The 1sts have 16 points after 10 games and are currently in 2nd position of the Northern Amateur Football League Division 1B.
The Swifts currently sit in 11th position on 3 points after 4 league games of the Northern Amateur Football League Division 3D.
With 5 points after 5 games The Albion are in 9th place of the Newcastle & District Football League Division 3.
The officers, players and supporters of Ballynahinch United would like to extend their condolences to the Mills Family Circle and the Drumaness Mills Football and Cricket Clubs on the untimely death of Davy Mills last week. Quite a number of Ballynahinch Uniteds current senior players had the privilege of playing with or under Davy’s management.
We would also like to remember the family of Jim Miskimmin who was a very popular photographer for our local papers covering many of United’s matches and social occasions over a long number of years.
Club Memberships for the season are now overdue and should be paid to the Club Treasurer as soon as possible.
The club would like to express its thanks to Patterson’s Electrical for sponsoring the club new polo shirts.
United travelled to Shimna College for a league encounter with the seasiders.
The visitors went into this game on the back of a good recent run of results and were keen to keep this going. In the first half both teams battled to find openings and it was the home side who had perhaps the best of the chances with the United keeper Brian McMullan making a couple of good saves. United midfielder David Kelly had their best chance of the half when his shot went narrowly wide.
The second half was much the same as the first however United had the best of the opportunities when Ian McMullan diverted a shot from Scott McKibbin just over the cross bar. Aaron Cheevers had a great shout for a penalty when his shot cannon off the arm of a Newcastle defender however referee Cousins adjudged it to be accidental.
The game then petered out as a contest and both team had to be satisfied with a point.
The Swifts fell to a second successive home defeat this time against Suffolk 2nds in a game that they really should have and perhaps deserved to get something out of.
The visitors took the lead on the half hour with what can only be described as the most outrageous of shots. A Suffolk player cut in to the edge of the Swifts penalty area and unleashed a shot that looked for all the world to be going wide but it suddenly swerved to cut inside the post to give Stafford no chance.
This was really a goal against the run of play because had it not been for some extremely fortuitous defending when shots from Stevenson and Boal were diverted over the bar and past the post by a goalkeeper who really didn’t see them as they came through a sea of bodies on both occasions.
In the second half the Swifts battled gamely and again were out of luck when a right wing cross from Stevenson came off the cross bar and post to rebound off forward Gareth Bingham and out for a goal kick.
Late in the game Suffolk secured all three points when they were awarded a late penalty for hand ball.
Just over a month ago these two teams met in a league game with Ballykinler coming from two down to win 4 – 2 and in the return match this was almost repeated again however Davy Teggarty’s young charges were in no mood for a repeat and they held on doggedly for a deserved share of the spoils.
The Albion took the lead early in this game when Ciaran Bonner scrambled the ball home from a corner and they held this lead until half time. The home team came out in determined mood in the second half and levelled the score after 55 minutes following a defensive mix up.
The game looked to going the way of the physically stronger Ballykinler side as the young Albion team began to tire however on 70 minutes Ross Bingham popped up to convert a left wing cross to give the visitors the lead for the second time.
Their joy was short lived as they had barely settled down after their celebrations Ballykinler drew level again a few minutes later.
Ballykinler pressed for the winner and in doing so they found keeper Johnny McGreevy in excellent form with a little help from a post and the cross bar.
This was a well earned point for the Albion team which again featured a large number of teenagers with defenders John McMenamin and Scott McNeill outstanding.
A word of praise this week and indeed for the second week running for the referee and this time the man in the middle deserving the praise was Marty Rawlinson from Newcastle.
