Northend U-14s back at full strength in impressive win

Chris Fullerton scored a dramatic winner with minutes of the match remaining to settle a bruising encounter against Lisburn Distillery.

Elsewhere in the Lisburn League the U16s were very unfortunate not to get something from their game against league leaders Lisburn Distillery, conceding the winning goal with minutes of the match remaining, in a top team performance.

The U13s were also in action against current league leaders Lisburn Rangers and lost their momentum of recent weeks.

UNDER-11

Northend United U11s 3, Northend United U10s 0: With fixtures in the NWCDYL being cancelled on Friday evening, a hastily arranged friendly saw the U10s entertain the U11s.

The U11s eventually ran out 3-0 winners against a very determined U10 squad with goals from Callum McMurray (2) and Lewis Hector.

Northend: D Magill, P Bristow, J Adams, K Cosgrove, J McIlhatton, Owen Campbell, C McMillan, L Hector, D McKay and C McMurray.

UNDER-14

Northend 3, Lisburn Distillery 2: After falling behind, Northend replied when John Brady stepped up and pounded a ferocious free-kick into the roof of the net, of the under-side of the bar.

And it was from another free kick, this time by Tom Patchett, Northend went ahead before the break.

Distillery levelled the scores with 15 minutes to go but it was substitute Chris FUllerton who scored the winner for Northend when he lobbed the goalkeeper. MOM - Niall Craig, Tom Patchett, John Brady

Northend: C McGarry, R Jones, T McAuley, S Frew, R Lorimer, M Willighan, N Craig, R Iovu (c), T Patchett, J Brady, R McCluney, S Lecky, C Gordon, C Fullerton.

UNDER-16

Northend 2, Greenisland Boys 2: In a rare appearance in Ballymena, Northend fell behind before Bradley Cairns scored for Northend after 20 minutes when he received a cross from Zach Herbison, turned his marker and planted the ball past the keeper.

Failure to convert good chances came back to haunt Northend as they again fell behind but with eight minutes remaining, Cameron Neilly scored Northend’s second goal when he tucked the ball past the Greenisland keeper.

Northend: J Mark, O Boyle, J Dawson, R McKenna (c), G Downey, T Campbell, S Bennett, B Cairns, J Houston, Z Herbison, A Milligan, C Neilly, L McFall, M Waide, J Galbraith, L McAllister.

Lisburn Distillery 2, Northend United 1: The Blues playing their second match in a few days were down to the bare bones for this encounter but it was the Ballymena boys who went in front when Zack Herbison converted a penalty.

But two goals in the last 12 minutes saw the game slip away from Northend in the second half.

Northend: E Elliott, L McFall, A Milligan, O Boyle, G Downey, T Campbell (c), S Bennett, C Neilly, B Cairns, Z Herbison, S Olliver, A Shaw

TALENT DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

The Northend Talent Development Centre which uses Coerver Coaching techniques, continues each Wednesday at the Broughshane MUGA. The Talent Development Centre is open to all boys and girls aged from 7 to 16, and takes from 6.00pm to 7.30pm.

For more information, or to reserve your child a place on the course, please call John Devlin on 07919056834.

WAKEHURST UPDATE

It’s good to see both Niall Swann and Jamie Speirs becoming integral members of the Wakehurst first team squad these days playing Irish league football at such a young age.

Both Niall and Jamie were stalwarts in last season’s U17 team which reached the National League Plate Final and a number of players in this season’s U16 team are starting to train with the Irish League Club’s first team.