Hat-trick hero Nicholl stars in Clough win

The weather played a bit of havoc with the fixtures at the weekend with a total of eight games being lost to the ground conditions.

Among the games lost was the Raceview v Carniny Amateurs Intermediate league game as well as Junior and Cup games.

Saturday next has a few very interesting league games down for decision particular in the Intermediate Division where Newtowne host Brantwood and an improving Kilbride Swifts entertain Raceview.

Fixtures for Saturday 4th February 2012

Intermediate League Games

Rasharkin United v Ballynure Old Boys

Kilbride Swifts v Raceview

FC Ballynure v Clough Rangers Athletic

Newtowne v Brantwood

Desertmartin v Carniny Amateurs

Dunloy Free

Junior Divisions League Div One

Tobermore Utd Res v Larne Olympic @ TBC

Magherafelt S Blue Res v Mallusk Athletic @ TBC

Desertmartin Swifts v Chimney Corner Res @ (If D’martin can procure a ground)

Div Two

Woodlands v Finvoy @ Woodburn PF. Carrickfergus

FC Larne v Antrim Rovers @ Sandy Bay. Larne

3rd Ballyclare old Boys v Carnlough Swifts @ (If Ballyclare can procure a ground)

Cookstown Olympic v Wakehurst Strollers @ (If Cookstown can procure a ground)

Div Three

Carnmoney FC v 14th Newtownabbey @ The Valley PF. Newtownabbey

Castle Star v Encore FC @ Woodburn PF. Carrickfergus

Metro YM v 1st Mossley YM @ Woodburn PF. Carrickfergus

Remo FC v FC Ballynure YM @ (If Remo can procure a ground)

Carrickfergus Young Citizens Free

Linda Welshman Memorial Cup

Round Three

Glebe Rangers Res v Ballymoney Utd Res @ Joey Dunlop Centre. Ballymoney

Killymoon Rangers Res v Moyola Park Olympic @ Beechway. Cookstown

Ballyclare North End v Red Star @ 6mile Leisure Centre. Ballyclare

Round Four

Ballynure Old Boys ‘B’ v Grange Rangers II @ The Diamond. Rathcoole

Canada Trophy

Round Three

Carniny Amateurs II v Ballyclare Com Res @ Showground’s. Ballymena

All games kick off @ 2.00pm including cup ties

INTERMEDIATE DIVISION

CLOUGH RANGERS ATHLETIC 4 DESERTMARTIN 2

Desertmartin took the lead on the 10th minute through a well taken goal scored by Lee Smyth and this goal was the difference between the teams until David Nicholl equalised for Clough as half-time beckoned. Desertmartin went in front again on the 63rd minute after Gareth McMenemy scored but Clough came back to equalise for a second time with David Nicholl converting a penalty on the 75th minute. Clough then edged ahead after David Nicholl completed his hat-trick on the 85th minute and then with Desertmartin chasing the game Steven Holmes nipped through to score on the 89th minute securing the win for Clough.

Referee Mr. Mervyn McAleese

McREYNOLDS CUP ROUND 2

FC BALLYNURE 3 BRANTWOOD 3

FC Ballynure started off well by taking the game to Brantwood this paying off when Andy Crothers opened the scoring for them on the 29th minute. Half-time saw Ballynure still in front then on the 56th minute Jordan Kernoghan hit home the equaliser for Brantwood and this scoreline remained until Colin Chambers scored putting Ballynure back in front on the 80th minute. Time was then running out fast then with the game into stoppage time Brantwood were awarded a penalty which Ballynure hotly disputed but Chris Rafferty kept his cool slotting the ball home on the 91st minute. The game was then turned on its head when on the 92nd minute Steven Bainbridge nipped in to score the winner for Brantwood.

Referee Mr. David Dougherty

KILBRIDE SWIFTS 5 DUNLOY 3

Dunloy who won the Cup in the 09/10 season and were beaten finalists last season made their exit from it this year with Kilbride scoring three times during the final fifteen minutes of the game. Kilbride took the lead after Ryan Caskey scored on the 11th minute then extended this lead when Adie Biggerstaff scored their second goal in the 20th minute. Dunloy got back into the game after Paudie Shivers scored on the 30th minute and were back on level terms when Conor McKinley scored on the 41st minute. Dunloy went in front after John McFerran scored on the 56th minute but Kilbride came back to equalise on the 75th minute through Lee Collington. After this Kilbride went for the winner and took the lead again when Lee Collington scored his second goal on the 78th minute then sealed the game after Ryan Caskey scored his second goal on the 86th minute.

Referee Mr. Sam Agnew

IFA INTERMEDIATE CUP ROUND 4

BALLYNURE OLD BOYS 0 LINFIELD SWIFTS 5

Ballynure held their own against a fast moving Swifts teams and went in at half-time trailing by a single goal. The second half saw the fitness of the Swifts tell in the end with fast play they went on to score four more goals.

NEWTOWNE 0 CLIFTONVILLE OLYMPIC 1

Newtowne with a few regular players missing were well in the game during the first forty five minutes and with the Olympic having a man sent off minutes before half-time they certainly had a chance to win the game. This hope evaporated when Newtowne had a man sent off early in the second half this being followed by the Olympic getting the all important goal that won the game on the 61st minute.

JUNIOR DIVISIONS LEAGUE GAMES

DIVISION ONE

DESERTMARTIN SWIFTS 2 GLEBE RANGERS RES 1

This was a cracking game of football between two evenly matched teams and though they created chances including a penalty for Desertmartin no goals were scored during the first-half. Desertmartin then went in front on the 65th minute through a well taken goal scored by Neil Smyth but then saw Andre Grauer cancel this out when he scored for Glebe on the 76th minute. The pace of the game never slackened and with time running down and a draw imminent up popped Ryan Glasgow to scored what was the winning goal for Desertmartin with the final whistle on the blow. Referee Mr. Bert Purdy

BALLYNURE OLD BOYS ‘B’ 2 CHIMNEY CORNER RES 2

After a steady start to the game by both teams the Corner went in front after James McKinney scored on the 26th minute and at half-time still led by this goal. Ballynure got back level after Ryan Davey scored on the 56th minute but then saw Myles Devine score on the 62nd minute putting the Corner back in front. Ballynure then hit back immediately after this with Jon Kennedy scoring on the 64th minute which at the end saw the teams share the points. Referee Mr. Trevor Higgins

DIVISION TWO

COOKSTOWN OLY 13 FC LARNE 2

This scoreline in this game was certainly a shock as at the start of the game Larne were only six points in third place behind the Olympic in the league table. Half-time saw the Olympic lead by seven goals to one and score a further six against one in the second half. Cookstown goals were scored by Jon O’Neil 3, Mark Loughran 3, Conor O’Hare 2, Liam Hoy 2, Ryan O’Neil 2 and Conor O’Reilly 1 with Cameron Rhys and Alan Burgess scoring for Larne. Referee Mr. Mark O’Neil

GRANGE RANGERS II 0 BALLYCLARE NORTH END 1

The bragging rights were at stake in this Ballyclare derby game which saw the teams create chances during the first-half. Unfortunately the only goal scored was one by Graham McFarlane on the 33rd which put North End in front at the break. The second half saw the teams cancel each other out and with North End going down to ten men after having a man sent off Grange failed to take advantage of this until the final whistle. Referee Mr. Ian Getty

DIVISION THREE

REMO FC 3 CARNMONEY FC 4

Carnmoney were quick off the mark in this game taking the lead after Ricky Thompson scored on the 10th minute and then doubled their score when Ian Kerr scored on the 25th minute. Carnmoney then went three goals clear after William Black scored on the 36th minute but as half-time approached Tommy Smyth pulled a goal back for Remo from the penalty spot. Carnmoney went three goals clear again after Ian Kerr scored his second goal in the game on the 49th minute and this saw the goal scoring stop until Tommy Smyth converted a second penalty for Remo on the 70th minute.

After this Remo took the game to Carnmoney and reduced the deficit to a single goal when Steven McGregor headed in from a corner on the 85th minute.

Remo then went all-out for the equaliser but unfortunately time ran out on them. Referee Mr. Tom Stewart

14th NEWTOWNABBEY 1 CARNINY AMATEURS II 5

Carniny started off very quick with Matthew O’Flaherty setting up the chance for Kevin Coogan to open the scoring in the 8th minute. Kevin Coogan then scored his second goal on the 10th minute tapping the ball home after a cross from Stuart Gilmore. Kevin Coogan completed his hat-trick on the 12th minute after Baciu Ovidiu lobbed the ball into the penalty box for Coogan to lob the home keeper. Things then got better for Kevin Coogan as he scored his fourth goal in the game on the 30th minute and at half-time the score was four nil for Carniny. Newtownabbey pulled a goal back after Jonny Robinson scored on the 51st minute but there joy was short lived as Baciu Ovidiu scored the final goal in the game for Carniny on the 53rd minute.

Referee Mr. Jackie Young

CRAWFORD CUP ROUND 3

BALLYCLARE COMRADES RES 4 3rd BALLYCLARE OLD BOYS

This was a very closely contested cup tie with the Comrades winning the game in the final five minutes when they scored two goals. The Comrades went in front after Jonny McClurg scored on the 19th minute and held this lead until Ian Boyd scored to equalise for the Old Boys on the 50th minute. The Comrades went in front for a second time when Matt Boyd scored on the 56th minute but this was cancelled out after Jon Davey scored for the Old Boys on the 65th minute. Play then flowed from end to end then on the 85th minute David Higgins struck a decisive blow when he scored for the Comrades then with the Old Boys chasing the game Jonny McClurg nipped through to score his second goal sealing the win for the Comrades.

Referee Mr. Gary Crawford

CANADA TROPHY ROUND TWO

TOBERMORE UNITED RES 1 BALLYMONEY UTD RES 0

This was a great game of football between two evenly matched teams and it was unfortunate a team had to lose at the end. Both teams created numerous good chances but the only thing missing was the final touch around the goals resulting in no goals being scored in the first-half. The second half followed a similar pattern of play as the first only this time a goal was scored by William Hassan when he out jumped the Ballymoney defence to head in the winner from a corner kick on the 70th minute.

Referee Mr. David Trainor

NORTH WEST MATT MORRISON JUNIOR CUP ROUND 1

COLERAINE WHITE EAGLES 2 MOYOLA PARK OLYMPIC 1

The Olympic gave a good account of themselves in this game but unfortunately failed to score enough goals to take the game into extra time. As it was they scored a good goal through Mark Hagan but their opponent score twice to go through.