Northend United Youth FC

Northend United U11s 2 Comber Rec U11s 3

Saturday 27th March 2010

Northend U11's welcomed an unbeaten in all competitions Comber Rec team to a sunny Smithfield in a league match in front of a large crowd, but missing a couple of regulars United knew this would be a very hard match.

Northend United started well and but for some very good last ditch defending could have scored. Comber with their first attack and helped with a bit of hesitancy in the United defence took the lead as a player nipped in to shoot past James Morgan in goals.The game then turned into a midfield battle with Sam Bennett, Philip Maybin, Conor Graham and Conor McHugh giving as good as they got with the big strong Comber players.

Northend did equalise midway through the half when Ryan McKenna played in David

Kilgore but the keeper saved, the ball only cleared to Sam Bennett who crossed and in ghosted Zack Herbison to slam the ball past the Comber keeper, for his thirtieth of the season. The score remained one each until half time.

The second half opened with Northend pushing Comber back and if not for the excellent keeper and a couple of goal line clearances United could have been in front.

Northend did take the lead when Conor Graham played the ball through for Herbison to chase. As he slid in with the keeper the ball broke to Conor McHugh who drilled it into the open net.

Comber came back at Northend and equalised when their midfielder hit an unstoppable drive from twenty yards giving young James Morgan in goals no chance.

Indeed Comber scored their winner a few minutes later with a carbon copy effort.

This was a great effort from the young Northend team and will be looking forward to playing this good Comber team again, leaving the final score 3-2 in Comber's favour.

Men of the Match: Jamie Crawford and Zack Herbison

Panel: James Morgan, Robbie Dennison, Ryan McKenna, Jamie Crawford, Oliver Boyle, Philip Maybin, Conor Graham, Conor McHugh, David Kilgore, Zack Herbison(c), Sam Bennett, Eamon Elliott, Ben Sempey.

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Ballysillan Youth U11s 0 Northend United U11s 6

Saturday 20th March 2010

Northend U11s met Ballysillan in the Quarter Finals of the Cup at the Valley pitches. Northend started the quicker team, creating a lot of chances in the opening minutes but were unfortunate not to take the lead early on in the match.

Northend kept attacking for most of the first half and eventually took the lead just before half time. From a kick-out from the Ballysillan keeper, the ball fell to Rhys O'Mullan and with his quick thinking, he lobbed the ball back over the keeper and into the net to make the half-time score 1-0 to Northend.

The second half started in the same fashion, with Northend on top and soon doubled their lead when David Kilgore ran from his own half to slot past the advancing keeper.

David Kilgore scored again, this time heading in from a free kick. Sam Bennett replaced Milligan.

Sam Bennett then had a powerful shot that was well saved by the keeper and from the rebound the ball fell to Bennett and from his resultant cross, Zack Herbison was on hand to volley past the keeper to make the score 4-0 to Northend.

Conor Graham was next on the scoresheet when he beat two defenders before calmly sending the ball into the corner of the net.

Archie Magill replaced Kilgore and Robbie Dennison replaced McHugh.

Northend's sixth goal came when Rhys O'Mullan's shot from twenty-five yards beat the keeper to leave the final score 6-0 to Northend.

Man of the Match: Conor Graham

Panel: James Morgan, Ryan McKenna, Andrew Milligan, Eamon Elliott, Jamie Crawford, Oliver Boyle, Conor Graham, Conor McHugh, David Kilgore, Zack Herbison, Rhys O'Mullan, Sam Bennett, Robbie Dennison, Archie Magill

Northend United U11s 2 Bertie Peacocks U11s 1

Saturday 13th March 2010

Northend United U11s played top of the table team Bertie Peacock in a Shield match having already been beaten twice in the league by them and knowing a place in the Shield final was at stake.

United started the brighter and the front partnership of Zack Herbison and David Kilgore accompanied by the wide midfield players Conor McHugh and Rhys O'Mullan were giving the Peacocks defence all sorts of trouble.

Northend did have the ball in the net with Rhys O'Mullan finishing off the move only for the ref to rule it out for offside.

United took the lead just before the break when David Kilgore skilfully beat two defenders before crossing to Zack Herbison who touched it to Rhys O'Mullan to rifle the ball past the helpless Peacocks keeper, to leave the half time score 1-0 to Northend.

The second half started with Peacocks throwing everything at Northend and it wasn't too long before they equalized as their right winger broke through the middle to give James Morgan no chance in the Northend goals.

This seemed to spur the young Northend team on and the duo of Conor Graham and Philip Maybin battled hard in midfield.

Northend took the lead from a corner, Rhys O'Mullan crossed, only for it to be headed back out to him, he crossed the ball again and this time the ball ricocheted off a defender and into the net. Sam Bennett came on for Conor McHugh.

Bertie Peacock came back at Northend but the backline of Robbie Dennison, Jamie Crawford, Oliver Boyle and Ryan McKenna kept their lines cleared and United took an excellent victory to book their place in the Shield Final.

This was an outstanding performance from the Northend team against a top Bertie Peacock's team who have been playing together now for three years. Well done Northend United Youth U11s.

Men of the Match: Conor Graham and Rhys O'Mullan

Panel: James Morgan, Robbie Dennison, Jamie Crawford, Oliver Boyle, Philip Maybin, Conor Graham, Conor McHugh, David Kilgore, Zack Herbison, Rhys O'Mullan, Sam Bennett, Ben Sempey, Matthew Adams, Andrew Milligan, Eamon Elliot

Northend United U11s 7 Ballysillan Youth U11s 2

Saturday 6th March 2010

Northend United Youth Under 11s welcomed Ballysillan to the Showgrounds in the league, played under the floodlights on Friday night. In front of a large crowd of parents and spectators, Northend were missing a couple of key players, forcing others to play out of position and this had a bit of an affect on the young team and it took a while for them to settle.

United took the lead with a good passing move between Zack Herbison and David Kilgore who fed Conor McHugh to shoot past the keeper. Then David Kilgore went off on one of his trademark runs, holding off a couple of defenders, before firing in an unstoppable shot from eighteen yards, to make the score 2-0 to Northend.

Northend were now well on top and scored soon after when McHugh and Kilgore combined to lay on Zack Herbison who gave the keeper no chance, with a low drive.

Northend then conceded a free kick on the edge of their penalty area and from this the defence seemed to go asleep and let in a Ballysillan player to score past young James Morgan in goals to leave the score 3-1 to Northend at half time.

This goal seemed to spur the Ballysillan team on at the start of the second half and another defensive mix-up let in their striker to score a second.

Northend started to pass the ball about and when Sam Bennett beat a defender in the box he was crudely pushed over and awarded a penalty. Up stepped captain Zack Herbison who made no mistake for his second and Northend's fourth, leaving the score 4-2.

This settled United and soon after Oliver Boyle raced through the defence to put Northend 5-2 up. Eamon Elliott and Archie Magill replaced Sempey and Bennett.

Northend scored again when Zack Herbison raced clear from the half way line and blasted it over the advancing keeper for his hat-rick and Northend's sixth.

Oliver Boyle was replaced by Ryan Gordon and Jamie Crawford was carried off after falling awkwardly on his knee and replaced by Rhys O'Mullan.

Northend were awarded another penalty when Eamon Elliott was upended in the box and he picked himself up and dispatched it into the bottom corner to leave the final score 7-2 to the young Northend team.

Man of the Match: Conor McHugh

Panel: James Morgan, Robbie Dennison, Jamie Crawford, Philip Maybin, Ryan McKenna, Oliver Boyle, Conor McHugh, Ben Sempey, David Kilgore, Zack Herbison(c), Sam Bennett, Archie Magill, Eamon Elliott, Ryan Gordon, Rhys O'Mullan

Northend United U11s 8 Chimney Corner U11s 0

Saturday 13th February 2010

Northend hosted Chimney Corner at a sunny Smithfield for this league encounter in front of a sizeable crowd. It wasn't long before they took the lead when Ryan McKenna played the ball to Zack Herbison who lobbed the keeper from the edge of the box. United soon doubled their lead when Conor McHugh crossed for David Kilgore to blast the ball past the young Corner keeper.

Northend were playing some attractive football and soon scored again, Graham and McHugh combining to put in Herbison who controlled the ball, turned and shot to make the score three nil.

David Kilgore added the fourth when he went off on a dribbling run, beating three players and slotting the ball past the keeper.

Number five arrived just before half time, Conor Graham shooting from the edge of the box but Herbison stuck out a foot and deflected it past the helpless keeper for his hat-trick, leaving the half-time score 5-0 to Northend United.

The second half saw Corner come more into the game but United's defensive line of Ryan McKenna, Jamie Crawford, Matthew Adams and Andrew Milligan were solid and James Morgan in goals was ever alert.

Once again Northend started to get the ball down and pass excellently and this led to another goal, Ryan McKenna played in David Kilgore who hammered it past the keeper for his hat-trick.

Midway through the second half Ben Sempey replaced Andrew Milligan.

Northend soon scored again when Philip Maybin won the ball in midfield, he played it out wide for Sempey, who beat two defenders before crossing for Zack Herbison to volley home at the far post.

Archie Magill and James Brown replaced Herbison and Kilgore with ten minutes left.

Northend did score again at the end, Conor Graham starting the move and combining with Ryan McKenna and Rhys O'Mullan before he finished off, striking the ball low and hard into the corner of the net. This was a great all round display from the young team, leaving the final score 8-0 to Northend United.

Men of the Match: Conor Graham, Philip Maybin

Panel: James Morgan, Ryan McKenna, Jamie Crawford, Matthew Adams, Andrew Milligan, Philip Maybin, Conor Graham, Conor McHugh, David Kilgore, Zack Herbison(c), Rhys O'Mullan, Ben Sempey, Archie Magill, James Brown

Northend United U11s 4 Ballyclare Colts U11s 2

Saturday 6th February 2010

Northend U11s travelled to Mallusk to play Ballyclare Colts in a Shield match.

The game started off even enough and if anything Northend just shaved the play and had a couple of chances but just couldn't find the net.

Ballyclare did score first, the forward collected a ball from a throw in and went between two defenders, who had left the tackling to each other, and gave young James Morgan in goals no chance with a fierce shot to make the score one nil to the Colts.

Northend responded to this but David Kilgore's shot was saved by the Ballyclare keeper, who had a good game. Northend upped their game and started to pass the ball well. This led to the equalizer when Conor Graham played the ball out on the right to Conor McHugh whose inch perfect cross to David Kilgore, allowed him to lay it back to Zack Herbison to fire it past the Colts keeper.

Northend then scored again when David Kilgore beat two defenders before being tackled. As the ball bounced, in came Zack Herbison to fire it over the keeper and into the net for his and United's second.

Ballyclare Colts then equalized when their midfielder burst through Northend's defence. Morgan in the Northend goal saved his shot, only for the referee to point to the spot for a penalty, judging one of the Northend players had pulled the Colts player's shirt. Up stepped the Ballyclare player to rifle the ball high into the net, to leave the half time score 2-2

The second half started off as a midfield battle with Eamon Elliott and Conor Graham winning everything but it wasn't until midway through the half when Northend scored again. This time Zack Herbison and David Kilgore linked up again but once again the keeper saved from Kilgore, Eamon Elliott following up from a tight angle to put United 3-2 in the lead.

Northend started to apply some good pressure to the Ballyclare defence and won a corner. Conor McHugh swung the ball in and the Colts defender sliced the ball up and over his keeper for an own goal to make the score 4-2 in Northend's favour.

Two changes were made with Oliver Boyle and Ben Sempey replacing Elliott and Kilgore but the score remained the same at full time for a good win for Northend against a strong Ballyclare side

Man of the Match: Conor Graham, Zack Herbison

Panel: James Morgan, Robbie Dennison, Ryan McKenna, Matthew Adams, Philip Maybin, Eamon Elliott, Conor Graham, Conor McHugh, David Kilgore, Zack Herbison, Rhys O'Mullan, Ben Sempey, Archie Magill, Ricky Waide, Ryan Gordon, Oliver Boyle.