Title hopefuls have leaders in their sights

NEWFOUNDWELL KINGSCOURT HARPS 3 1

THE battle for the North East League Premier Division crown is beginning to look like a two-horse race between Newfoundwell and Trim Celtic after both teams continued their great runs at the weekend.

For the ‘Well it was a second league victory in the space of 72 hours following Ian Devine’s decisive strike in Thursday’s 1-0 victory over Quay Celtic at Clancy Park.

With the Drogheda club still in the Leinster Junior Cup and appealing a decision to throw them out of the FAI Junior Cup for allegedly fielding an ineligible player against Ayrfield, these past few days presented a rare opportunity to make up ground in the league.

Having successfully bagged all three points from the difficult-looking trip to Dundalk, they played host to rock-bottom Kingscourt Harps on Sunday, looking to move up to fourth place with several games in hand remaining over the teams above them.

Devine continued his hot scoring streak by breaking the deadlock, getting on the end of a Cormac Reid cross to fire home after Reid had linked well with Brian Kermode.

However, Kingscourt were given an unexpected bonus on 35 minutes when ‘Well keeper Ronan Brown’s mis-directed pass failed to find teammate Daryl McDonagh and a Harps player intercepted before finding the net.

If Harps had reached half-time still on level terms they might have fancied themselves to pull off a massive upset, but instead they were on level terms for just two minutes.

Once more it was Devine who struck, with a good finish to the Kingscourt keeper’s right to make it 2-1.

In the second half ‘Well looked to put the game to bed, wary of the threat posed by their big, physical opponents from set pieces, and the third goal