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Northend United 3 Coleraine Olympic 0 Saturday 23rd May 2015

This was the last game of the season for Northend and they put on a 5 star display to entertain the spectators on a lovely sunny morning in Ballysally. A minutes silence was held before the match kicked off in memory of IFA youth development coach Wes Gregg who played a key role in some of these players development. The midfield of Stevie Bristow, Jay McKeown, Ben O'Neill and Shea O'Broin were playing some lovely passing football and controlled the game throughout. Lee Turner, who was having an excellent game in defence, brought the ball out from the back and played it wide to O'Neill who crossed it to Eoin Mitchell in the middle but his effort was scrambled wide for a corner. On the ninth minute Bristow won the ball in midfield and spread the play to the left where O'Neill picked up the ball just over the half way line, he raced forward, beat his man, got the ball onto his left foot and unleashed a perfect strike from 20 yards into the far corner to make to 1-0. Northend created several flowing moves from one side of the pitch to the other with one resulting in a corner that McKeown swung in and the ball made its way through to the far post where O'Neill was on hand but his shot was just wide. The defence of Callum McAvoy, Ryan Campbell and Lee Turner were able to deal with anything Coleraine threw at them and made it any easy morning for PJ McDonnell in nets. McKeown won the ball with a strong tackle in midfield and played it wide to O'Broin who went past his man and put the ball across the goal mouth for Mitchell but he couldn't finish. Bristow and McKeown combined well in midfield to set up O'Broin who cut inside onto his favoured left foot but his shot hit the side netting. Half-time 1-0

Right at the start of the second half Jay McKeown was brought down on the edge of the area but the wall did their job in deflecting his free-kick wide for a corner. McKeown floated the ball in the area and the ball fell perfectly to O'Broin who hooked it with the left foot into the roof of the net to take his tally to 20 for the season. Young Paidin Mitchell came on in midfield and played an impressive match with some tough tackling and clever play turning defence into attack. Callum McAvoy was a commanding figure at the back with his strength and speed proving crucial in keeping a clean sheet and Ryan Campbell enjoyed going on his trademark bursting runs from the back . Good build up play between Tyler Boyd, O'Broin and Mitchell who played the ball to McKeown and he crossed the ball but no-one could get on the end of it to turn it into the net. McAvoy broke up another Coleraine attack and quickly passed to Mitchell who played it wide to O'Neill, he played it into the feet of McKeown who controlled it, turned and beat his marker before slotting the ball past the keeper to make it 3-0. Northend put together several other flowing moves involving Bristow, Mitchell and O'Broin as they were really starting to take a grip on the game but they couldn't add to their tally and the match drifted towards a comfortable end. Final score 3-0

This was a reasonably comfortable win for Northend as they finished the season on a high with impressive displays including Lee Turner, Paidin Mitchell and particularly Callum McAvoy who was a tower of strength at the back to keep a clean sheet for the first time this year. The team has progressed very well in the last few months with several players developing superbly this season. A big thanks to the many supporters who came along to cheer the team and have been so faithful all season. A special mention to Stevie Crowe and the NWCYL team for organising the matches so efficiently each week to create a superb environment for 100's of kids every Saturday morning.

Man of the Match: Callum McAvoy

Panel: PJ McDonnell, R Campbell, C McAvoy, L Turner, B O'Neill, S Bristow, J McKeown, S O'Broin, E Mitchell, T Boyd, P Mitchell

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Unstoppable McKeown hits Maiden Half Century in win over City

Northend United 4 Maiden City 3 Saturday 9th May 2015

On a lovely sunny morning in Ballysally, Northend enjoyed early possession and a Ryan Campbell through ball found Jay McKeown in space but his early shot screwed wide of the target. In the third minute McKeown received the ball from a throw in and got an early shot in which the keeper saved and as the rebound fell to McKeown he somehow squeezed the ball into the net from a tight angle for his 50th goal of the season. Maiden City were playing some nice football with their central midfielder causing problems with his trickery and PJ McDonnell had to be at his best to pull off a fine save. Maiden City got an equaliser from a long range effort that took an unfortunate bounce to end in the back of the net. Northend stepped up a gear with the midfield of Stevie Bristow, Ben O'Neill and Shea O'Broin playing some lovely football and causing Maiden all sorts of problems. A long ball from Ryan Campbell fell to O'Neill who beat his man but his effort hit the post. Bristow was taking control in midfield and played the ball wide to O'Neill who ran down the left wing and crossed to O'Broin who cut inside his man and unleashed a superb left footed shot past the keeper to make it 2-1. Northend continued to dominate possession and created several chances but couldn't get a goal. Shea O'Broin took a corner and McKeown found himself in space but was saved and the ball fell to O'Neill whose shot was just over the bar. O'Neill made another good run down the left and switched the ball to O'Broin on the right who cut inside and hit a superb shot which was saved. From the resulting corner it was cleared to Zach Erwin who took the ball beautifully under control but his effort sailed over the bar. Half-time 2-1

Early in the second half a loss of concentration at the back allowed Maiden City in to score the equaliser. Straight away Northend broke up the field and took the lead again as Jay McKeown fired in a superb shot from the edge of the area. Shea O'Broin was making a real impact on the game with his hard work and skilful dribbling with a couple of efforts going over the bar. Maiden City didn't give up and were passing the ball around well and creating chances as Northend had to rely on McDonnell making a number of crucial saves. Stevie Bristow took the ball off his opponent and ran forward before spreading the ball wide to O'Broin who cut inside and squared to McKeown but his effort went wide. McDonnell pulled off a brilliant double save with the second one a diving effort to tip the ball over the bar. Ryan Campbell played a long ball forward to McKeown who controlled brilliantly, spun his marker and slide the ball across the keeper and in off the far post to complete his hat-trick. The move of the match started with O'Neill running the ball out of defence, playing the ball to McKeown who spread to out to the left to Lee turner who beat his marker and squared the ball across goal to O'Broin but as the ball headed towards the goal their keeper pulled off an unbelievable save. Maiden pulled another goal back but Northend finished the game strongly with four corners in a row resulting in Bristow firing his effort over the bar and the final score was 4-3.

This was an excellent all round performance with the whole team playing for each other and there were some brilliant periods of play. It was especially leasing to see Shea O'Broin return to form with a well taken goal. A special mention has to go to Jay McKeown who scored his 13th hat-trick of the season and took his goal tally past the half century mark to an incredible 52 goals. Well done boys - a very pleasing mornings work.

Man of the match: Shea O'Broin

Panel: PJ McDonnell, Z Erwin, R Campbell, S Bristow, B O'Neill, J McKeown, L Turner, S O'Broin

Northend United 6 Ballymoney Athletic 4 Saturday 2nd May 2015

Northend started this game on the attack with Jay McKeown spreading the ball wide to Ben O'Neill who took it past the defender and crossed for McKeown whose shot was deflected wide. Callum McAvoy sent a free kick deep into the opposition penalty box and the ball fell to McKeown who acrobatically hooked the ball over the keeper but it bounced off the top of the bar. Then Ryan Campbell pressed the defender into giving the ball away and he squared it to McKeown to fire it left footed into the bottom corner of the net. Northend had the majority of possession but Ballymoney broke up field and some slack defending allowed their striker in to equalise. Zach Erwin brought the ball out of defence and past two midfielder and as the space opened up in front of him he unleashed a thunderous shot which flew over the bar. Ben O'Neill was making good progress down the left wing and causing the opposition all sorts of problems, he played the ball to McKeown who was through one on one with the keeper but his shot was tipped around the post. Stevie Bristow was imposing himself in midfield and played a beautiful ball through to O'Neill whose shot was saved. Ballymoney hit Northend with a sucker punch as on one of the rare occasions they went into the Northend half and went into a 2-1 lead. Northend hit back instantly with Ryan Campbell sending a long throw into Jay McKeown who flicked the ball onto O'Neill who riffled the ball left footed into the back of the net. Another flowing move saw Campbell play the ball inside to Bristow who squared it for Zach Erwin who scored the goal of the day as he unleashed a thunderous 20yard shot into the top right corner. A lack of concentration allowed Ballymoney to pull level again as their striker ran behind the defence in the last minute of the first half. Half-time 3-3

At the start of the second half Jay McKeown got the ball out wide and crossed for Ben O'Neill but the keeper got there first. PJ McDonnell was called into action early in the second half as he pulled off a good save to prevent Ballymoney taking the lead again. In the fifth minute Stevie Bristow spread the ball wide to O'Neill who drilled the ball towards goal and as the keeper saved it McKeown was on hand to knock the rebound into the net. Ben O'Neill was on fire for a 10 minute spell as he ripped through the Ballymoney defence time after time to take the game away from Ballymoney. First he hit a terrific shot over the bar, then he ran down the left wing and crossed for McKeown to sweep the ball first time into the back of the net to complete his hat-trick. Only two minutes late O'Neill was again speeding down the wing and crossed for Lee Turner to sneak in at the far post and slide the ball home. Ballymoney didn't give up and Northend had to rely on good performances from Callum McAvoy and Zach Erwin to keep them out and McDonnell pulled off another top class save although they did pull one goal back as their striker got behind the defence. Tyler Boyd came on and played a lovely ball through to McKeown who shot just wide. In the final minutes Northend had a series of corners with Bristow unlucky on two occasions as the game finished 6-4 to Northend.

This was a great all round performance from the whole team and particularly in the second half when everyone put in that little extra effort to ensure we finished off the game. Callum McAvoy, Stevie Bristow and Jay McKeown put in top class performances but man of the match goes to Ben O'Neill for setting up 3 goals and scoring 1 himself. Well done boys!

Man of the Match: Ben O'Neill

Panel: PJ McDonnell, Z Erwin, R Campbell, S Bristow, B O'Neill, J McKeown, L Turner, C McAvoy, T Boyd

Northend United 1 Portrush 2 Saturday 25th April 2015

Northend started this game in confident mood after their victory last week and went on the attack from the first whistle. Jay McKeown had an early shot saved and Stevie Bristow followed up with the rebound but his shot was just wide. Ben O'Neill was making good progress down the left wing and after beating two defenders he crossed and as the ball fell to McKeown he took it onto his left foot and directed a perfect shot over the keeper into the far corner to put Northend 1-0 up in the fifth minute. Northend continued to pile forward at every opportunity with wingers O'Neill and Lee Turner finding good space out wide and it was O'Neill who burst forward again and played the ball to McKeown who sliced the ball and as the goalkeeper saved it the ball landed at the feet of Turner whose effort went over the bar. The defence of Ryan Campbell, Callum McAvoy and Zach Erwin were able to deal with anything that Portrush threw at them and PJ McDonnell was a save pair of hands behind them. Ben O'Neill burst through midfield beating two defenders and unleashing a left footed shot just wide. Shea O'Broin was battling hard up front against the physical Portrush defence and had a couple of half chances which he couldn't just convert. Ryan Campbell brought the ball out of defence and played it wide to Turner, who turned it inside to McKeown and he switched the play out to the left to O'Neill who crossed but O'Broin couldn't get on the end of it. Zach Erwin made a good run out of defence and slipped the ball to O'Neill who was fouled and from the resulting free kick Jay McKeown sent a cracking strike against the Portrush bar. It was all Northend attacking but they couldn't find the finishing touch to extend their lead. Half time score 1-0

In the second half Portrush upped the tempo and were putting pressure on the Northend defence who found it difficult to get out of their own half for long periods. Jay McKeown and Stevie Bristow were battling hard in midfield breaking up the attacks and trying to push forward at every opportunity. Callum McAvoy grew in confidence as the game went on and had to be at his best to make vital clearances against the powerful Portrush attack. On one of Portrush's attacks down the right, their winger crossed the ball and it ran right across the box and ended in the bottom corner of the net with everyone expecting it to go wide. Northend came back strong and there were half chances for McKeown and O'Broin with his effort rolling agonisingly wide. Late in the game Portrush got a corner and as it came towards the goal it avoided everyone and sneaked in at the near post for a fortunate winner for Portrush. Northend pushed forward in the last 5 minutes and had one more chance which went wide to finish the match in which they deserved at least a draw. Full-time 1-2

Man of the Match: Jay McKeown

Panel: PJ McDonnell, O Kerr, Z Erwin, R Campbell, S Bristow, B O'Neill, J McKeown, S O'Broin, L Turner, C McAvoy, E Mitchell, T Boyd

Northend United 2 Ballymoney Athletic 1 Saturday 18th April 2015

Northend started on the attack with Shea O'Broin and Ben O'Neill combining well to set up a chance for O'Broin whose shot was tipped wide. From the resulting corner the Northend attackers were putting the defenders under pressure leading to an unfortunate own goal by Ballymoney. The midfield trio of Peter Bristow, Jay McKeown and Ben O'Neill were dominating possession and playing some lovely football creating chance after chance in the first half with Bristow and McKeown having shots saved. O'Broin was proving a handful for the Ballymoney defenders with his tricky runs and intelligent movement and a Bristow through ball to him was again saved by the impressive keeper and as the rebound fell to McKeown he couldn't find the back of the net. Bristow and O'Neill combined well again to send O'Neill clear but the keeper managed to get his foot to the ball resulting in a corner. McKeown swung the ball into the six yard box and some clever movement from Bristow gave him the space to direct his header into the back of the net to make it 2-0 after 8 minutes. The Northend defence of Stevie Bristow, Ryan Campbell and Zach Erwin had a quiet first half allowing full backs Campbell and Erwin to push forward at every opportunity and as Campbell broke down the right wing he crossed to O'Broin who controlled the ball well but shot narrowly wide. Northend continued to dominate the midfield area creating chances for several players but couldn't find the back of the net. On one particular attack the ball fell to O'Neill on the edge of the area who smashed the ball towards the goal, the keeper tipped the ball onto the bar and rebounded to O'Broin whose effort hit the post. Half-time 2-0

In the first minute of the second half Ballymoney got a lucky goal as a deflected shot looped over keeper Ollie Kerr to land in the far corner. This raised the spirits of the opposition and they made a real contest of the match with both defences being stretched. Zach Erwin was particularly impressive with some timely tackles and showed great composure on the ball to bring the ball out of defence. Lee Turner made a good run down the left wing and crossed to O'Broin whose effort hit the bar, then Bristow and McKeown combined well for O'Broin again. Callum McAvoy slotted into defence and had an impressive game with some strong tackling and timely clearances. Stevie Bristow intercepted the ball and played it wide to Erwin who crossed for Jay McKeown whose header was saved, then O'Broin had an effort over the bar and Ryan Campbell's shot was saved. Ballymoney were putting pressure on to get the equaliser but Northend defended resolutely with Ben O'Neill having a strong game in defence and attack and Ollie Kerr pulling off some fine saves. Full-time 2-1

This was a hard fought victory for the Northend boys with many of them working hard for the team. Shea O'Broin played well but just couldn't find the back of the net as he hit the woodwork 3 times and Ben O'Neill and Zach Erwin put in impressive displays.

Men of the Match: Ben O'Neill, Zach Erwin

Panel: O Kerr, Z Erwin, R Campbell, S Bristow, P Bristow, B O'Neill, J McKeown, S O'Broin, L Turner, C McAvoy

Northend United 1 Roe Valley 2 Saturday 11th April 2015

Northend came up against a Dungiven team who had narrowly defeated them earlier in the season knowing it would be a tough encounter. Northend started very positively pressing forward at every opportunity but in the third minute Dungiven broke quickly calling PJ McDonnell into early action who pulled off a fantastic diving save to his right. The midfield of Stevie Bristow, Shea O'Broin and Ryan Campbell started to play some nice football with Bristow and O'Broin exchanging passes to put O'Broin through whose shot was saved. Campbell was making good progress down the right wing and crossed for striker Jay McKeown to get in front of his man but his effort was saved. The Dungiven keeper was having an inspired game pulling off numerous saves from McKeown and O'Broin in particular. The Northend defence of Zach Erwin and Ben O'Neill had to be on guard against a tricky Dungiven striker and Erwin made a particularly timely tackle just as he was about to pull the trigger. As the half went on it was all Northend attacking as O'Broin and Bristow combined well to set up McKeown who shot just wide, then O'Broin had a long range effort saved and another went just wide. Ben O'Neill made one of his trademark runs from the back and slipped the ball through to McKeown but the keeper saved it. Then O'Broin had another 20yard effort brilliantly saved and Ryan Campbell followed up but his effort hit the side netting with the goal at his mercy. From a quickly taken corner Shea O'Broin hit the post and the rebound fell to Campbell whose shot was saved. Dungiven hit Northend with a sucker punch at the end of the first half as a defensive lapse allowed their forward in to fire a shot into the far corner. Half-time 0-1

Northend came out for the second half determined to get the equaliser with O'Broin having a shot saved resulting in a corner which he took and as the ball fell to Ben O'Neill he hit a fierce shot narrowly wide. The goal eventually came as the ball was played forward by O'Neill to Stevie Bristow who ran down the left side, brilliantly dummied the Dungiven defence twice creating the space to play the ball across to Jay McKeown who hit the ball first time into the corner of the net. Zach Erwin had an effort wide of the target before Dungiven broke forward and Northend had to rely on a brilliant save from McDonnell to keep the scores level. Ryan Campbell ran through but his effort was saved and as the ball fell to Bristow he coolly slotted the ball through to McKeown whose effort was heading to the top corner before an acrobatic save from the Dungiven keeper kept it out. PJ McDonnell was called into action again as he bravely dived at the feet of the Dungiven keeper but 2 minutes later there was nothing he could do as the ball fell to the impressive Dungiven midfielder to drill the loose ball into the bottom corner. There was still time for Northend to create several more chances for McKeown and O'Broin but they couldn't force the ball over the line against a stubborn Dungiven defence. Full-time 1-2

The whole team played particularly well with PJ McDonnell improving with every match and Stevie Bristow again controlling the play in the centre of the park. It was a very unlucky game to lose as Northend created numerous chances and dominated large periods of the match but just couldn't find the back of the net and as one spectator said if it was a boxing match Northend would have won on points easily.

Men of the Match: Stevie Bristow, PJ McDonnell

Panel: PJ McDonnell, Z Erwin, R Campbell, S Bristow, B O'Neill, J McKeown, S O'Broin

Northend United 4 Coleraine Academy 7 Saturday 21st March 2015

Northend started this game well and were unlucky to fall 2 goals behind within the first 10 minutes. Stevie Bristow was dominating the midfield with fierce tackling and fine attacking play with one of his shots being well saved by the Coleraine keeper. On one of his runs from midfield he played the ball wide to Lee Turner who squared it for Jay McKeown to fire the ball into the top corner. Ben O'Neill was having another commanding game in defence and with one of his trademark runs down the left wing he played the ball through to McKeown who took the shot early to beat the Coleraine keeper. Shea O'Broin was always dangerous on the left wing with one of his mazy runs resulting in a free kick which he fired just over the bar. He then cut through the Coleraine defence and squared the ball to McKeown but his shot was saved by the keeper this time. Northend were really getting on top now and when the ball was played forward to McKeown he put Turner through on goal but he shot wide. Another O'Broin free kick was headed clear and the ball fell to Ryan Campbell who burst up the pitch playing it wide to Turner who crossed it for O'Broin who was running in at the back post to riffle the ball into the roof of the net. O'Broin had another couple of half chances; one ended up hitting the side netting and the other went wide. Coleraine came back in the last 10 minutes of the first half to draw level at 3 all but Northend quickly responded when a quick throw in from O'Neill found Bristow in space just outside the box who let the ball run across his body and fired a sweet right foot shot into the bottom corner of the net for his first goal of the season. PJ O'Donnell kept Northend in the game with 2 great saves but could do nothing with Coleraine's fourth goal to leave the score 4-4 at half-time.

Northend never quite got going in the second half as well as they did in the first half with Coleraine dominating possession for long periods. Eoin Mitchell came on and went on a good run down the right wing and crossed for Jay McKeown who found space in the box but his left foot shot rolled agonisingly wide. PJ McDonnell had a busy second half and dived to save well from the Coleraine strikers shot but could nothing with a deflected shot after 10 minutes. McKeown picked the ball up in midfield and passed to O'Broin whose shot went wide and two minutes later O'Broin again went close but was over the bar this time. Coleraine effectively sealed the game in the fifteen minute when some slack marking at the back allowed the Coleraine forward to run through and score. Coleraine's passing and moving was taking its toll on the Northend as they grew tired leaving space for them to score again. Full-time 4-7

The first half was an excellent performance from the whole team and the boys need to keeping training hard to continue the development so far this season.

Man of the Match: S Bristow

Panel: PJ McDonnell, R Campbell, S Bristow, B O'Neill, J McKeown, S O'Broin, E Mitchell, L Turner

Northend United 3 Institute 5 Saturday 14th March 2015

The early kick-off for this match proved difficult for Northend as they were slow out of the blocks and weren't closing down their opponents quickly enough giving Institute too most time and space to dominate the early exchanges. PJ O'Donnell made a couple of good saves early on but could do nothing to prevent the first goal after 5 minutes as the Institute striker found space in the area to slot the ball into the net. The second came on 15 minutes as some slack marking let their winger in to fire a shot into the far corner of the goal. Northend slowly got into the game with Stevie Bristow pulling the string in midfield along with Shea O'Broin and Eoin Mitchell. The ball was played through to Jay McKeown who took the ball forward and got a shot in but the keeper was proving difficult to beat. Ben O'Neill and Ryan Campbell in defence were getting to grips with the Institute forwards and Campbell made one of his trademark runs from the back and unleashed a long range shot but was again saved. Institute were proving difficult to break down and their central midfielder was causing all sorts of problems as they hit Northend with 2 quick goals. This seemed to spark Northend into life at last and good runs from O'Broin and Mitchell were creating opportunities and putting pressure on Institute. Bristow played the ball through for McKeown who took it past the defender and got his shot in which the keeper saved but McKeown followed up to slot the rebound home. Northend piled forward in search of another goal before half-time and Bristow fired a long range effort towards the top corner but the keeper made a brilliant save to keep the score at 1-4 at half time. The score did not truly reflect the way the match was going but Northend were made to pay for some basic errors and giving the ball away too easily. Half time score 1-4

The introduction of Zach Erwin, Olly Kerr and Lee Turner added energy to the Northend side who came out with more purpose and desire in the second half. O'Neill and Turner were running at the Institute defence and putting them on the back foot and an early chance fell to O'Broin who couldn't convert. The defence of O'Neill and Erwin were able to deal with the Institute forwards and anything that got past them Kerr was equal to as he pulled off 2 fine saves. Bristow played the ball out to McKeown on the left who burst past 2 defenders and squared the ball to Turner at the back post who was able to tap the ball into the empty net. Northend were piling on the pressure now with 3 corners in a row ending with O'Broin shooting over the bar. On a rare occasion that Institute came forward their striker was able to get a shot in that the keeper got his hands to but couldn't prevent the ball ending in the net. There was some lovely flowing football between Bristow, O'Neill and Erwin ending in Bristow shooting over the bar and seconds later Erwin had a shot that the keeper saved. O'Broin picked up the ball on the half way line, weaved past 2 defenders, drilled a shot towards the far post and Turner was on hand again to tap into the net. O'Neill went on a run down the left wing and crossed the ball to McKeown whose shot was saved and after some neat passing from Bristow and Erwin, Lee Turner had a great chance for his hat-trick but the keeper pulled off a brilliant save. Northend continued to press forward but couldn't get the goals they deserved to get the draw. Full-time 3-5

The second half was a much better performance and overall a draw would have been a fair result.

Man of the Match: Lee Turner

Panel: PJ McDonnell, R Campbell, S Bristow, B O'Neill, J McKeown, S O'Broin, E Mitchell, L Turner, O Kerr, Z Erwin

Northend United 3 Portrush 1 Saturday 7th March 2015

Northend had a lot to prove against a Portrush side who inflicted a heavy defeat on the them early in the season and would be a measure of how far the side had progressed. The game started with Northend on the attack and the first goal came within 5 minutes when Eoin Mitchell pressurised the defence into a mistake and he quickly pounced to fire a shot into the top left corner. Portrush came back into the game and the defence of Ben O'Neill and Ryan Campbell had to be at their best to keep them at bay. After 10 minutes the Portrush striker broke through the Northend defence but PJ McDonnell made a great save. Stevie Bristow was having an impressive game in a new midfield role and brought solidity and strength in the centre of the park and also composure on the ball to bring the attacking duo of Shea O'Broin and Jay McKeown into the game. Northend battled hard against a physical Portrush side with some last minute tackling by O'Neill and Campbell to keep the ball out. Mitchell was getting more success down the right flank with his energetic play and O'Broin and McKeown combined well on a number of occasions to set up half chances which they couldn't convert. Bristow won the ball in midfield and played the ball for O'Broin who found space on the left but his shot was well saved by the keeper. Northend defended well for the rest of the half to frustrate the Portrush attack and keep a clean sheet. Half-time 1-0

The second half started with McKeown and O'Broin combining well setting up O'Broin whose shot was saved. In the second minute of the half a defensive lapse by Northend let the Portrush striker through for an easy finish to bring Portrush level. The game ebbed and flowed with both sides creating chances with Mitchell, O'Broin and McKeown all having shot but they couldn't find the back of the net. At the back O'Neill and Campbell were playing exceptionally well and PJ McDonnell was in great form making several fine saves in difficult windy conditions and Stevie Bristow working tirelessly in midfield. Lee Turner came on and added energy to the team with one of his runs resulting in a throw in which ended up with Jay McKeown inside the box who turned and powered the ball into the back of the net. Northend had their tails up and within 2 minutes they got their third and decisive goal with a brilliant effort from Ryan Campbell who picked the ball up in his own half, ran into the Portrush half, then knocked it past the oncoming player before unleashing a thunderbolt from 20 yards into the far corner of the net. Portrush came back strong and hit the post with a fine free kick but couldn't get past a stubborn Northend defence that just wasn't going to let this lead slip. Full-time 3-1

This was easily the best team performance from Northend all season against one of the top teams in the league with every player putting in a 5 star display and shows the progress made since their early season defeat against the same opposition. Keep up the good work lads!

Man of the Match: Team Performance

Panel: PJ McDonnell, R Campbell, S Bristow, B O'Neill, J McKeown, S O'Broin, E Mitchell, L Turner