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Northend United U14s 3 Ballyclare Colts U14s 2 Saturday 29th January 2011

Northend played Ballyclare Colts at Smithfield on Saturday in bright sunshine. Northend started off in a determined fashion and were unlucky when a few early chances flashed across the Ballyclare goalmouth with nobody able to get on the end off.

The first half was a tight affair with both sets of defences on top form. Thomas Brady, Niall Swann, Michael Laverty and Caolan Tierney were in dominant form dealing with whatever Ballyclare threw at them.

A throughball from Ballyclare led to their big striker outpace the Northend defence but Ross Swan was in top form and saved at the strikers feet to keep the score 0-0.

This spurned on Northend and Jamie Speirs could have opened the scoring for Northend when he dribbled past three defenders only to pull his shot wide of the post.

Ryan Gault was causing the Ballyclare defence all sorts of problems with his wing play and from one of his crosses; David Bradley was unlucky when his shot was saved by the Ballyclare keeper.

Northend kept plugging away at their trademark passing game and Dylan Hamill and Ciaran Quigg were causing Ballyclare all sorts of problems down the Northend left wing. Indeed Quigg should have given Northend the lead just before half time, when his shot was saved by the Ballyclare keeper.

Northend started off the second half at a blistering pace and David Bradley and Jamie Speirs again went close with shots. Anthony McAvoy opened the scoring for Northend when the ball broke to him on the edge of the penalty box and his low drive beat the keeper.

Ballyclare came back at Northend and a high shot from their striker on the half way line, got lost in the sun, deceiving the Northend keeper and ended up going in the Northend net, off the crossbar.

Ryan Walsh and Niall Shannon replaced Quigg and Tierney as the match now flowed from end to end. From a Speirs pass, Dylan Hamill found himself clear of the Ballyclare defence and he coolly ran on to beat the keeper with a low drive at this near post to give Northend a 2-1 lead.

Northend now looked in total control of the game at this stage and were awarded a free kick, close to the Ballyclare penalty box. Ballyclare cleared this and from the resultant clearance, their big striker ran on to the ball and equalised when he outpaced the defence and slotted the ball past the Northend keeper.

Northend went straight on the attack and Ryan Walsh was bundled over when he was straight through on goal. With time running out, Jordan Donnelly and Aidan O'Donnell replaced Bradley and Hamill to give the Northend strike-force a fresh pair of legs.

With their pace, they were causing the Ballyclare defence all sorts of problems and when the ball broke on the edge of the Ballyclare box, Jamie Speirs was on-hand to drive the ball into the Ballyclare net to give Northend a 3-2 lead with only minutes of the match remaining.

This was an excellent advert for youth football from two teams who gave it their all.

Men of the Match: Niall Swann, Michael Laverty

Panel: R Swan, M Laverty, C Tierney, T Brady, N Swann, J Speirs(c), A McAvoy, D Hamill, D Bradley, C Quigg, R Gault, R Walsh, N Shannon, J Donnelly, A O'Donnell

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Dromore Amateurs U14s 0 Northend United U14s 6 Saturday 15th January 2011

Northend U14s travelled to Dromore for this NIBFA Cup match after a long lay off from competitive action, going back to November.

Northend started off the brightest with some excellent play from Ryan Gault and Dylan Hamill down the Northend right wing. Jamie Speirs and Anthony McAvoy in the Northend midfield began to stamp their authority early on in the game and Stephen Hare was causing all sorts of problems for Dromore on the Northend left wing.

It was no surprise when Jamie Speirs opened the scoring on five minutes when he bungled the ball home in a goal mouth scramble.

This goal gave Northend heart and Stephen Hare was next to score on eight minutes when he volleyed home from the edge of the box, giving the Dromore keeper no chance.

In a golden opening spell for the Northend Blues, David Bradley scored their third goal, when he got on the end of a high ball in the penalty box and he was on hand to beat the keeper with a shot into the bottom corner of the net.

Northend now took their foot off the ball and allowed Dromore to claw their way back into the game. Ross Swan, in the Northend goal, was called upon to make a good save to prevent Dromore from scoring.

Thomas Brady and Niall Swann in the Northend defence kept the Blues in the game with timely interceptions to break up the Dromore attacks.

Just before half time, Stephen Hare broke down the Northend left wing, leaving the Dromore defender in his wake and crossed for David Bradley to slide the ball home to give Northend a 4-0 half time lead.

Northend started off the second half, against the wind and in defensive mode. With Gault, Brady and Swann dominating in the Northend rearguard, Dromore were limited to long range shooting.

Michael Laverty and Ryan Walsh replaced Tierney and Hamill before Stephen Hare again broke down the Northend left wing and cut inside to unleash an unstoppable shot past the Dromore keeper to kill off the game as a contest.

Fair play to Dromore they never gave up and again came back at Northend but found Michael Laverty having an inspired second half for Northend at left back. Aidan O'Donnell replaced the injured Quigg midway through the second half.

Ryan Walsh was straight through on goal but somehow scuffed his shot at the last minute, pulling the ball wide before Jamie Speirs ran through the Dromore defence and beat the keeper with a low shot into the goal, to leave the score 5-0.

With ten minutes of the match remaining, Niall Shannon replaced Bradley at an uncustomary centre forward position and he proved what an asset he is by nearly scoring twice before the final whistle, leaving the score 6-0 to Northend.

Many thanks from Northend go to Dromore for their hospitality and good luck for the rest of the season.

Man of the Match: Ryan Gault

Panel: R Swan, R Gault, C Tierney, T Brady, N Swann, J Speirs(c), A McAvoy, D Hamill, C Quigg, S Hare, D Bradley, N Shannon, M Laverty, A O'Donnell, R Walsh

Northend United U14s 5 Upper Ardoyne Youth U14s 3 Saturday 20th November 2010

The Northend Blues had a point to prove after last week's defeat and started off this match at a frantic pace. Northend controlled the tempo of the game from the kick off and were unlucky not to open the scoring early on with Ciaran Quigg and David Bradley both going close.

Dylan Hamill opened the scoring for United on fifteen minutes when he volleyed high into the net from twenty yards out. Instead of capitalising on this lead, Northend allowed Upper Ardoyne to come back into the game when from a corner kick, Northend failed to clear and their striker beat Ross Swan in the Northend net with a high shot.

Goal of the game was scored on twenty minutes, when Stephen Hare picked up the ball on the half-way line and outpaced two Upper Ardoyne defenders and beat their keeper at the near post with an unstoppable drive into the corner of the net.

Northend again failed to capitalise on this goal and allowed Upper Ardoyne into the game when Brady and Swann failed to pick up their striker and from an offside position he lobbed the Northend goalkeeper.

Captain and Man of the Match Jamie Speirs scored a trademark goal on twenty-eight minutes when he unleashed an unstoppable shot from all of thirty yards, which sailed into the top corner of the net.

It was all Northend now and Jamie Speirs scored his second goal when he met a cross ball and volleyed into the net, beating the Upper Ardoyne keeper at his near post.

The first half wasn't over yet and Northend gave Upper Ardoyne a way back into the game when poor defending again allowed their striker to beat two defenders on the edge of the penalty box and score with a low shot, leaving the half-time score 4-3 to Northend.

After a halftime team talk, the Northend defending improved in the second half and in a half again dominated by Northend, playing some very good passing football, they never really looked like conceding another goal.

In one of their many attacking forays in the Upper Ardoyne half, Ciaran Quigg and Dylan Hamill linked up well to cross to the back post for David Bradley to head Northend further ahead at 5-3.

Peter Greer and Ryan Gault replaced Donnelly and Hamill before further substitutes Aidan O'Donnell, Niall Shannon and Michael Laverty replaced Bradley, Tierney and Hare. Northend continued to play their attractive footballing game, with Ciaran Quigg posing a thorn in the Upper Ardoyne defence. Aidan O'Donnell was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet but the final whistle left the score 5-3 to Northend.

Men of the Match: Jamie Speirs and Ciaran Quigg

Panel: R Swan, J Donnelly, C Tierney, T Brady, N Swann, J Speirs(c), D Hamill, S Hare, C Quigg, D Bradley, A McAvoy, N Shannon, P Greer, R Gault, C McCambridge, M Laverty, A O'Donnell

Southside Youths U14s 3 Northend United U14s 2 Saturday 13th November 2010

This eagerly awaited Cup match was played before a large group of spectators at the Showgrounds pitch 3. Northend started off this match in determined fashion and Bradley should have opened the scoring on three minutes when he screwed his shot wide from a good cross from Stephen Hare.

Northend continued to dominate the opening exchanges and David Bradley was on hand to open the scoring for Northend on fifteen minutes when he beat the keeper with a low shot.

Northend continued to dictate play at this stage of the game with some fluent passing moves and Anthony McAvoy was creating a few chances for the strikers with some great balls into the box.

As the half wore on, Southside crossed a great ball into the Northend box but somehow their striker missed a good opportunity to level the score.

Both sides continued to attack each other for the remainder of the first half without any further scoring, leaving the half time score 1-0 to Northend.

Ryan Gault replaced Hamill at half-time. A game of two halves started the second with Southside taking the game to Northend, who never really got going in this half and found Southside the more hungry to win the game. In a torrid time for Northend, Southside raced into a 3-1 lead, with some poor defensive errors gifting Southside the advantage.

Aidan O'Donnell replaced the injured McAvoy and Michael Laverty replaced Quigg. With nothing to lose Northend pushed Thomas Brady and Niall Swann forward from defence and this signalled the Northend fight back.

Caolan Tierney and Ciaran McCambridge replaced Donnelly and Greer

In a frantic last ten minutes, Niall Swann struck the Southside crossbar and Jamie Speirs saw two free kicks go narrowly wide before Thomas Brady scored the goal of the game almost on full time, with a rasping drive from outside the box.

As Northend continued to press for the equaliser, the referee blew full time to a pulsating game for the teams and the large group of spectators.

Good luck to Southside in the next round of the cup and its back to the league next week for Northend when they entertain Upper Ardoyne at Smithfield.

Men of the Match: Anthony McAvoy, Niall Swann

Panel: R Swan, P Greer, J Donnelly, T Brady, N Swann, J Speirs(c), D Hamill, C Quigg, S Hare, D Bradley, A McAvoy, C Tierney, R Gault, C McCambridge, N Shannon, A O'Donnell

Larne Youth Academy U14s 1 Northend United U14s 11 Saturday 6th November 2010

The Northend Blues started off this match in commanding fashion and Thomas Brady rattled the post in the first few minutes with a rasping drive and was unlucky shortly afterwards when another shot went narrowly past the post.

Northend opened their scoring on ten minutes when Ciaran Quigg jinxed his way past two Larne defenders and shot low and hard to beat the Larne keeper.

Larne came back strongly at Northend but the defence of Ciaran McCambridge, Niall Swann and Michael Laverty held firm until the fifteenth minute when Laverty was adjudged to have handled inside the box and the Larne striker beat Ross Swan with his penalty kick to level scores at 1-1.

Northend came back at Larne and a few chances went a begging until Captain Jamie Speirs unleashed a dipping shot from twenty yards to beat the keeper and put Northend 2-1 up.

Northend began to play their fluent passing game and on thirty minutes, from a Dylan Hamill pass, Jamie Speirs was on hand again to put Northend 3-1 up. With no further scoring, the half time score was 3-1.

Northend came out strongly in the second half and Speirs played a wide ball to Dylan Hamill who skipped past a defender and drove the ball low and hard into the Larne net.

Caolan Tierney and Jordan Donnelly replaced McCambridge and Laverty. Jamie Speirs completed his hat-trick ten minutes into the second half before Stephen Hare went on another jinxing run, beating two Larne defenders, before coolly placing the ball wide of the Larne keeper to make the score 6-1

Northend were totally dominating play in the midfield area with Jamie Speirs and Ciaran Quigg playing some great passing football and from one of these passes, David Bradley found himself in space and didn't waste the opportunity to further add to the scoring.

The Blues were now attacking the Larne defence with everything that they could throw at them and Anthony McAvoy was next to score with a low shot into the box which deceived the keeper.

Niall Shannon and Aidan O'Donnell replaced Hare and McAvoy before Dylan Hamill doubled his tally to make the score 9-1 to the Blues.

Thomas Brady was next to score when he beat two defenders before placing the ball wide of the keeper and into the net.

Popular defender Niall Swann ventured forward for the final ten minutes of the game and when he was hauled down inside the Larne penalty area, he picked himself up to coolly beat the keeper with his penalty, to leave the final score 11-1 to Northend.

Men of the Match: Jamie Speirs and Dylan Hamill

Panel: R Swan, C McCambridge, M Laverty, T Brady, N Swann, J Speirs (c), D Hamill, C Quigg, S Hare, D Bradley, A McAvoy, N Shannon, C Tierney, J Donnelly, A O'Donnell