United under-10 teams double up on wins

Both sides travelled to the North West Youth League in Coleraine on Saturday and both teams returned home with morale boosting victories,showing a great determination and continued improvements.

There were plenty of smiles as the United side recorded another five goal victory in a great performance against Dungiven while the Town team certainly seemed to have turned the corner with a 3-2 “derby” friendly win over a Carniny side who defeated them earlier in the season. Blake Douglas scored the pick of the goals.

The 2005 and 2006 United youngsters were also in action at Ballysally on Saturday morning in a series of excellent friendlies against their North West neighbours.

United under 14’s also kept up their recent good form with a hard earned victory away to Cookstown on Friday evening.

LISBURN LEAGUE

BUYA U13 0 , Oxford Sunnyside 3: As Ballymena applied some early pressure looking for a goal, Sunnyside found a gap in the defence and went one up.

Just before half time, Sunnyside increased their lead with a well drilled shot leaving the keeper no chance.

A few wise words from the the boss and a couple of changes Ballymena came out battling and within 5 minutes forced the Sunnyside keeper to make a very good save from a swerving Leon Carley strike.

Ballymena piled on the pressure with another great one on one chance from Matty Scott making the opposition keeper make another good save.

As the game neared an end Sunnyside piled on the pressure forcing the Ballymena keeper Calum Crawford to pull of some super saves but in the end Sunnyside sneaked another goal.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Cookstown 0, BUYA U-14 2: A good start from United and early pressure led to a corner swung in by Swann to be controlled and fired into the roof of the net by Jamie Timms.

The Braid boys were playing with a real confidence after last weeks goalfest and it was no surprise when they doubled their lead,with top scorer Calvin Purse again making no mistake with a powerful shot to put United in good heart for their forthcoming NIBFA cup fixture.

Portadown Youth 3, BUYA U-15 0: The scoreline was harsh on the Ballymena side, who hit the crossbar early on from a Michael Hagan shot.

Early in the second half, it looked as if the Braid boys were going to take the lead but yet again the woodwork came to Portadown’s rescue and the Co Armagh boys then scored two in two minutes against the run of play.

United won a free kick on the edge of the Ports box , Benji Agnew stepped up and struck a beautiful free kick which again struck against the woodwork. United kept the pressure on but Portadown played a long ball which the Sky Blues defence failed to clear and scored their third.

The luckless Skies kept their heads up and thought they had scored when Daniel Black broke free and fired a shot which hit the post and stopped dead on the goal line and the keeper claimed.

MET Healthcare man of the man went to Matthew Walker who just pipped Benji Agnew.