FINN McCOOLS AND GLEBE LEAD THE WAY

Finn McCools took a comfortable victory on Wednesday night against Ballyrashane coupled with another victory on Friday night against Dunaghy giving them a 100% record so far this season.

Glebe matched that with victories over Macosquin Village and Balnamore to sit behind Finns on goal difference.

Mountview took the spoils in Castlerock in a close fought affair with Berthas FC, a controversial last minute winner giving Paul Simpson’s men the points. Ballyrashane conceded 5 against The Taverners but scored seven in reply to record victory as Hillview FC took a good win against last years runners up Hazelbank FC.

Brook Street and West Bann Athletic shared the points in 6-goal thriller at the Crescent. Macosquin sides FC and The Village were the big scorers of the day against Somerset and Coleraine Olympic especially. FC just failed to reach double figures in a 9-1 dubbing but Davy McNeills Village team blew away Olympic with 14 unanswered goals, Donald ‘Dubby’ Newton with a double hat-trick.

Dunaghy Old Boys 0 Finn McCools 3

Both teams started this game at a high tempo.

Finns started the score making it one nil.

Both teams went at it again with end to end football tackles flying in.

In the second half it was more of the same with the battle commencing. Finns scored again with good work through midfield to make it two nil. From then on Finns made it three to secure the points for the visitors.

This was a hard match from a few bruises from players in a really hard fought game. Man of the Match: G kane and P McQueston (Finn McCools)

Glebe Rangers Old Boys 3 Balnamore FC 1

The Old Boys sought to maintain their winning start to the season when they entertained local rivals Balnamore at the Joey Dunlop Centre on Friday evening. 

With mid-week goal hero Paul Gaston missing due to work commitments and Paul Surgenor also unavailable, player-boss Bellingham rang the changes as Jimmy “bites yer legs” Coulter returned to the starting line-up along with Lee Kyle. 

Another new signing, Gareth Moody, was also drafted with DJ McBride unable to manage the heavy schedule of three games in six days.

Both teams kicked off at a high tempo and McCurdy drew a good save from Elder as the homesters pressed for the opening goal. 

Balnamore were dangerous on the break with Bellingham, superbly supported by man of the match Holmes, having to keep tabs on Madison. 

After a period of sustained pressure Glebe took the lead when Bellingham powered home a header from a Nicholl corner. 

Shortly afterwards Elder conceded a penalty when he pulled down Steele inside the box but the goal-keeper redeemed himself with a superb full-length diving save. 

Bellingham did increase the lead shortly afterwards as he and Nicholl repeated the earlier formula with the big man providing an even more emphatic finish this time round. 

Despite being two down Balnamore began to come more into the game with their three man midfield of Dunlop, Kelly and Mooney probing constantly at the Old Boy’s rearguard, however the interval arrived with Glebe two goals to the good.

Balnamore moved to a 4-4-2 at the start of the second half as they attempted to retrieve the situation. 

Despite this Glebe continued to carve out the better chances with front duo Steele and Nicholl a constant threat well backed up by Greer in the middle of the park. 

With Moody having given his all in his first game in two years the stage was set for veteran hit-man Colin McBride to take his bow and he sealed the points when latching on to a clever Nicholl flick to make no mistake from just inside the box. 

To their credit Balnamore continued to press and they had the last word when Simon Armstrong scored a cracker which rocketed past Allen and went in off the post to provide a fitting end to a hard-fought encounter. Man of the Match: Paul Holmes (Glebe Rangers Old Boys)

Coleraine Olympic 0 Macosquin Village 14

Manager Big Davy McNeill read the riot act after midweek defeat to Glebe Rangers and as a result this game was as one sided as the score line suggests. It took Macosquin three minutes to take the lead with Aaron Laverty the scorer.

The same player scored five minutes later to double his team’s advantage. Donald Newton then took centre stage with five goals in a row, the first three coming in the space of nine minutes. After Newton had scored his third and his team’s fifth, Coleraine Olympic had their best spell of the game, keeping out Macosquin for almost 30 minutes before the floodgates opened again three minutes into the second half with Newton scoring his fourth and fifth. Ronald Riley made it eight, Darren Stewart made is nine before Newton got his sixth, this team’s 10th on the hour. John Docherty scored his team’s 11th before Ian Clanachan got the goal of the game, running from his own 18 yard box, beating numerous men before chipping the advancing keeper from 30 yards. Aaron Laverty got his hat-trick before Darren Henry completed the scoring in the 86th minute, giving his team 14 for the day. Man of the Match: Ian Clanachan (Macosquin Village)

FC Macosquin 9 Somerset 1

Both teams didn’t have much luck this past week and were both looking to get off the points mark. Somebody’s ‘nil’ had got to go.

Macosquin took the game to Somerset from the offset and within five minutes McClelland broke free to find himself free to score the first try of the match.

Soon after McGahon coolly slotted over the conversion to make the score two nil. Somerset fought back and soon after Jason Neill scored a hole in one to make the score 2-1. This seemed to spur Macosquin into life and they lay siege to the Somerset goal. Chances and goals came thick and fast. McGuinness finding himself in the end zone to score a touchdown, Blackwood hitting a truly amazing six, Mearns potting the cue ball in the bottom pocket and a real home run struck by Thomas Cambell from thirty yards. With the score 6-1 at half time it needed a massive comeback to change the outcome of the game and to be fair to Somerset they battled hard to get a goal back. The game was however over as a contest and after McGahon slam dunked number seven, McGuinness hit a real smash of the side of his racquet for eight and McGahon again found the bull’s-eye the game was over at 9-1. Man of the Match: Declan McGahon (FC Macosquin)

Berthas FC 2 Mountview FC 3

On paper this looked like it would be a good game, the youthful Berthas against the more experienced Mountview side, and that’s exactly how it turned out.

It was the away team that took the lead when McClelland done well to cut back Taggart’s free kick for Wills to hammer into the net from eight yards. Berthas hit back immediately through Andrew Minihan. Willie Parsons done well in midfield and watched as Simpson made a good stop from his long range effort but Minihan was on hand to smash home the rebound.

Mountview took the lead moments into the second half when Gareth Kerr’s long range strike got the better of McCrory, a goal the big keeper would have been disappointed to concede.

Berthas continued to play the good football they showed all game with Graham and Parsons prominent while Taggart and Irwin were in good form at the back for Mountview. Berthas nearly drew level when Daniel Edgar plucked MacAulays long ball out of the air, turned Irwin but just dragged his shot the wrong side of the post. Berthas made a couple of subs and it was through one of these, Chris Patterson, they drew level. Berthas had a concession of long throws and corners that were causing bother in the Mountview defence and it was from a corner that they scored, Patterson arriving unmarked to power home from four yards.

With the game entering injury time and a draw looking a fair result, Mountview stole the points after a debatable decision by the referee. Harte’s cross looked a routine catch for McCrory but Doherty was using the keeper as a climbing frame, forcing McCrory to spill the ball into the net. With both sides turning for an expected free-kick, the referee awarded the goal much to the despair of the Berthas players. Man of the Match: Bo Taggart (Mountview)

Hillview FC 3 Hazelbank FC 1

Hillview took the lead in the first minute, McNeill picked up the ball on the right flank. His well flighted cross towards the back post beat everyone and found its way into the top corner of the Hazelbank goal.