Delight for Daniel

The under 10s meanwhile had a good win over Glentoran by four goals to two to maintain their league challenge in their first season in competitive football.

Unfortunately the 15s travelled all the way to Fermanagh to lose 1-0 to Ballinamallard after previously showing recent good form in Northern Irelands 'elite' National League.

The 12s also had a long journey home going down 2-1 to Limavady up on the North Coast..

UNDER-10

Carniny 4, Glentoran 2: It didn't take the boys in red long to get going with Lemon heading in a Dawkins cross right from the kick off leaving Carniny a goal up in the first 40 seconds.

Glentoran settled and began to play good football and a mistake in the Carniny defence let their striker in to finish coolly to make it 1-1 in the tenth minute.

The Ballymena lads continued to press forward and Dawkins soon restored Carniny's lead with a fine left foot strike but the Glens drew level again five minutes later to make it 2-2.

In the 42nd minute, Stewart broke through the Glens' defence and finished very nicely just inside the post to return the advantage to Carniny.

Glentoran had chances to level but the defence of the reds was just too steady and then Young connected with a high ball from Dawkins with his left foot on the edge of the box and the ball flew past the Glentoran keeper to make it 4-2 for the reds.

Carniny: Reid, Neilly, Marshall, McDonnell, McHenry, Young, Lemon, Leech, Dawkins, Stewart, Wyllie, Apsley, Lennon, Dobbin, Shaw.

UNDER-12

Carniny 1, Limavady 2: Carniny travelled to Limavady in the National League but came home disappointed after a string of missed chances.

It was Adam Rowe who put Carniny in front when he spotted the keeper off his line, and put in a fantastic effort from about 40 yards.

Limavady soon equalised after Carniny failed to clear a corner kick. Then with five minutes of the half left Limavady made it two-one with a good strike from outside the box.

Carniny: Marquess, McDonnell, Rowe, Killough, Sharpe, Mairs, Feeney, Fyfe, Moore, Shevlin, Millar.

UNDER-15

Carniny 0, Ballinamallard 1: Carniny saw themselves go a goal down after only a minute in this game when a Carniny defender knocked a ball on into the path of a 'Mallard forward who gratefully took the ball on and slotted home from close range.

To their credit the boys in red didn't drop their heads and five minutes later saw a Nicky Black cross bounce off the Fermanagh side's cross bar.

Carniny: Dunlop, White, McAllister, Greene C, Todd, Carson, McKelvey, Black, Greene G, Barr, Apsley, Wright.

UNDER-16

Carniny 3, Rosario 0: Twenty five minutes in Armstrong played a pin point ball to the back post which found the head of Kerr, who put the ball back into the box onto the head of Scullion who found the back of the net.

Five minutes later Carniny broke from the right and Armstrong hit a powerful shot, which deflected off a Rosario player and into the net leaving the score two nil half time.

On the 65th minute, McWhirter broke from right back, beating several players, and played an excellent ball to Waring, who played Scullion in on goal, and he finished brilliantly.

Carniny: Boyd, Kernahan, McWhirter, McDowell, Ross, McIlveen, Waring, Armstrong, Kerr, Moore, Scullion, Foster, Young, McCaughlin.

UNDER-17

Carniny 4, Roasario 2: Carniny went into this match knowing nothing less than a win would do with Aquinas breathing down their neck and it wasn't long till Carniny were on target with the Rosario keeper handling outside the box, Ryan McCartney stuck away the resultant free kick with a superb strike.

But after the goal Carniny let their guard drop and Rosario took advantage of some hesitant defending to level matters on the 23rd minute. Straight from kick off Rosario dispossessed the Carniny midfield to score on the 36th minute to put them 2-1 up at the break.

After the break Carniny came out a changed team with them making two subs and changing the formation and it wasn't long till it worked with Daniel McCloskey getting on the end of a Michael Thompson long ball to coolly slot it past the Rosario keeper on the 56th minute to bring Carniny back onto level terms.

Patrick Deboys who coolly rounded the keeper on the 73rd minute to make it 3-2 and Carniny rounded off the scoring with a fantastic solo effort; after beating two defenders Daniel McCloskey slid the ball beneath the advancing keeper on the 80th minute to keep Carniny in contention for the league.

Carniny: Quigley, McGarry, Gilmore, Sands, Dillon, Scroggie, Thompson, Cassidy, McCartney, Deboys, McCloskey, Friel, Cubitt, O'Mullan, Moore, Millar.

'MUNCHKINS' ON TRAVELS

The children from the club's Football Development Centre had an enjoyable day out on Saturday afternoon when they travelled to Ballyclare to play on the private indoor 3G playing facility at the ‘Soccer Shed’.

Currently the FDC kids are preparing for participation in this year’s Ballymena Invitational Mini Soccer League sponsored by McDonald's restaurant which commences on the 17th April and this year celebrates its 10th anniversary.