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!

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.

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.

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.

A hugely successful weekend for the Mens' 1sts as they progress to the second round of the Irish Senior Cup without even lifting a stick. Well done men

South Antrim 2nds 1-2 Banbridge 2nds (J.Brown)

South Antrim 2nds made the journey to Havelock Park on Saturday past to play a Banbridge 2nds outfit, who will almost certainly look to mount a serious challenge for the Junior 1 trophy this season. Taking confidence from recent impressive performances, and with an almost full squad of players available this weekend, the boys started the game well, weathering any initial pressure that was forced on them. South looked threatening on the counter attack, with John Semple and Jack Redpath pulling the strings in the centre of midfield, holding and distributing the ball when necessary to release the menacing forwards, Neil Wilson and Darren Hutchinson. Hutchinson, who was dazzling the defence with his trademark twists and turns found himself on the wrong end of a green card for appealing an umpiring decision, which was quickly upgraded to a yellow for apparent dissent. Throughout the first half both sides created numerous chances, none of which came to anything, and a 0-0 score line at half time was a fair reflection of the first 35 minutes. The second half started quite sluggishly for the Lisburn lads, and after increased pressure from the Bann attack, the boys found themselves a goal down via a back post deflection from a short corner. That goal, as disappointing as it was, seemed to spark somewhat of a reaction from South, and before they knew it found themselves back in the game, when James Brown latched on to a mistake from the Banbridge defenders and slotted the ball calmly between the legs of goalkeeper Anderson. The game continued with several chances for both sides, which notably included some heroic defending from the ever-present centre back Matt Frazer, clearing the ball off the line twice in quick succession. Throughout the course of the game South felt aggrieved with several umpiring decisions, and, with only a couple of minutes left on the clock, it was one of these which lead to a penalty corner for the home team, and it was through this that the team’s hopes of returning to Lisburn with a deserved point were dashed. In a near carbon copy of their first, Banbridge scored the winning goal, and with only seconds left the boys were unable to mount any worthwhile attacks. Final score Banbridge-2 South Antrim-1. Thanks to Gordie McCandless for travelling to Banbridge to umpiring.

South Antrim 3rds 5-0 Newry 3rds (G.Glass x2, C.McCandless x2, C.Black)

South Antrim 3rds entertained Newry at FSL in what was always going to be a fiesty encounter between to club’s with history of fiery clashes. Newry targeted South’s younger players and made a heavy challenge in the early stages that set the tone for a physical encounter. Stephen Hood was an obvious target for the visitors, Hoody though, somewhat uncharacteristically, given his recent encounter with Newry, kept his cool. South stuck to their game plan and weren’t drawn into petty clashes. They were rewarded and went one up through George Glass, as he received the ball in the circle, beat to players and finished cooly. After a few scares from Newry attacks, South got a second to ease the nerves through Callum McCandless, who was in the right place at the right time to tap in back post. At this poinst Newry seemed to give up the fight and South never looked back in the second half and went on to register another three goals thank to Chris Black and second for Callum McCandless and George Glass. George had a penalty flick saved which would have secured his hat-trick.

South Antrim 4ths 2-4 Lisnagarvey 6ths (A.Hamilton Jnr, A.Collins)

South Antrim 4ths welcomed our friendly rivals from Hillsborough down to Friends School Lisburn, with South hoping to do better than when the sides met in the League Cup earlier in the season. However, this was always going to be a tough match for South and this wasn’t helped by conceding the first goal of the game from some sluggish marking. After this, South woke up and began to play some nicer hockey with the club’s current top scorer Alan Hamilton Junior adding another goal to his tally for the year after some good work inside the D. Garvey came back at South scored two in quick succession with some wily veterans using their experience against a young South side. South Antrim came back again and got back within one after Archie Collins got the ball from the right hand side before coolly slotting the ball past a helpless keeper. Unfortunately South conceded shortly after, and were chasing the game thereafter. The match finished 4-2 to Garvey in a close affair which could have went the other way.

South Antrim 5ths 2-0 Belfast Harlequins 3rds (A.Pyper, N.Donald)

South Antrim 5ths traveled to Harlequins hoping to get back to winning ways. The boys started brightly and pressed the Harlequins’ defence. However, with South still reverting to hammering the ball into the circle, chances were wasted. With Peter Davis marshalling the south defence any counterattack from Harlequins was quickly stopped. With the score level at halftime, South started the second half the stronger, this time working the ball to the bye line and attacking from there. South's pressure eventually paid off with Nathan Donald tapping the ball over the line to go one up. Harlequins still looked dangerous on the counter but the South keeper was rarely troubled. Despite numerous short corners, they boys couldn’t convert and failed to find a second. However, a quick hit out by Davis in defence found young Faulkner in midfield. A quick pass to Bell on the right found him in free space. With a sprint up to the 25 line he hammered the ball into the circle for Pyper to control and slot past the advancing keeper. In the dying minutes Harlequin's won a short and with a well hit shot heading for the net Wallace in nets made his only save of the match to keep a clean sheet and secure a 2-0 win for South.

The Ladies Club had no games this weekend.

South Antrim 5-3 North Down (A.Glass, C.Henry x2, P.Maguire, M.Getty)

Last weekend saw South Antrim host North Down at Friends’ School Lisburn. South, having lost their first two games of the league campaign in closely contested encounters, were keen to get back to winning ways. This was evident in the way South started the game, putting North Down under pressure and forcing mistakes. The high tempo South were playing at soon paid off when some neat skill down the right led to a short corner being awarded. South have struggled recently with short corners, however, Adam Glass stepped up and made no mistake and flicked the ball expertly into the bottom corner.

South continued their dominance and soon after, the ball was played to Chris Henry at the top of the circle. Having beat two men with an arcing turn, Chris slotted the ball past the keeper, only for Paul Maguire to throw himself at the ball ‘to make sure it went in’ and add one to his tally for the season. After this goal, North Down grew into the game and won several short corners which were well defended by the South short corner team, with keeper Mark Hutchinson shining in particular. Soon after, North Down missed a clear cut opportunity when, after a rebound fell to their forward in front of goal, he narrowly missed the target from 6 yards out under pressure from the keeper.

The North Down pressure finally told when some sloppy defending in the South circle led to a short corner being awarded. This time the flicker, Shepherd, made no mistake, sending the ball powerfully into the corner to bring North Down back into the game at 2-1. This seemed to wake the Lisburn side up and just before half time, South doubled their lead after some strong play on the right hand side ended with Mark Gray crashing a ball in and a deft deflection from Chris Henry at the near post left the North Down keeper stranded.

The half-time break saw North Down come out with a much more physical game plan. This left several South players on the ground and unfortunately for North Down, several players serving time in the sin bin. However, South were unable to capitalise on the numerical advantage as they picked up several cards of their own for breaking down play and stick tackles in their haste. With North Down chasing the game, spaces began to open up for South and after some direct running from Nathan Gamble, his partner; Matthew Getty, found himself at the top of the circle in space and dispatched the ball past the keeper with ease.

The next goal brought the Comber side back into the game, after a contentious short corner was awarded after the ball seemed to be played cleanly in a tackle by Jonny Patterson, Shepherd stepped up and once again fired the ball into the net. The North Down side showed some fight however and once again managed to get themselves back into the game after a South player was carded for a stick tackle, they broke down the right and from a tight angle managed to hammer the ball in off the far post.

Having lost the previous two games in the last 10 minutes, the South side must have been worried that this pattern was going to continue but this was not to be the case. South managed to win a short corner with 5 minutes to go and after a great double save from the keeper the ball fell kindly to Chris Henry who hammered the ball into the net and give the Lisburn side their first points in the Premier League. Coach, Ross Johnston, said after the game that “It was a deserved victory, the guys played some great hockey and dug deep when they came under pressure in the second half.”

This young South side can look forward to a break this weekend, having been given a bye through the first round of the Irish Senior Cup.

South Antrim 2nds 0-3 Annadale 2nds

South 2nds were defeated by a well drilled Annadale side in their second league match at Lough Moss on Saturday. After an excellent opening day win against Kilkeel in Lisburn last week, the 2nds went into the game in Carryduff in good spirits and with high hopes. However, it quickly became clear that Dale would prove much stiffer opposition than the Mourne men and the opening 10 minutes brought almost relentless attacks from the home side’s forwards.  South defended well though and their defensive shape impressed the supporters who enjoyed the game in fine conditions.  Frustratingly it was only after South had weathered this early onslaught that Annadale took the lead. A home forward beat a couple of men on the left and side of the circle and hit a crisp reverse shot through a crowd of players, including Glass in goal to give Dale the advantage. Just before half time, Calum McCandless had a goal disallowed, and almost immediately Annadale went up the other end and doubled their tally; a quick break saw a forward beat the south defence and finish with a cool lob over the onrushing Glass.

In the 2nd half, Annadale were happy to protect their lead and allowed the away midfield more of the ball. Darren Hutchinson continued his impressive start to the season and combined well with the excellent Jack Redpath in the middle. There were few chances for the visitors, opportunities for Conn and McCandless unfortunately came to nothing. As South pushed forward seeking a way back into the game, Annadale got their third when a forward finished with a deflected effort from close range. Despite this defeat, South 2nds are enjoying their debut season in Junior 1 and they can look forward to their next match against Banbridge 2nds with optimism. Thanks must go to Gordie McCandless for travelling to umpire.

South Antrim 3rds 2-0 North Down 4ths (K.Gamble, G.Glass)

South Antrim made the journey to North Down on the back of a few solid performances. South started strongly but could not get any success in the final quarter thanks to stout defending from the home side. North Down began to grow into the game towards the end of the half. South started brightly after the break and were rewarded when Kurtis Gamble spun his marker and pinged the ball into the bottom corner. As the second half wore on it became evenly contested and it took veteran George Glass eased the nerves, by thundering a short corner home with a trademark long handled hit. The South back line shut up shop and ensured the 3 points came back to Lisburn and thus retaining their top spot in the league. South take on Newry at Friends’ School next Saturday.

South Antrim 4ths 1-4 NICS 3rds (A.Hamilton Jnr)

South Antrim 4ths had an away trip to fellow leader leaders, NICS 3rds last weekend. Unfortunately the team were slow out of the traps against a well drilled side and were punished. South went 1-0 down early in the game after a ball crashed in and rebounded kindly off a South stick to a Service player unmarked in the circle and he made no mistake from close range. South grew into the game but just things were clicking, they were dealt a sucker punch and went 2-0 down, after a good short corner drill by Service. South picked themselves up and hit back with a goal of their own. After some carnage in the box, Junior managed to pounce on a loose ball and skilfully guided it in from close range to bring the scoreline back to 2-1. However, yet again as South looked to gain control, Service managed got another goal, just before the first half was over. Another crashed ball into the circle left keeper Andrew Wallace with no chance from the deflection. After some stern halftime words, it was South that had the most of the ball in second half but were unable to score again to get back in the game, despite countless short corners. Service scored again late on from another short corner, controversially given in South’s eyes. This mean the game ended 4-1 to the hosts.

South Antrim 5ths 2-6 Down 1sts (S.Geary, B.Faulkner)

South 5s were looking to capitalise against a weakened Down 1s who only had 9 players at the start of the game. However, it was Down that started strongly with the South players unsure of who they were marking in the odd formation that Down employed. The visitors won a series of short corners that were defended well by South’s defensive team. With south trying to break the deadlock, Down counterattacked with a long ball to go one goal up. South immediately responded with good work by Ben Faulkner on the right, whose pass was slotted in from close range by Shane Geary. The 2nd half started with Down the better team, and they were duly reward as they scored again on the counterattack to regain a 1 goal lead. South responded soon after, with Ben Faulkner working the ball well in the circle to grab himself an equaliser. However, it was undone as sloppy marking and loose passing let Down score two more in close succession. South tried to get a foothold in the game, with Maurice Bell on his debut, trying to move the ball about the pitch and create attacks. In the final ten minutes, Down scored two more to put the game beyond doubt. One goal from a short corner and the last from another quick break.

South Antrim Ladies 3-0 Malone Ladies (V.Donaldson x2, L.Boomer)

The South Antrim ladies knew how important it was to take three points from Malone on Saturday after experiencing a shock defeat against Ballynahinch the previous week. With two players missing, South had to field a team with a few last minute changes, always a good start.

Nevertheless, the Ladies began the game very much in control, constantly on the attack and enjoying most of the possession. Vicky Donaldson was on top form and in the early stages, she weaved her way through the Malone defenders and with a deft touch from the supporting Lauren Boomer, prompted the Malone keeper to make a bit of an error as she put her attempted clearance backwards over the goal line. Throughout the first half, South created numerous opportunities, and they’d thought they’d added a second with a lob over the keeper from Stephanie Neill, but it disallowed for a foul in the build up. The Ladies won, and squandered, numerous short corners. However, towards the end of the first half, they doubled their tally, as Vicky Donaldson found herself with a clear shot at goal, which she executed confidently, as the Malone defenders appeared to await an umpire’s call that never came.

The team started the second half where they left off, with forwards Vicky Donaldson, Abbie Trimble and Alex Dugan leaving the Malone team merely observing the game as they skilfully manoeuvred the ball into the circle at will. Vicky Donaldson sealed the victory for South with a run along the back line before cutting inside and finishing with a neatly placed ball under the Malone keeper. Vicky Donaldson rightly won Player of the Match for another stellar display.

South Antrim Ladies 2nds 1-0 Owls 2nds (L.McConnell)

The Ladies 2s continued their great start in this league after last year's promotion, bagging another 3 points against Owls. Laura McConnell was the saviour, scoring in the dying seconds. The celebrations were mad. The Ladies started brightly, with young Lucy Fitzpatrick setting up the first chance, Laura McConnell got a touch on the cross but a defender got in the way to clear. Defenders Anna MacFarlane and Nicole Bell put in good stints to keep the visitors quiet. Carly Niblock put in yet another great hard working performance on the right wing.

Raphoe 3 -1 South Antrim (P.Maguire)

South made the long trip to Donegal to face a team which in recent times have had the upper hand over the Lisburn side. Despite beating Raphoe to the Senior 1 title last year, South lost all four league and cup encounters against their Donegal rivals. With Raphoe missing two of their key players through injury and South back to full strength following the return of captain Lee Marshall and Chris Redpath, they were confident of turning the form table around in this fixture.

South began the game in control, enjoying lots of possession and showing good attacking threat. They won their first penalty corner following a mazy run down the left by Chris Henry. The resulting Adam Glass drag flick agonisingly found the post before the ball was cleared to safety by the home team. 25 minutes in and against the run of play, Raphoe won their first short corner of the game. The ball was switched left and slapped low towards Huthinson’s net, who was quick to hit the ground and the block the ball. However, the South defence switched off and failed to clear his pads and Raphoe’s Regan was on hand to easily lift the ball over the stranded Hutchinson to make it 1-0 to the hosts. The remainder of the first half saw South again assert their dominance but despite creating numerous clear cut chances, were unable to capitalize on their efforts.

South started the second half where they had left off in the first, by having plenty of the ball and keeping a wrap on any rare Raphoe attack. South’s persistent build up play eventually paid off in the 50th minute, when Chris Redpath attempt from South’s 5th short corner of the game was blocked by the onrushing defender before Paul Maguire stepped up to fire a rasping reverse into the back of the net, his first goal since Simon Watt’s retirement at the start of the season, funny that. The game turned into a midfield battle and Raphoe began pressing high up the pitch, which unsettled South’s rhythm and tempo. This cagy period of the game saw both Raphoe’s Meehan and South’s Getty binned for rash tackles. Both cards seemed to have a negative effect on South’s passing game and Raphoe were now the team pressing for a late winner. With 5 minutes left on the clock, that is exactly what they got. A wayward pass from the back was intercepted deep in South’s territory, which created a three on two situation for the hosts. The ball was eventually switched to Lyttle who had the easiest of finishes to give the home side a late advantage. As South threw caution to the wind to find an equalizer in the remaining minutes, a Raphoe interception from a ranch and subsequent counter attack again found Lyttle in acres of space at the top of the circle and he made no mistake in firing the ball past Hutchinson to put the game to bed.

South will be disappointed that despite spells of dominance and promising play, again basic mistakes has cost them their first points in their maiden Premier League campaign. Next week South host another of their fellow promotees, North Down, which provides an ideal opportunity to kick start their season into gear.

South Antrim 2nds 3-2 Kilkeel 2nds (N.Wilson, M.Conn, D.Hutchinson)

Saturday saw the start if the League Campaign for South Antrim’s 2ndXI. After a loss the previous week to Newry in the cup, South were looking to bounce back with both a better performance and hopefully 3 points against Kilkeel 2nds. With a number of players missing from the side, South had to field yet another makeshift side with many changes. The team fell behind early in the first half through a long Kilkeel pass. However, South quickly found their feet and got back into the game with a goal from Neil Wilson after some lovely play from Nathan Alister on the wing. The equalizing goal seemed to settle South Antrim as they began to play more freely. The second goal came in the form of a slick short corner routine which was neatly finished off by Mark Conn at the back post. South didn’t stop there, they added a third just before half time. Darren Hutchinson this time scoring from a short corner variation, which saw him waltz past two Kilkeel players in the circle before lobbing the keeper. This meant the home side went in with a two goal lead into the interval.

The second half saw a different type of performance from South, one of grit and determination. Kilkeel very much stepped up their game and after a good spell of pressure got their 2nd of the game. With 15 minutes to go and their lead only one goal, South dug deep and with the help of some excellent goalkeeping from Ian Glass and some excellent defensive play all across the pitch South managed to hold onto their narrow lead and record a win in their opening game. After going 1-0 down to an experienced Kilkeel side, South deserve great credit for coming back and holding out for their win.

South Antrim 3rds 6-0 Cookstown 5ths (G.Glass x2, J.Deane x2, D.Hutchinson, N.Wilson)

South Antrim 3rds were on top form as they hit Cookstown for six last weekend. The Lisburn men took a deserved early lead against through George Glass, with a volley from a bouncing cross from the top of the circle. A second from Glass shortly before half time put South two goals up. With the South defence of Adam Thompson, John Massey, Pete Davis and Jonny Dunne rock solid this was then a platform for the attackers to find more chances and score more goals. John Deane fired in two goals in quick succession in the second half. Shortly after, Darren Hutchinson stepped off the bench to beat four men and fire home from a tight angle as the keeper tried to cover the pass. Neil Wilson got on the score sheet as he found himself in the circle on his own with the keeper and scored, somewhat awkwardly, with his reverse.

South Antrim 4ths 5-0 Antrim 3rds (A.Hamilton Jnr x2, C.Black, J.Taylor, S.Glenn)

South Antrim 4ths began their league campaign with a home game against Antrim 3rds. South began well and dominated the first half but goals were hard to come by with Junior Hamilton scoring the solitary goal of the first half, a trademark finish into the bottom corner after good work in the D to create space. With the match still in the balance, South needed to continue in the second half with the same effort as the first, knowing that the next goal of the match would be of the utmost importance to deciding the victor. In the second half, South’s luck in front of the net changed and they got the second goal by way of Chris Black, scoring a thunderous hit from a rebound following a short corner. Jonny Taylor added a third from a short corner and provided an assist for Junior who guided into the net after a hit into the D with such guile that is to be expected from a proven goal scorer. Stuart Glenn rounded off a fantastic second half with a fifth goal, a shot into the bottom corner after good work from overlapping right back Stephen Hood.

South Antrim 5ths WIN-LOSS North Down 5ths

South Antrim 5ths had no game as North Down 5ths couldn’t field a team and conceded the points. There are as yet no reports of intimidation by Trevor Wallace on the Comber side.

South Antrim Ladies 0-1 Ballynahinch Ladies

South Antrim Ladies 1sts had a hopeful start on Saturday against Ballynahinch, with various attacks reaching the circle within the first 5 minutes, one such attack ended with Lauren Boomer and Alannah Richardson narrowly missing an opportunity for a goal. As the first half progressed, a rare counter attack by the opposition presented the South Ladies with a penalty corner to defend, Ballynahinch bundled the ball into the net, meaning that the Ladies were 1-0 down entering the second half. In the second half, the Ladies fought to keep possession of the ball and were kept in it by some amazing saves from their keeper, Heather Neil. Some lovely play from Alex Dugan and Abbie Trimble down the right hand side of the pitch, led to the girls creating opportunities but were unlucky not to get a goal. Unfortunately the girls ran out of time and couldn’t get the equalizer they sorely needed and the score remained 1-0 to the Hinch. Player of the Match went to Allison Marsden for her great defensive work thoughout.

South Antrim Ladies 2nds 5-0 Mossley 4ths (A.Wright x2, L.McConnell x3)

South Ladies continued their impressive start to the season with an emphatic 5-0 win over Mossley 4ths on home soil.  Amy Wright continuing her fine form this season, and in the opening stages she took the ball to the Mossley defence and only by some good defending, she was denied her a goal after a sweet shot from the edge of the circle. Mossley responded, but solid defending by way of Nicole Bell and Wendy Li ensured Mossey were unable to get into the South circle. South continued to attack, with Carly Niblock making an excellent run down the right and backed up by Jill Holley from midfield, managed to find Amy Wright in front of the Mossley keeper.  The goalkeeper saved the initial shot, but Wright pounced on the rebound and found the net for the first goal.  Mossley responded well, getting up the pitch, but a great tackle from the South sweeper set the ball back into another South attack. A fine pass from Amy Wright gave Laura McConnell the opportunity to score her first goal of the game, which she duly took.

Amy Wright continued to put pressure on the Mossley defence and after some fine running from winger Carly Niblock, she was again rewarded when a goal mouth scramble ended with the ball in the back of the Mossley net.  The South midfield continued to work hard, with Niamh Doyle making her debut and Anna Dornan returning to hockey after a break, the industrious girls continued to pressure. Laura McConnell was again rewarded for her efforts down the left flank with a well taken goal slipping the ball past the advancing Mossley keeper after a marauding run.  Laura completed her hat trick shortly after. A fine reverse pass from striking partner Amy Wright set Laura up with an easy finish to seal the victory for the Lisburn side.  Well done to Carly Niblock on player of the match. Many thanks to Catherine Faulkner for umpiring.

South Antrim 3-4 Kilkeel (A.Glass, C.Henry x2)

Last weekend saw South Antrim's first fixture in the Ulster Premier League after winning promotion last year from Senior 1. The Lisburn side played Kilkeel, an established mid-table side with more experience than themselves. The men in red and black were undaunted and started well, absorbing the expected pressure with ease and mounting counter attacks by use of the ariel ball. One of these balls played in Paul Maguire, who darted in behind the defence and won a short corner as the defender was deemed to have deliberately played the ball over the back line. South scored the resulting set piece with an Adam Glass drag flick. South Antrim were under pressure but rarely in danger over the next 20 minutes. Unfortunately Kilkeel won their own short corner after a well played advantage, which they duly converted. The Mourne men quickly went in front, after an unkind ricochet fell to a Kilkeel forward who volleyed on the turn into the far corner. South regrouped and the makeshift centre back pairing of Adam Marshall and Mark Gray stood firm, allowing just one more short corner, saved easily by Hutchinson in goals. John Semple, on his return to the firsts, was at the heart of everything positive in South's play. He linked well with other midfielders Jack Redpath and Ward Phillips to take the game to Kilkeel. The break arrived too soon to take advantage of the pressure, with the scores 2-1 to the visitors.

Soon into the second half, a chain of defensive errors lead to another Kilkeel short, duly dispatched again by a drag flick. Knowing they had to find a goal quickly to get back into the game, South stepped it up pressing high up the pitch. The soon won a short corner from another Chris Henry mazy run when he was cynically scythed down inside the final quarter, the offending Kilkeel player was award a green card for his troubles. Henry scored his deflection form the set piece to get South back into it. However, their pressing to get the equalizer was their undoing as a break away lead to another Kilkeel short, dispatched on the rebound after the initial save by Agnew. Credit to the boys that they didn't give up, Henry was again brought down and South were award another short, this time the Kilkeel keeper was equal to the flick and saved. South switched to a full press and it paid dividends, Getty intercepted an errand pass and played in Usain Bolt Chris Henry, who used his pace to get by his marker but was yet again fouled before he entered the circle. Another card for Kilkeel and another short for South. Henry again scored a deflection, now a deserved brace from the player causing mayhem. With South really on top and Kilkeel on the ropes, the final whistle went, denying the Lisburner's an upset. This performance was really encouraging for the young South team, knowing they can match the current experienced Premier League sides will go along way to avoiding relegation and finished in a good position in their debut season. Next week sees the men travel to Raphoe, the only team to beat them on their Senior 1 winning campaign last year. Keen to right a wrong, the team will look to play at the same high standard they showed against Kilkeel.

South Antrim 2nds 2-7 Newry 2nds (N.Wilson, D.Hutchinson)

South Antrim 2nds played away to Newry 2nds, whose firsts played midweek, in their final Junior 1 League Cup group schedule on Saturday. Missing star player John Semple, after he was called up to the 1sts at short notice, left the team with just 11 players to make the trip. This really took its toll as Newry cruised to a 7-2 win, with the majority of goals coming in the second half, when tired legs took their toll. A positive from the game was that forward Neil Wilson scored for the fifth week in succession, he is in good form and can hopefully provide the goals in the league opener this weekend against Kilkeel 2nds. Darren Hutchinson scored the other South goal with a new short corner routine they won't even tell us about.

South Antrim 3rds 1-0 Portush 2nds (K.Gamble)

The 3rds made the journey to Ballycastle for the late 4pm pass back slot. South Antrim made a strong start and put Portrush under pressure from the offset. Pete Davis and John Massey, called up to the 3rds on the back of fine performances on the 5ths, controlled the team from the back and closed the door on any Portrush attack. Adam Thompson and Jonny Dunne helped to push the team forward from wing back positions, aiding in attack when they could. Kurt Gamble was the hero who secured the points, he span his marker and used his pace to create space for the shot before drilling into the bottom corner on his 3rds debut. South Antrim defended strongly against the final, desperate Portrush attacks to bring the three points back home. Next week sees South Antrim start the league season at home against Cookstown 5ths.

South Antrim 4ths 2-4 Lisnagarvey 6ths (A.Smith, A.Hamilton Jnr)

South Antrim 4ths played their final group game in their League Cup after making the trip out of Lisburn to Hillsborough, to play against Lisnagarvey 6ths. In a tight first half with few chances, Stuart Glenn had the best opportunity; but his quick reactions to get away a shot were matched by the Garvey Keeper. Lisnagarvey, on the other hand, made the most of their best chance and scored from a well worked short corner making the score 1-0 at half time. South came out strongly in the second half and, after a few tactical tweaks, looked the better side for long spells before getting their reward with a well taken volley at the back post from Alan Smith after two fine saves by the opposition keeper from a South short. South pressed on and were rewarded with another goal after a precise pass from Ian McElhenny found the always clinical Junior Hamilton unmarked in the D and he gave the goalkeeper no chance stroking the ball into the bottom corner. However towards the end of the game South were exposed by Garvey’s youthful pace, who capitalised on some tiring legs with several good counter attacks and went on to score 3 goals leaving South on the wrong side of a 4-2 score line.

South Antrim 5ths 2-9 NICS 3rds (C.Black, S.Taggart)

It was a day to forget for the 5ths as they returned from Stormont with nothing, Chris Black scored from a short corner to go one goal up, Civil Service then hit 6 before Simon Taggart netted from open play, Service then romped in another three to close out the game that South barely took part in, ending 9-2. Although they were missing players, the boys realize they underperformed and know they have to be better, especially with the League commencing this weekend, the 5ths play North Down 5ths away in Comber. Captain Trevor Wallace had this to say about the weekend's game; "Well, we were ******** *******  ******* **** and ***** ******** *****, so we lost!!"

South Antrim Ladies 5-2 Cooke Ladies (C.Rodgers, V.Donaldson x2, A.Richardson, L.Boomer)

The ladies got back to winning ways in emphatic style, a 5-2 win over Cooke Ladies. Charis Rodgers netted before Cooke's equalizer, Vicky Donaldson netted a brace before Alannah Richardson and Lauren Boomer added to the score line. Cooke scored a sneaky one at the end. The Ladies sights must be set on winning promotion even at this early stage of the season.

South Antrim 2nds 3-0 Holywood 2nds (R.Sullivan x2, L.McConnell) 
The Ladies club are on fire this weekend! Nicole Bell's team thumped their Holywood counterparts by 3 goals with Rachel Sullivan netting twice and Laura McConnell bagging the other. An unprecedented three way tie for player of the match, shared by Emer Drayne, Jill Holley and Rachel Sullivan.

The ladies knew that they faced a challenge, as Holywood are at the top end of their league table. South got off to a good start immediately, putting pressure on Holywood down the wings, with Emer Drayne and Carly Niblock displaying some great link up play.The girls opened the scoring after 15 minutes through a superb solo effort by Rachel Sullivan. South continued to press with Jill Holley and Bethany Lockhart, making great use of the space throughout midfield to eventually create a chance scored by Laura McConnell at the back post. South's defence managed the Holywood forwards extremely well, minimising the number of chances to strike on goal.
South were unfortunate not to go into the half time break three goals up, as a opportunity created by Erin Rennie for Laura McConnell to covert was saved fantastically by the Holywood goal keeper.
The second half continued to be one way traffic. Holywood defended resolutely until a well worked short corner was smashed home by Rachel Sullivan to put the result beyond doubt. The South ladies were not only delighted with their 3-0 win but also the quality of the team play throughout the match. As momentum builds, they look forward to playing next week against Mossley.

South Antrim 7-3 Wallace High (J.Brown, A.Glass, P.Maguire x3, C.Henry x2)

Last Wednesday night saw South Antrim 1sts take on Wallace High School in the annual Ivan Sloan memorial cup. This year’s match provided South with the opportunity to retain the title for the first time, following last year’s victory.

As the game began South looked to establish an early dominance, however the Wallace team, blessed with an abundance of pace in the midfield, were able to disrupt much of South’s early possession and prevent them from playing the hockey which won them the league title last season. Despite this, the Premier league side opened the scoring towards the end of the first quarter of play with James Brown slotting a neat drag flick, which was in no way an attempted pass to the back post to Paul Maguire, into the bottom corner of the goal.

The second quarter saw a rejuvenated Wallace side take advantage of South Antrim mistakes, scoring two goals in quick succession, including a well-placed short corner routine. Despite this disappointment, South were able to find their feet in the game once more and, following some good build up play from Adam Marshall and Ward Phillips, Adam Glass levelled the scores with a deflected effort past the onrushing Wallace ‘keeper.

With the match finely balanced at 2-2, the second half began with South Antrim looking to build on a mixed first half performance and re-establish their earlier lead. However, once again Wallace were able to show why they are considered one of the top school boy teams in the country, taking the lead early on with a well-timed finish from close range. As it turned out, this was just the shock South needed to spring them back to life. After falling behind in the match South finally began to play the quality, fast-flowing hockey which the team have been playing for the past year. With Mark Gray, Nathan Gamble and Chris Henry beginning to cause havoc down the right hand side, a goal seemed inventible. Sure enough a quick fire double for Paul Maguire saw South regain the lead at the close of the 3rd quarter.

The final quarter of the match was dominated by an invigorated South Antrim side. Paul Maguire completed his hat trick in style with a precise near post finish following a trademark storming run. The match was then put to bed late on with a Chris Henry double, firstly firing home a rebound from an Adam Glass short corner, followed by a tap in from less than a foot, albeit from a 50 yard dribble to get there. With the match seemingly all but over there was still time for Mark Gray to give the crowd further entertainment. The South Antrim right back, despite his limited attacking ability, managed to bundle his way into the opposition area and found himself 1 v 1 with the Wallace keeper. With most of the crowd turning away, expecting to hear the crash of the ball against the backboard, Gray showed the truth behind the old cliché ‘nothing is guaranteed in sport’ as he managed to trip over his own feet and fall over, just in time to watch the ball trickle well wide of goal.

Despite this missed opportunity South were able to hold on to the final whistle with the score at 7-3 and win the tie for the second year running. The exciting score line and good spirits in which the game was played were a fitting tribute to Ivan. Wallace's Matthew Nelson was rightly awarded Man of the Match after a fantastic display in the school's midfield. Kind words were said by South's chairman Jonny Taylor in memory of Ivan after the game.

South Antrim 1-4 NICS (M.Gray)

In the final Kirk cup game of the group stage, South played host to Civil Service. Knowing that even a win would be unlikely to secure a place in the semi finals, South were nevertheless keen to finish on a high. The opening spell of the game saw the home team control possession with some nice moves, especially down the left hand side, with Jonny Patterson and Ward Phillips linking up well. As the half wore on South created several good openings, whilst restricting the experienced Civil Servants to few chances. The midfield of Matthew Getty, Jack Redpath and Chris Henry were controlling the match well, acting as excellent outlets for the defence. A surging run from Adam Glass and tireless work from Paul Maguire led to several shots on the opposition goal. South also won their fair share of short corners, three in the opening exchanges, two of which were met with incredible saves from the visiting keeper. As the interval drew closer, Service won a penalty corner. Knowing that this was the opposition’s main strength, South’s defensive game plan was to prevent the concession of such set pieces. Indeed, Service displayed their potency and duly dispatched the drag flick past the helpless defence on the line. Despite being behind, South were positive going into the interval, that the points were there for the taking, if they could be more clinical in front of goal.

The start of the second half began and within minutes, South were 2 down. A lapse in concentration from a defender on the ball led to a chance for Service. Mark Hutchinson in goal did well to deal with the initial shot, but the Service forward made no mistake with the rebound, rifling through a crowd with a powerful reverse. The goal stood, despite there being dubious dangerous play by the attacking team in the build up. Within ten minutes, South had dropped further behind. A hopeful ball from the left side of the pitch crashed into the D found an attacker, who managed to squirm the ball past the keeper with a deflection to stretch the lead. South unfortunately found themselves 3-0 down, despite having dominated possession and having more clear cut chances.  Young James Brown nearly hit back almost immediately for South, having his flick rattle the post after a slick penalty corner routine. As the game wore on, South continued to make, and unfortunately, miss chances. Rather disappointingly, another Service corner was won and scored with a drag flick. The final moments of the game arrived and there was still time for a goal for the home side, and it was surely pick of the bunch. South’s right wing back, Mark Gray, picked up the ball on the wide right of pitch, after a fine spread of play from Irish badminton sensation Matthew Getty. He drove past several defenders and weaved his way along the by-line. When he reached the keeper, he shimmied his hips, faked a pass across goal and neatly slotted the ball into the empty net past the diving keeper from a tight angle. Overall, South were disappointed to lose the game to goals which could have been avoided, yet content that they played well and on another day, the scoreline could have been very different.

Next week is the beginning of the league season at home to Kilkeel. This will surely be a tough test and South will be looking to get points on the board early.

South Antrim 2nds 2-3 Annadale 2nds (D.Hutchinson, N.Wilson)

South Antrim 2s took on Annadale 2s this week knowing that this would be a tough early test for the new look seconds side against an established Junior 1 side. The game started with Dale having the majority of the ball trying to work it around the South defence. The South back four restricted Dale to just a few chances in the opening exchanges, until a strong run from a Dale attacker set up a back post deflection from a low driven reverse across the circle. Then, just moments after the first goal, Dale sent carbon copy of the first reverse stick cross and another scored another deflection at the back post. However, the South boys did not let their heads drop and fought back creating their own chances, unfortunately with none troubling the opposition keeper. A moment of individual brilliance brought South back into the game. Darren Hutchinson picked the ball up just outside the Annadale circle, beat his defender with a quick spin and hit a shot that found the top corner of the net. South kept the pressure on, looking for an equaliser with Annadale were rattled, and thanks to an interception by Mark Conn, he played in Chris Arnott who dribbled the ball along the base line and picked out Neil Wilson for a diving deflection at the near post. This gave south a well-deserved equaliser going into the half time break at 2-2. The second half was much like the first with both teams having an equal share of the ball. Unfortunately, Annadale’s league experience shone through and, from a quick break, a Dale forward found himself with the ball on the base line and managed to wriggle his way into the circle to have a shot that was saved my Ian glass but he could do nothing about the rebound that followed. South didn’t give up hope and nearly levelled the game in the closing stages. Wilson found a pass to Darren on the flick spot, whose shot was stopped on the line by the defender, resulting in a penalty flick that Wilson stepped up to take. Sadly though he could not convert, the flick and hit the post, squandering the chance for south to get back on level terms. Although Annadale won this encounter, the South boys can be proud of their performance against one of the top teams in the league.

South Antrim 1-2 Mossley 4ths (S.Hood)

South Antrim 3s were also in cup action last week, they travelled to play Mossley, to play their 4ths having had the previous week off. The 3rds struggled to get into the game and soon went a goal down. South Antrim went two down moments later after a short corner from Mossley found the net. South Antrim then grew into the game in the second half and began to control the ball. Stephen Hood scored to make it 2-1, but it was too little too late.

South Antrim 4ths 4-4 Downpatrick 1sts (A.Collins, J.Taylor, A.Smith, A.Hamilton Jnr)

South Antrim 4ths took on Downpatrick 1sts in their fourth game in the league cup. Currently undefeated under their new captain, Graeme Alister, the team hoped to continue their run of good performances with a win. However the Downpatrick team started strongly scoring within the first minutes of the game from a short corner. South however reclaimed moments later, a goal off the stick of Archie Collins, to bring south back into the game. Downpatrick's well worked short corners allowed them to score second but they were pegged back again by a resilient South side. A one handed diving reverse from Hamilton Jnr levelled the scores at 2-2. Continued strong short corners from Downpatrick meant they went 4-2 up in the second half, but South refused to roll over yet. A superb solo run from Jonny Taylor, who ended up scoring while dribbling away from goal with a backwards shot, made it 4-3 with 8 minutes remaining. Downpatrick attempted a reply with two successive shorts, however, now aware to their tactics, the defence prevented another goal. It was a South short that made all the difference in the end, and in the final minutes a switch to Alan Smith and a first time hit sent the ball into the back of the net via a deflection from the keeper.  This made it 4-4 and gained South another well earned point and they remain undefeated in four.

South Antrim 2-2 Antrim 3rds (A.Glass Jnr, S.Taggart)

Just over the fence at Friends school, the 5ths started their cup match against Antrim strongly. Good midfield play created plenty of chances for the South forwards but they failed to capitalise. However, 15 minutes in, Adam Glass dribbled the ball to the top of the circle and roofed a reverse hit. South continued to press and Simon Taggart, in his debut match, worked a nice one two with Glass, receiving the ball in the circle and slipped the ball past the advancing Antrim keeper. This woke up the Antrim team who started to press forward. A defensive error let an Antrim winger into the circle, who slid in a pass past the stranded keeper for a tap in. The second half was a fairly equal encounter with both teams attacking. However, a schoolboy error of not playing until the whistle went led to an equalizer for Antrim. The South players stopped when they thought they had won a free in their own 25, and let the Antrim forwards dribble through for the goal. South pressed hard for the winner bit couldn’t find the net with the game ending 2-2.

South Antrim Ladies 0-3 ParkvIew Ladies

South Antrim Ladies 1sts headed to Parkview keen to repeat last week’s performance. South began the match steadily making good passes from midfield to the forward line. However, Parkview were given a lucky opportunity in the circle and scored their first goal as the ball fell kindly to a Parkview forward, shortly followed by a second goal, shocking the visitors

South came out determined in the second half and lifted their game but were unfortunate not to score, with Charis Rodgers and Alannah Richardson sending the ball narrowly past the goal posts on numerous occasions. Parkview managed to place one more in the back of the net during the last five minutes denying the South Ladies any points this weekend. Joint Players of the match, Charis Rodgers and Amy Glover. Thanks to Catherine Fulkner for umpiring.

South Antrim 2nds 2-3 Grosvenor 4ths (A.Wright x2)

The South Ladies were hoping to build on their win from the previous week against a strong Grosvenor side. Unfortunately, they got off to a terrible start by conceding a goal not long after the starting whistle. Credit to the girls, their heads didn't drop and they continued trying to create attacking plays. The attacking play payed off as Amy Wright latched on to a superbly weighted through pass and slipped the ball past the on-rushing Grosvenor goal keeper. Grosvenor were able to score again just before the half time whistle and South ladies went into the half time talk 2-1 down.  With all to play for in the second half, wingers Carly Niblock and Laura McConnell caused all sorts of problems for the Grosvenor defence. The pressure finally paid off as South levelled the score again through Amy Wright. Grosvenor again came back hard to score again and take the lead within the last ten minutes of the game. In the remaining time, South pressed hard with player of the match, Jill Holley, controlling the midfield and creating many scoring opportunities but unfortunately South could just not find the back of the net and the game played out 3-2 to the Belfasters. The Ladies left disappointed knowing that they had plenty of opportunities to win the game. They look forward to playing Holywood next week.