Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
STILL DARING TO DREAM
Defending champs take another step toward retaining trophy as win sets up group showdown with Club America
LAST season’s Premier finalists are set to go head-to-head in a knockout blockbuster this afternoon.
Defending champions Right To Dream made it two wins from two last night when they got the better of Co Tyrone in Portstewart.
A free-flowing 3-0 victory, courtesy of two goals from Emmanuel Bam and one by Solomon Adamoko, sets them up neatly for their tea-time trip to Ballymoney today where Club America will be waiting for them.
The Mexicans, who pushed the famed Ghanaian academy all the way in last year’s decider, are also two for two having emerged from a tough test against Partick Thistle yesterday.
Their opening goal was a real gift from the Scots with Santiago Naveda making them pay by tapping in from two yards.
If that was a simple finish CA’S second, and decisive, effort was anything but – substitute Oswaldo Rios picking up the ball on the edge of The Jags’ area before ghosting past his marker and unleashing an unstoppable effort into the roof of the net.
Meanwhile, it was a fine day for the county teams as the Supercupni action continued to hot up.
Adam Carroll was Co Down’s hero as they came from 2-0 down to beat Ichifuna in a classic in Portrush.
The Linfield lad scored twice, either side of club-mate Jake Corbett’s freekick, to see off the resilient Japanese.
It was a whole lot easier for Co Antrim who turned in a five-star display without conceding against Co Fermanagh in Broughshane.
It took half-an-hour for the deadlock to be broken with Josh Mcgreevy finding the back of the net.
Matthew Mulholland headed in the second before Conor Farrelly’s penalty put the game out of sight with Liam Hassin and Peter Mckiernan completing the rout.
Co Armagh almost matched that haul at the Coleraine Showgrounds with Jack Scott, Rioghan Crawford, Curtis Hallisey and Adam Wright all on the scoresheet in a stroll against Otago.
Co Londonderry were undone at the same venue, however, as they were beaten 2-1 by an FC Edmonton side who remain in contention for the top prize.
Similarly, B Italia made it two wins from two by thumping First Choice Soccer 5-0 while Vendee beat GPS 2-0 in a pedestrian encounter in Ballymoney.
National Select NI and GO Audax cancelled each other out in a 0-0 draw while Thomas Cole was the late Newcastle United scorer in their narrow win over Desportes Iquique.
Today, FC Edmonton go for three wins on the spin when they tackle Vendee in Limavady while impressive B Italia host Otago at the same venue, also looking for maximum points.
For the county sides, Armagh face First Choice Soccer, Fermanagh take on GO Audax, Londonderry meet GPS, Antrim are up against National Select NI and Tyrone go head-to-head with Partick Thistle.