Towers and the glory!

SEVEN Towers led another handful of Ballymena Saturday Morning League teams into the second round of the Junior Shield on Saturday.

Towers hosted fellow second division side Cullybackey Olympic and snatched victory in the last minute with a header from substitute Simon Murray.

The home team opened the brighter but they were hit through a counter attack when Aaron Wilkinson ran onto a through ball from Philip Glass to fire past Towers keeper Stephen Marrs after 12 minutes.

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Olympic suffered a major blow when their keeper Adam Swann had to go off with a hand injury and he was replaced by Gary Glass whose first action was to pick the ball out of his net when Barry McArdle lobbed the ball home from 25 yards out to send the teams in level at the break.

The second half saw Towers well in control but it was Olympic who regained the lead. A cross from Kris Nicholl fell to Aaron Wilkinson at the back post whose somehow found its way past Stephen Marrs in the Towers goal.

This spurred Towers on and halfway through the half they drew level when a Michael King corner kick was headed home by John Miskella.

The game looked to be going into extra time when Chris McGaughey made room for himself on the right before sending over a cross for fellow substitute Simon Murray to rise above the Olympic defence to head home and give Towers the lead for the first time and win the tie.

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Dundonald FC 2, Harryville Homers 5: Homers had to come back from conceding a goal in the first minute to win this Shield tie.

The home team won a corner kick in the second minute and scored from it when their striker volleyed home from 12 yards.

Homers overcame this set back and equalised 10 minutes later. Alan Rainey was on his way to goal when he was upended in the penalty area and Homers were awarded a penalty kick. Ian Millar stepped up and fired home from the penalty spot.

Although playing against a strong wind Homers took command and took the lead 7 minutes later when the home keeper messed up a kick out and the ball fell to Stephen McKay who chipped the ball over the stranded keeper and into the net. The home team equalised on the half time whistle when they scored at another corner kick.

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The second half saw Homers completely dominate the match but the big surprise was it took them 20 minutes to take the lead. Alan Rainey was put through by Gary Baird and he beat his marker before slotting the ball home.

Ten minutes later it was all over as a contest when Robert Ritchie played a one two with Alan Rainey to create an opening to send over a shot cum cross which finished up in the net.

Robert Ritchie in the last minute turned provider when another of his runs from defence made an opening to send in a cross for Gary Baird to fire home Homers' fifth.

FC Larne 0, Broadway Celtic 3: Celtic travelled to Larne to face Ballymena and Provincial Junior League opposition and they secured their passage into round 2 with relative ease.

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Celtic got the goal their early dominance deserved on 25 minutes when Michael Maybin found the net with a free kick from 25 yards out.

Celtic made it 2-0 just after the hour mark when Philip Lynn made up for his earlier misses when he cut in from the right and drilled the ball past the Larne keeper.

Gavin Burnside sealed Celtic's place in the next round when he fired home from close range after good work from Donald Crawford.

BSML DIVISION ONE

All Saints OB 3, Ballykeel 0: This was game of the day in Division One as it saw two sides clash who have been on great runs of late, and it was the home side Saints who condemned Ballykeel to only their second defeat of the season.

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Saints got the breakthrough on 22 minutes when the ball broke to Colin Laffin 25 yards out and he found the net with a shot which took a slight deflection deceiving Steven Watson in the Ballykeel goal.

The home side where now playing some great football as they went in search of the second goal and it came 10 minutes before the break. Chris Smiley, Brian Watt and Ryan Lyness played some great one touch football before releasing Owen O'Kane down the left and he drilled the ball across goal for Kieran McKeown to fire home from 10 yards out.

With 12 minutes to go Saints did get that all important third goal when another flowing move resulted in Chris Smilie Tully slipping in Stevie Morgan down the right and his inch perfect cross was headed home by substitute Paul McCallin.

BSML DIVISION TWO

Dunloy Athletic 2, Waveney Swifts 2: This top of the table clash finished in stalemate but Dunloy must be wondering how they didn't maintain their 100 per cent start as they were foiled on several occasions by Swifts keeper Richard Fulton.

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Dunloy were reduced to 10 men after only 18 minutes and were dealt another setback six minutes later when Swifts were handed the chance to take the lead from the spot. Gareth Gordon stepped up and fired home from 12 yards to give his side a 1-0 lead.

Dunloy hit back with two goals before half time, the first coming when Christopher Brady beat two defenders before squaring to Stephen Dooey 18 yards out and he drilled home the equaliser.

Dunloy then took the lead when Barry McGonigal found the net with a 30 yard screamer giving Richard Fulton in the Swifts goal no chance.

The only time that Dunloy beat the Swifts keeper in the second half was when Christopher Brady looked to have scored but Philip Alexander got back to clear off the line.

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Swifts were always dangerous on the break and 10 minutes from time a cross from William McNabb found the unmarked Glenn Gilmore who headed home the equaliser.

BSML DIVISION THREE

Wakehurst Star 4, Atletico Antrim 2: There was a dramatic change of fortunes at Dunfane for a Wakehurst Star side soundly trounced by Penarol last weekend.

Wakehurst opened the scoring in the 20th minute when Chris Millar's clever through ball allowed Declan O'Boyle to beat the offside trap and he ran through and applied the finish.

Star made a great start to the second half and scored again after 5 minutes when Philip Anderson met a cross from the right with a glancing header to put the home team 2-0 ahead.

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Antrim came back into the game and reduced the deficit when Grant Simpson pulled one back shortly after.

Midway through the second half David Connaughty bustled his way into the box and hooked a left foot shot just inside the far post to restore Wakehurst's two goal advantage.

Then Philip Anderson secured a brace and Wakehurst's 4th goal with a neat lob over the Antrim keeper just before the final whistle.

OTHER RESULTS

Paddy Power Co Antrim Junior Shield, round one: FC Penarol 0, Tulymore Swifts 2; Inver Athletic 1, Greenwell Star 2; Newington YC II 2, FC Moylena 1; St Oliver Plunkett 9, Wakehurst Athletic 1; Shore Wanderers 1, Ards Rangers II 3; Abbeyview 3, South Antrim FC 1; St Patricks YM 11, Lisnafillan Swifts 0; Sporting Lisburn 4, North End 2; Holywell 1, Kelvin OB 6; Randalstown 4, Connor FC 2.

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BSML Division One: Ahoghill Rovers 4, Carnlough Swifts 2; Clough Rangers 0, Carniny Rangers 2; Glenarm Rovers 2, Randalstown Sky Blues 0.

BSML Division Two: Michelin 3, Braid United 2; Templepatrick 2, FC Antrim 3; FC Inter Stars 1, Westend Athletic 9; St Comgalls 5, Ahoghill Thistle 3.

BSML Division Three: Steadfast 0, Cloughmills Thistle 3; Woodside 4, Galgorm FC 5.

FIXTURES

Saturday, October 16 - Coca-Cola Junior Cup, round two (1.30pm): Carniny Rangers v Dungannon Rovers (Wakehurst 1); Randalstown Sky Blues v Aghadowey.

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BSML Division One (10.15am): Carnlough Swifts v All Saints OB; Abbeyview v Clough Rangers (Forum); Connor FC v Ahoghill Rovers; North End v Broadway Celtic (Dunfane); Glenarm Rovers v FC Moylena.

BSML Division Two: Ahoghill Thistle v FC Inter Stars; Braid United v Templepatrick (Broughshane); Westend Athletic v Cullybackey Olympic (Showgrounds 5); Waveney Swifts v Michelin (Waveney 2); Seven Towers v Dunloy Athletic (Showgrounds 4); St Comgalls v FC Antrim; Shore Wanderers v Holywell.

BSML Division Three: Cloughmills Thistle v Inver Athletic; FC Penarol v Atletico Antrim; Galgorm FC v Randalstown (Galgorm); Cushendall FC v Steadfast; Riverdale v Wakehurst Athletic (Wakehurst 2); Woodside v Wakehurst Star (Wakehurst 4).

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