Depleted Bellurgan no match for Premier pace-setters Boyne
NORTH EAST FOOTBALL LEAGUE
BOYNE ROVERS BELLURGAN UTD 3 0
SHORT players and still trying to mould together a young team, Bellurgan faced a formidable task in midweek when they travelled to play the champions of a few seasons back.
Boyne Harps have made a perfect start to the transitional North East season and look set to battle it out with Muirhevnamor for the title.
The Peninsula side in the circumstances could ill afford to lend a helping hand to the hosts. But a couple of costly mistakes on either side of half-time enabled Boyne to open up a two goal lead.
Simon O’Shaughnessy had a great chance with a header to put Bellurgan ahead after ten minutes, as they had their opportunities to gain something from the game.
Sean Maguire was foiled when a home player blocked the ball on the goal line with his goalkeeper on the ground.
The visitors were unfortunate also that Brian White, one of their most experienced and talented performers had to retire with a head injury early in the second half on his first appearance of the season.
Coupled with that Declan Sharkey screwed a header wide, and was unlucky when he lobbed the Boyne goalkeeper only for the ball to strike the crossbar and the danger was cleared.
Striker Ciaran Sheelan was away on holidays after scoring twice on his return to the team the previous Sunday, and they were also missing Tadgh O’Connor, Owen Traynor and Cian McDonald, while a number of others were carrying injuries.
Boyne made sure of victory with a third goal late on to make it four straight wins and to take over from Muirhevnamor at the head of the table. BOYNE HARPS: Jason Lowney, Kevin Walsh (Colin Rafferty), Manny Smith, Dylan Rice, James Traynor, Darren McCann (Mickey Leech), Danny Coyle, Nathan Seery (Carl Dowling), Guy Bates, Graham Reynolds, Martin Kelly (Stephen Carter). Bernard Osborne, Conor Tully, Jack Boylan.
BELLURGAN: Sean O’Hare, Mark Murphy, Sean Matthews, Alan Connor, Diarmuid Murphy, Brian White ( Aaron Farnon), Chris Logefa, Shane O’Brien (John Smith), Simon O’Shaughnessy (Stephen Finnegan), Declan Sharkey( Dermot Traynor), Sean Maguire.