, J.Taylor) (I.McElhinney x2)

It was all South affair in Junior 5 as the 4ths took on the 5ths. In a game played in good spirits, a 2-2 draw was played out that ensured everyone was happy going into Christmas. Adam Glass stasrted the scoring as he netted for the 4ths after a scramble on the goal line.A superb performance from the returning Chris Moulden in nets saved the 5ths on numerous occasions. The 5ths, keen for an upset, scored a short corner by way of a deflected Ian McElhinney strike. In the second half, the 5ths got the goal to set up a tense finish, a second McElhinney corner strike. Through great defending and outstanding keeping, the 5ths nearly kept their 'superior' clubmen at bay, but fell at the last when Jonny Taylor scored a solo effort, worthy of tying any game, a syntilating run, dribbling past several players, including Moulden in nets before tapping in to equalize with just three minutes remaining.

 

WEEKEND ROUND UP

South Antrim 2-9 Kilkeel (J.Brown, M.Getty)

A disastrous trip to the seaside for the Men's 1sts. Kilkeel were first to everything and with South chasing the game after going down early, they scored numerous times on the break. A super strike from James Brown and a neat reverse from Matthew Getty were the only positives for South on a dire outing.

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

The 1st XI continued their Premier League campaign in the 3pm slot at Friends’ on Saturday past. Their opponents Mossley resided at the bottom of the table prior to the game and presented a tough challenge for the men in red and black. Mossley’s strong Kirk Cup run showed them to be a side of true quality. South Antrim’s task was not made any easier by the absence due to injuries of set piece specialist Adam Glass and the influential Mathew Getty. South Antrim started the game strongly, with the defence, midfield and forward line all linking up well thanks to superb off the ball running from John Semple, who drifted between the lines, and the accurate distribution skills of both Marshall brothers. South Antrim however, took time to make their dominance of possession count as a lack of clear cut chances made them wait for their first goal of the game. The goal however did come when superb skill from Chris Henry won South Antrim their first short of the game. A powerful James Brown flick was well saved by the Mossley keeper however it rebounded to the waiting Paul Maguire who coolly dispatched from just beyond the flick spot. South continued their strong spell but were lucky not to concede after seeing two Mossley corners miss, one clattering off the post and spinning across the goal line after it looked destined for the net. South Antrim were the better side in the first half but Mossley took advantage of a slick  corner routine with minutes to go in the first half to make it one all at the halfway break.

The second half was a much more open affair with both sides enjoying an equal share of possession. Both defences did well to limit the opposition’s forwards from increasing the goal tally, however special mention must go to Adam Marshall who again showed what a vital player he is to this team with his masterful display in defence, intercepting passes at ease and building attacks from the back. Mossley controversially took the lead, converting a counter attack move after a forward foot appeared to be used in the build up. South Antrim did not give up and showed great fight and determination throughout the course of the second half. They were eventually rewarded after some great skill in the Mossley circle earned them a stroke when two defenders scythed down Chris Henry when through on goal. The captain Lee Marshall stepped up and was never in doubt as he slotted past the Mossley keeper to level to scores.  Shortly after Chris Henry had the chance to bring all 3 points into South’s grasp when played thourgh clear one on one with the keeper, an unorthodox style of keeping unnerved Henry as he simply stood in place until the last possible second when he dived down an dispossessed the forward. In the closing stages the game could have gone either way, with either side having chances to win the game and take all three points. However the game finished two all in what was a throughly exciting game of hockey.

 

South Antrim 2nds 1-1 Cookstown 2nds (C.Varghese)

South Antrim 2nds lined up against a very strong Cookstown team today in a keenly contested match. Full of confidence due to recent performances, South Antrim continued to impress with fast and fluid counter attacks, starting quickly and putting the Cookstown backline under immediate pressure. The midfield quickly got on top, exchanging quick passes to work their way up the pitch, with only the final ball letting them down. A succession of short corners came to nothing with home goalkeeper Ian Glass making a few decent stops at the other end from the odd foray into the South Antrim final third. The breakthrough nearly came after a superb aerial ball from Jack Moore set Neil Wilson through one-on-one with the keeper. After taking it around him, a reverse from an ever narrowing angle meant a lucky escape for Cookstown. A yellow card for inappropriate language towards the umpires meant that the visitors had to play a spell with 10 men, however, they defended resolutely until being restored to their full compliment of men.

The second half saw a tactical switch from Cookstown, putting the midfielders and defenders of South Antrim under more pressure, until an error allowed the Lisburn team to take the lead. As the goalkeeper retrieved a ball for a visiting team hit out, Cyril Varghese read a poor pass along the backline, tackled his opposing centre back and shot into an unguarded goal to give South Antrim a 1-0 lead. As the game wore on the pattern quickly emerged of periods of possession from Cookstown, with good build up play going unrewarded in the final third, leading to quick counterattacks by the energetic midfield of South Antrim. Cookstown finally got their reward when a short corner was converted midway through the half and this was the beginning of a ten minute spell that nearly saw the mid Ulster side take the lead on a couple of opportunities. Cyril Varghese had an important role in clearing a top corner bound effort off the line following another penalty corner, and they nearly had a penalty stroke also, until a discussion between the two umpires led to a reversal and an award of another short corner. In a fractious finale to the match, temperatures ran high and both teams had chances to win. Ultimately, a high quality match with shared spoils was about fair on both sides, and for South Antrim, the point against a very good Cookstown team meant a good day at the office. Thanks to Jonny Taylor and Willy Redpath for umpiring.

 

South Antrim 3rds V Mossley 4ths (POSTPONED)

No sale this week, just a frozen pitch, Mossley weren't up for a game of ice hockey ‪#‎zerobanter‬.

 

South Antrim 4ths - NO GAME

A dismal display from the Baclony Banter Brigade as they failed to brave the cold and sat indoors to watch the games. There was good rendition of 'Man-Bun' during the 2s game against Cookstown though.

 

South Antrim 5ths 2-0 Mossley 5ths (N.Donald, I.McElhinney)

Having not won since Halloween, South 5ths welcomed Mossley 5ths to Wallace High School. With Mossley sitting four points above South prior to hit off, this was a must win match. Playing an attacking formation and starting off with a full press, South took the game by the scruff of the neck and pinned Mossley into their own half. With a much improved effort over recent weeks and playing more flowing hockey, South soon took the lead with a Nathan Donald reverse strike. Adam Pyper's blistering pace was causing the Mossley defence all sorts of problems throughout the half and 20 minutes in, he found McElhinney on the flick spot whose lighting reflexes saw him turn and blast the ball into the roof of the net. South could have been more up by half time but the Mossley keeper was in fine form, denying first Pyper and then Donald from clear cut opportunities. With 2 minutes until half time, Mossley won a short corner. With the ball beating Hutchinson in nets after a straight strike and heading for the goal, Trevor Wallace was on hand to calmly turn the ball around the post. The second half followed much of the same pattern as the first, with South pressing high and the defensive line of Davidson, Moore and Kay stopping any counterattack. Chances came but again the Mossley keeper was on hand to deal with them. The match finished 2-0 to South Antrim.

 

South Antrim Ladies 1-1 Parkview Ladies (S.Neill)

After a heavy defeat in their away match against this side, South Antrim Ladies were keen to claim the points in the home match. Within the first five minutes, after some clever passing from the defence through to midfield, Charis Rodgers collected the ball, took it to the edge of the circle and crossed to an awaiting Stephanie Neill who swiftly placed it past the Parkview keeper before she cause dive across. South kept the pressure on, skilfully working together to bypass the Parkview players, but were unable to score the all important second goal that would have crushed Parkview. However, solid defence from Zara Carson, Allison Marsden, Vicky Donaldson and Elaine Aiken prevented Parkview from equalizing in the first half.

The second half saw the ladies play great hockey, but unfortunately Parkview equalised from a counter attack which left the South defence trying to cope with an overcrowded circle and the ball crossed the line in a scramble. With five minutes to go Charis Rodgers was denied the winning goal after her reverse stick strike was deflected away by a Parkview defender on the line. The Ladies had to content themselves with a 1-1 draw, however, they have gained another valuable point and can take heart from knowing that had the beating of this team.

 

South Antrim Ladies 2nds 0-4 Portaodwn Ladies 3rds

An extremely physical performance from the Portadown Ladies put the girls on the back foot for most of the game. The Ports players bullied their way past the South defender's and the young Southies had no answer. The visitors racked up four goals in a day to forget for South against the league leaders.

 

South Antrim Ladies 3rds 1-2 Banbridge 4ths (L.McDonnell)

The girls went a goal down early on but showed character beyond (most of) their years to keep fighting against a well drilled Banbridge team who sit comfortably in the top half of the table. Rachel Sullivan nearly leveled as she was dribbled into free space in the circle but smashed her shot inches wide of the back post. A neat interchange between Danielle Heasley and Laura McConnell find an equaliser, with the latter scoring a neat finish. Unfortunately, against the spirit of Christmas, Banbridge scored late on the steal all the points for themselves.

A young South side put in another great shift and deserved more from the game. They held the Banbridge side, who sit comfortably in the top half of the table, for long periods. Bann got a goal early in the first half. Rachel Sullivan had a chance for South to level as she was played in free at the top of the circle but smashed her shot inches past the back post. A neat interchange between Danielle Heasley and Laura McDonnell led to the later netting a leveller. Unfortunately, against the Christmas spirit, Banbridge scored a second in the last ten to deny South a point and stole the spoils for themselves.

 

South Antrim 0-8 Instonians

It was always going to be a hard game, Instonians are the Ulster Premier League's leader, winning every game so far, and South were missing half their defensive line. Inst started on the front foot and took full advantage of the makeshift back line's uncertainty to win a short corner ten minutes in. It was duly converted by a drag flick into the bottom left corner. Still reeling from the early goal, South were disorganised and Inst again took full advantage, winning another corner, again dispatched in the same manner. A good period of South possession followed as they eased themselves into the game but no notable attacks became of it. Inst countered and Adam Marshall did well to get back at block the shot only for the ball to ricochet into his feet. Instonians again made no mistake from the resulting set piece, scoring from a neat deflection at the back post. At the close of the half, Inst won their fourth short, this time Mark Gray was on hand to deflect to clear the ball off the line.  The well drilled Belfast side were relentless and soon won a fifth short, scoring with a powerful drag high down the middle.

The second half started better for the South side, with better communication in the defensive line, that gave the Inst forwards little space and restricted their chances. Inst's fifth goal came from yet another short as another drag flick found the net.  South again grew into the game with Chris Henry gaining yards and finding space in the circle to get a shot away, unfortunately flying wide. Inst again countered after a South foray with one long pass that bypassed South's midfield and found an opposition forward, Ward Phillips blocked their first shot well but the ball fell kindly to same forward, who slipped a reverse in at the near post with the keeper still wrong footed from the first attempt. South were struggling to get the ball out of the back with Inst's press. A turnover in midfield left the defence exposed again and a forward rolled a defender and flicked high across goal into the top corner. Everything was going right for Inst and badly for South, as Inst finished the scoring with a goal typifying the dire afternoon South were having. Mark Gray tackled a forward only for the ball to fall right into the path of another forward who mishit their shot but it still found the net bouncing off the post.

An underpar South side were well beaten by an in form Instonians team. The young Lisburn side will have to chalk this game off as a bad day and regroup before facing bottom of the table Mossley next weekend.

South Antrim  2nds 2-0 Cork Harlequins 2nds (D.Hutchinson, N.Wilson)  

South Antrim 2nds faced Cork Harlequins 2nds in the Irish Junior Cup on a cold, wet and windy day at Friends' School. From the start, South carried out their game plan well with good pressing and quick attacks. For most of the first half South dominated the game, winning plenty of short corners but being unable to convert their chances. One such corner was scored by Neil Wilson, but disallowed upon referral with the second umpire on the grounds the shot was too high. Neil Wilson, shortly after, had a clear shot on goal on the reverse but snatched at it and it flew out of the grounds over the crossbar. Cork didn’t offer much in attack but as the half rolled on and the score still at 0-0, they grew in confidence winning two late short corners from good counter attacking play but were unable able to capitalize due to the rock solid defence lead by Ian Glass.

After a slight re-shuffle of the forward line at half time, South finally got the goal they were looking for early on in the 2nd half. A great run from Neil Wilson down the base line eventually cutting the ball back to Darren Hutchinson who took his chance well and taking South to a much deserved lead in the game. The second goal came ten minutes later from a good counter attack from South down the left that eventually made its way to Neil Wilson who crossed the ball with a reverse only to be turned into the net by a Cork defender at full stretch. The game finished 2-0 with another great team performance from South Antrim who move onto the quarter finals and also continue to keep up a 100 percent unbeaten record this season at Prospect Hill.

 

South Antrim 4ths 2-2 Down 1sts (A.Collins, G.McGill) 

South Antrim started well in the match against  the league's leaders Down but with all their play created only a few half chances.  The former Senior 2 club used all their experience to expose the South defence and take advantage of short corners to go a goal up with a straight hit. A second goal followed straight after when a crashed ball in was deflected into the net at the near post, leaving South trailing at the break. At the start of the first half, South’s afternoon went from bad to worse after being reduced to 10 men for the remainder of the game after a small tussle.  However, instead of letting this put the result out of their reach, a reinvigorated South team rallied and got a goal back with Gavin McGill sticking his first goal for the club into the net in a somewhat scrappy manner, but every goal counts.  South continued to press for an equaliser and eventually it did come with Archie Collins flicking the ball up over the keeper after his initial shot had been saved.  South almost got a winner with  Alan Hamilton Junior and Alan Smith coming close but South can be more than happy to grab a point from the match against a strong side.

 

South Antrim Ladies 2nds 1-0 Owls 2nds (E.Rennie)

The Ladies second progress to the Quarter Finals in Feburary thanks to a solitary goal, from Erin Rennie. Mogran Muir was the provider with a teasing cross, Erin Rennie made beating the keeper look easy with an cool, composed finish worthy of settling any cup tie. You could even say the girls had a 'hoot' winning against Owls 2nds.