Merville move into second spot
TWO of the big hitters in the Andrew Mullen Premier League locked horns on Sunday morning at the Astro in Cleveragh.
Merville United faced off with MCR, the only two remaining unbeaten clubs in the Premier League.
This had all the hallmarks of a great game and so it proved to be.
The first half saw both sides thread carefully but just on half time a cross from Stephen Hallahan into the Merville goal mouth resulted in an own goal and MCR were in front.
The second half saw a one man show from the clinical feet of Ryan Mc Manus as he netted a superb hat trick.
His first a header, the second a free kick and the third goal a one on one with the brilliant Tony Clarke in the MCR goals. Keith Nibbs pulled another goal back for MCR in the dying minutes but it was just to little to late.
This game had it all with both sides highly competitive a result that drives Merville United into second spot on the leader board with goal difference separating them from MCR and a game less played.
These two warriors will have to meet again in the course of the season and on this form, they could well be deciding where the silverware goes but Cartron and Cliffoney Celtic still have a major role to play and Glenview Stars on their day can well upset any team.
Glenview Stars enjoyed an excellent win at home to a very good Gurteen Celtic.
Stars scored seven with two goals apiece for Cole Coyle and Daniel Kelly while Damien Shannon, Keith Carthy and Ronan O Grady were all on the mark.
Gurteen had in Tony Taylor their man of the match netting a superb hat trick with one of his goals believe it or not, a brilliant sixty yard lob.
Chaffpool United took the bragging rights and all three points in their local derby at home to Real Tubber.
Hughie Marren opened the scoring on twenty minutes for Chaffpool and ten minutes later it was all level when Brian Moran crashed home the equaliser. There was twenty minutes to go when Brendan Brogan broke the deadlock with a superb finish that in the end took all three points, much to the delight of manager John Scanlon.
On a perfect night for football in the Southern Super League Strand Celtic and Aughanagh met for the second time in three weeks at the Sports Complex Cleveragh on Saturday night.
After sixteen minutes Nigel Hargadon opened the scoring for the visitors, flicking in at the near post. On 25 minutes Aughanagh had the chance to double their advantage only for Graham Lee to save a penalty.
After the half time interval, Strand came out with more intensity and the brave defensive back line of Aughanagh Celtic finally breached on eighty minutes when Fergal O’Hara scored from the penalty spot.
The game looked like finishing a draw but Lee Marshall had different ideas scoring two minutes from time and he added his second on the stroke of full time.
His first was a great strike from just outside the box before sealing the game with an audacious lob from inside his own half.
It was a game that Aughanagh will be very disappointed to lose after being the better team for long periods.
In the T P Brennan Connacht Shield 2nd Round North Sligo side Benbulben FC went down by four goals to one away to Galway league side Corrib Celtic B.