Teen Sharkey a bright spark for Bellurgan

BELLURGAN United always seem to pull out the stops when they play the league kingpins. Such was the case again on Friday night when they opened their league campaign, albeit with a defeat but on a very encouraging note against the champions at Flynn Park..

All the more so since manager Richie Watters gave 16 year-old Caolan Sharkey his debut and included two 17-year-olds, Ross Hynes and Daniel Finnegan, on the bench.

Overall, despite losing, there was a lot for the home manager to draw satisfaction from and look forward to the season ahead with optimism after a less than auspicious Kilmessan Shield qualifying group action.

Indeed, for a good part of this game, they were the better side, starting in the opening 10 minutes when Daniel Kerr and Owen Armstrong both went ever so close to putting the hosts ahead. Kerr clipped the Trim crossbar, and a brilliant save denied Armstrong.

However, Trim showed why they retained their crown last season when, with their first scoring opportunity, they put it away after 15 minutes to take the lead .

Bellurgan created a couple more good openings, but the Trim goalkeeper brought off great saves from the same pair.

Then, cruelly, with Bellurgan disrupted by an injury to Conor Watters that forced him to retire, the champions added a second goal just before the break.

Trim could have added a couple more goals in the opening 15 minutes of the second half, but the Bellurgan substitutes gave them a foothold. Then, from a Bellurgan corner-kick, Trim broke up field to make it 3-0 and seal the outcome.

To their credit, Bellurgan stuck at their task, and Trim rode their luck, with Armstrong rattling their crossbar.

Fittingly, the hosts gained a reward for their efforts and nobody deserved it more than Sharkey who capped a fine debut by pulling back a goal with a great finish. BELLURGAN UNITED: Callum Mulholland, Seán McEvoy, Ray Finnegan, John Smith, Gavin Gregory, Joe Needham, Conor Watters, Caolan Sharkey, Daniel Kerr, Owen Armstrong, Tadhg O’Connor. Subs: Daniel Finnegan, Kevin White, Owen Traynor, Ross Hynes, Aaron Farnon.