Northend United Youth FC

Rosario U14s 5 Northend United U14s 1

Saturday 27th March 2010

Northend United U14s played Rosario in a SBYL League match at the Cherryvale pitches on Saturday. Having narrowly lost to this team 2-1 a few weeks ago, Northend were looking forward to getting some points against them this time.

However the plan did not go to script and Northend found themselves 2-0 down after twenty minutes. In this opening spell they found it hard to come to terms with the Rosario strikers.

In this spell Dylan Little make a few excellent saves else the score could have been even worse.

Northend did pull one back when Ciaran Ferris found himself in space and beat the keeper with a low shot to make the score 2-1 to Rosario.

Rosario scored another goal before half time to leave the score 3-1.

Northend started off the second half in a more determined fashion and were unlucky not to add to their scoring, with Ryan McIllroy playing the true captain's role.

Aidan Hughes and Ciaran Ferris had some good chances to score before Rosario ran in two late goals to leave the score 5-1 to Rosario.

Men of the Match: Dylan Little, Conan Dunne

Panel: Dylan Little, Mark Robinson, Emmet Kerr, Ryan Douds, Declan McAfee, Thomas Brady, Simon Cunningham, Ciaran Ferris, Ryan McIllroy (c), Conan Dunne, Aidan Hughes, Ryan Walsh

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Ards Youth U14s 1 Northend United U14s 7

Saturday 20th March 2010

Northend United U14s played Ards Youth in a SBYL League match at the Danny Blanchflower Stadium. Northend reserved some of their best football of the season for this match and Ciaran Ferris gave them the lead early on when he beat the Ards keeper with a low shot.

With Northend playing their fluent passing game, in a blistering first half, Ryan McIllroy scored two goals in quick succession on fifteen and seventeen minutes to give them a 3-0 cushion of a lead.

Northend continued to attack for the rest of the game but just failed to increase their lead leaving the half time score 3-0 to Northend.

Ards came out a stronger team in the second half and the Northend defence of Mark Robinson, Emmet Kerr and Ryan Douds had to be on top of their game. However Ards pulled a goal back when a shot from their striker was acrobatically saved by Dylan Little in the Northend goal, only for the rebound to fall to his feet and he made no mistake at his second time of trying.

This goal made Northend more determined and Ciaran Ferris was on hand to score his second goal and restore Northend's three goal cushion, leaving the score 4-1 to United.

Ryan McIllroy completed his hat-trick when he calmly beat the Ards keeper, ten minutes into the second half.

With Northend dictating play, Sean McCann scored the goal of the game, when he beat three Ards defenders before shooting past their goalkeeper from a tight angle, twenty five minutes into the second half.

Just before the final whistle, Brendan Lynas, who had come on as a substitute, had the final say, when he scored with a low drive, to give Northend a very convincing 7-1 victory over Ards Youth in a SBYL League match.

Men of the Match: Mark Robinson, Sean McCann

Panel: Dylan Little, Mark Robinson, Emmet Kerr, Ryan Douds, Declan McAfee, Thomas Brady, Sean McCann Ciaran Ferris, Ryan McIllroy (c), Conan Dunne, Aidan Hughes, Brendan Lynas, Ryan Walsh

Carryduff U14s 1 Northend United U14s 1

Saturday 13th March 2010

Northend United U14s played Carryduff Colts in a SBYL League match at Lough Moss Leisure Centre pitches.

Northend started off much the livelier team and began to take the game to Carryduff. Aidan Hughes and Ryan McIllroy were making good runs up front and the midfield of Declan McAfee, Sean McCann, Thomas Brady and Brendan Lynas were controlling the flow of play.

It was no surprise when Northend took the lead when from a corner; Emmet Kerr was on hand to give Northend a 1-0 lead.

Towards the end of the first half, Carryduff came more into the game and Dylan Little in the Northend net made an excellent save to deny their strikers, leaving the half time score 1-0 to Northend.

The second half continued the same pattern of play with attack and counter attack. Ryan McIllroy and Declan McAfee were causing the Carryduff defence all sorts of problems.

When Carryduff did attack, the Northend defence of Ryan Douds, Emmet Kerr and Mark Robinson were resolute. Dylan Little pulled off a very good save to keep Northend in the match, midway through the second half.

With time running out, it looked like Northend would get all three points but unfortunately they conceded a corner right on full time. From the resultant cross their striker was on hand to score to make the final match score 1-1.

Man of the Match: Declan McAfee

Panel: Dylan Little, Mark Robinson, Emmet Kerr, Ryan Douds, Declan McAfee, Thomas Brady, Sean McCann Brendan Lynas, Ryan McIllroy (c), Conan Dunne, Aidan Hughes, Simon Cunningham, Ciaran Ferris, Ryan Walsh

Rosario U14s 2 Northend United U14s 1

Wednesday 10th March 2010

Northend United U14s played their first competitive game under floodlights when they played Rosario in a SBYL League match at the Danny Blanchflower Junior International Stadium on Wednesday 10th March.

Northend started off brightly and Brendan Lynas was causing the Rosario defence all sorts of headaches with his probing runs down the Northend wing. The Northend midfield of Ryan McIllroy and Sean McCann were pulling the strings and dictating play. However Northend were unable to capitalise on this early pressure and midway during the first half , Rosario opened the scoring when their striker beat Dylan Little, the Northend keeper, with a low shot into the corner of the net.

Rosario continued to dictate play for the remainder of the first half but Thomas Brady, Emmet Kerr, Mark Robinson and Ryan Douds defended resolutely.

Northend started off the second half in a more determined fashion after some words of encouragement at half-time. Northend again took the match to Rosario and Ryan McIllroy scored with a low drive after beating two Rosario defenders, to make the score 1-1. It as all Northend now and Aidan Hughes was unlucky not to give them athe lead when a throughball from midfield left him in front of the defenders but his shot was narrowly past the post.

This miss proved costly as Rosario came more into the game, with their midfield beginning to dictate play. On more than one occassion the Northend midfield were caught out pushing forward leaving their defence to deal with swift Rosario counter attacks. Keeper Dylan Little produced two exceptional saves to keep Northend in the game, before Rosario went in the lead with a long range shot from almost twenty-five yards.

Northend introduced substitutes, Ciaran Ferris and Simon Cunningham but were unable to get a equaliser before the final whistle leaving the score 2-1 to Rosario

Man of the Match: Brendan Lynas

Panel: Dylan Little, Mark Robinson, Emmet Kerr, Ryan Douds, Declan McAfee, Thomas Brady, Sean McCann, Ryan McIllroy (c), Conan Dunne, Aidan Hughes, Brendan Lynas, Ciaran Ferris, Simon Cunningham, Ryan Walsh

Northend United U14s 1 Cliftonville U14s 5

Saturday 6th March 2010

Northend United U14s returned to competitive action when they entertained Cliftonville U14s in the second round of the NIBFA Cup at the Michelin Pitch.

Play swung from end to end in the first half and Emmett Kerr in the Northend defence was involved in stemming the Cliftonville attacks. Dylan Little, in the Northend goal, was dealing comfortably with the long range Cliftonville shots.

Cliftonville took the lead on fifteen minutes and added a second five minutes later when the Northend defence were caught napping. Towards the end of the first half Northend took the game to Cliftonville and Aidan Hughes and Ryan McIllroy were unlucky with close chances which on another day would have been scored. The half time score remained 2-0 to Cliftonville.

The second half started off at a frantic pace with the Northend midfield of McAfee, McCann, Brady and Cunningham beginning to dominate play. However Cliftonville scored a killer blow with their third goal from a breakaway, giving Dylan Little no chance in the Northend goal.

Northend rallied after this goal and Ryan McIllroy pulled one back for United when he beat the Cliftonville goalkeeper with a fierce shot to lave the score 3-1.

This goal gave Northend some heart but the much bigger Cliftonville team finished the match strongly adding two more goals in the final ten minutes to lave the score 5-1 in Cliftonville's favour

Panel: Dylan Little, Mark Robinson, Emmet Kerr, Ryan Douds, Declan McAfee, Thomas Brady, Sean McCann Simon Cunningham, Ryan McIllroy (c), Conan Dunne, Aidan Hughes, Brendan Lynas, Ciaran Ferris, Ryan Walsh

Northend United U14s 1 Glentoran U14s 0

Saturday 13th February 2010

Northend United U14s returned to competitive action when they entertained Glentoran U14s in the first round of the NIBFA Cup at the Ballymena Showgrounds.

Play swung from end to end in the first half and Emmett Kerr in the Northend defence was involved in stemming the Glentoran attacks. Dylan Little, in the Northend goal, was dealing comfortably with the long range Glentoran shots.

Thomas Brady and Sean McCann began to pull the strings in midfield and allowed their strike force of Ryan McIllroy, Aidan Hughes and Ciaran Ferris to take the game to Glentoran. When Ryan McIllroy's shot was saved by the Glentoran keeper, this was the closest Northend came to scoring before half time.

The second half started off with Northend attacking Glentoran. Playing some of their best football of the season, Glentoran were no match for the fluent Northend team. Declan McAfee and Simon Cunningham on the Northend wings were causing Glentoran all sorts of headaches. Ryan McIllroy got the all important goal, when he received a through ball and raced clear of the Glentoran defence to coolly slot the ball past their goalkeeper.

Glentoran hit Northend on the counter attack and Emmett Kerr was again on hand to clear his lines. Ryan McIllroy had a chance to increase Northend's lead before the final whistle but the score remained 1-0 to Northend at the final whistle.

Man of the Match: Emmet Kerr

Panel: Dylan Little, Mark Robinson, Emmet Kerr, Ryan Douds, Declan McAfee, Thomas Brady, Sean McCann Simon Cunningham, Ryan McIllroy (c), Ciaran Ferris, Aidan Hughes, Brendan Lynas, Conan Dunne, Ryan Walsh