Match report: Ballynahinch United 0 – 3 Woodvale

United battled well back at The Millbridge in the first half but it was Woodvale who took the lead 8 minutes before half time.

Woodvale added a second and third before the hour mark to take the game beyond the home side despite a good second half performance.

Experienced Adam Herron returned to the club after a number of years out of the game and didn’t put a foot wrong throughout the 90 minutes.

Player of the Match: Adam Herron

Line up: Stefan Graham [C], Jamie McNeill (Thomas Rodgers, (Stuart McMullan), Adam Herron, Matthew Hall, Chris Coleman, Gavin Crawford, Lewie Soar, Greg Hall, Aaron Cheevers, Lee Maxwell, Scott Cheevers (Ben Maxwell).

Ballynagross II 3 – 4 Ballynahinch United Swifts

Despite two late drop outs, The Swifts still lined up strong.

However, The Swifts fell behind after 20 minutes after a close-range finish. 

But Diarmuid pulled one back with a good left foot finish when the ball fell to him from a corner. 

It remained even until half-time.

Ballynahinch took the lead early in the second half after Ian McMullan headed home from Luke Craig’s free kick.

John Stevenson increased the lead after 6 minutes of the second half after an excellent finish from the right.

Ian added another after Diarmuid’s cross from the left.

The 3-goal lead didn’t last long when Ballynagross scored their second with a free-kick that deflected twice to wrong foot Gareth Bingham in nets.

Ballynagross scored again to get within touching distance but United had a chance to increase their lead again.

However, Ian couldn’t convert from the spot after Ben Wilson was fouled in the box.

Ballynahinch battled hard for the remainder of the match and claimed the three points.

Player of the Match: Luke Craig

Line up: Gareth Bingham, Ben Wilson, Matthew Tate, Cameron McKissick, Keith Hamilton (Thomas Casement), Luke Craig, Roy Shilliday, Graeme McMullan [C], Diarmuid Lavery, John Stevenson, Ian McMullan.

Kilmore Rec Reserves 13 – 0 Ballynahinch Albion

Another tough week for the Albion against a very good and experienced Kilmore side.

Player of the Match: Charlie Parkinson

Line up: Jake McCarten, Charlie Parkinson, Ryan Rooney, Lewis Roy, Greg Blunt, Ethan Perkins, Matthew Lindsay, Stephen McNair [C], Nathan Cheevers, Callum Greene, Kyle Steenson. 

Match report: Ballynahinch United 2 – 3 Tullycarnet FC

Another tough weekend for the Ballynahinch Management teams with a whole host of players unavailable.

Despite that the club still churned out three squads with the first’s at The Millbridge against Tullycarnet.

United took the lead, a cross from the left by Stuart McMullan found Scott Cheevers at the back post to nod it back to Glenn Bennett who converted with his head.

Tullycarnet equalised from a short free kick that found an unmarked man at the back post.

Another Stuart McMullan cross was headed back across goal by Glenn to Captain Greg Hall to take the lead again before half time. To complete a strong first half performance.

Tullycarnet evened the score again from the spot in the second half.

Chances were few and far between but United cracked the post and were unfortunate not to see it nestle in the net.

The away side went ahead for the first time late on, after a bizarre incident that saw a Ballynahinch clearance loop back into the path of Tullycarnet’s forward to set him one on one with the keeper, and duly dispatched.

Player of the Match: Richard Annett

Line up: Anthony Greene, Jamie McNeil, Stuart McMullan, Richard Annett, Chris Coleman, Gavin Crawford, Scott Cheevers, Greg Hall, Glenn Bennett, Jack Patterson (Diarmuid Lavery) Luke Curry (Graeme McMullan)

Unused Sub: Cameron McKissick

Saintfield United III 4 – 2 Ballynahinch Swifts

The Swifts faced winless Saintfield and started well but were unable to take the lead.

It was the home team who broke the deadlock with a good finish from the edge of the box.

A second soon followed after a goalmouth scrambled was prodded home from a dangerous long throw.

The Swifts pulled one back after Ben Maxwell beat his man and put in an excellent cross from the left that Ian McMullan bundled home with his left knee. His first goal after returning from ACL reconstruction.

Ballynahinch equalised early on in the second half after Ian bagged a second with a glanced header from Ben’s free kick.

Saintfield regained the lead again from another long throw, their main form of attack. Ballynahinch argued fruitlessly that the thrower was on the pitch.

Saintfield bagged a fourth from the same play, this time nodded home at the back post.

Ian tried to complete his perfect hattrick with an audacious half way line effort but to no avail.

Player of the Match: Ian McMullan

Line up: Steven Chapman, Justin Herbert, Stephen McNair, Will McNeill, Keith Hamilton (Thomas Casement), Andrew Shannon, Ben Maxwell, Gareth Bingham (Luke Craig), John Stevenson [C] (Nathan Cheevers), Ian McMullan, Roy Shilliday.

Ballynahinch Albion 1 – 4 Rossglass County Development Squad

Some key members of the Albion squad were needed higher up the club, leaving the match day squad with 13 players.

The game started fairly even with not many chances coming either way. That was until two lapses in concentration saw Rossglass score two goals within 3 minutes, which saw some of the Albion’s young heads drop.

Rossglass were in the ascendency and continued to probe, however Albion’s defence stayed resolute until the half time whistle, with young Charlie Parkinson and Ethan Perkins having a solid game throughout.

Rossglass would go on to score a third goal early in the second half. But with the game looking almost out of sight, Albion received a corner with about 20 minutes to go.

Sam Annett delivered a cross in which would be bundled into the net by a Rossglass defender. Albion had the tails up as the game neared completion.

But the efforts weren’t to be today as Rossglass saw off the game with a fourth goal with 15 minutes to go. The young Albion side will take the lessons learnt from today and move on to next week.

Player of the Match: Charlie Parkinson

Line up: Jake McCarten, Charlie Parkinson, Ryan Rooney, Ethan Perkins, Greg Blunt, Callum Greene (Liam Rodgers), Pearse Irvine (Kian Connolly), Rhys O’Hare, Matthew Lindsay [C], Samuel Annett, Kyle Steenson.

Match report: Ballynahinch United 1 – 6 Colin Valley

Ballynahinch hosted 1B side Colin Valley at The Millbridge.

It was the home team who took the lead early on when Aaron Cheevers provided for his brother Scott.

United had more chances to increase their lead with opportunities for Scott, Jack Patterson and Aaron Cheevers, with Aaron crashing a free kick off the crossbar.

Richard Annett was commanding at the back while 4th choice goalkeeper, 41 year old, Anthony Greene saved well on multiple occasions.

Having failed to capitalise on a good first half performance, Colin Valley scored an equaliser on the brink of half-time despite strong claims of offside.

United never got started in the second half and fell behind early on.

Their misery was compounded when Matthew Hall was dismissed for a second booking.

A lacklustre second half performance allowed the away side to add four more goals to the scoreline including what looked to be another clear offside.

Player of the Match: Richard Annett

Line up: Anthony Greene, Chris Coleman, Scott Brashaw, Richard Annett, Matthew Hall, Gavin Crawford, Thomas Rodgers (Alan Dickson), Greg Hall [C], Aaron Cheevers, Jack Patterson (Luke Curry), Scott Cheevers (Jamie McNeill)

Match report: Ballynahinch United 1 – 2 Castlewellan Town

United entertained near neighbours Castlewellan Town in a league match on Saturday past welcoming former Player and Manager Glynn Robinson to The Millbridge as the opposition manager.

Continue reading Match report: Ballynahinch United 1 – 2 Castlewellan Town