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Ards Youth U15s 2 Northend United U15s 0 Saturday 26th March 2011

Northend started off this game against Ards Youth missing a number of regulars. Making his debut in goals was current top goalscorer Ciaran Ferris and he was to go on and show his capabilities in saving goals also.

Northend started off cold and were caught out on four minutes when an Ards throughball caught the defence out and enabled their striker to run on and beat the Northend keeper to give Ards an early 1-0 lead.

As usual for this Northend team this season, they started to dominate play for large spells of the game but couldn't turn their superiority into goals. Simon Cunningham, Conan Dunne and Mark Robinson were winning the possession in midfield but Northend couldn't find a way past the Ards defence.

Ciaran Ferris pulled off a good save just before half time to keep the score 1-0 at the break.

Northend started off the second half where they left off the first, taking the game to Ards. Brendan Lynas was giving the Ards all sorts of problems with his darting runs. Northend fell to a killer second goal on ten minutes, when a short back pass let in the Ards striker to beat Ferris with a low strike, giving them a two goal cushion.

The Northend heads didn't drop and again took the game to Ards with Gareth Williams and Brendan Lynas linking up well. Lynas was to go on and strike the Ards post with a thunderous shot mid way through the second half but it was not proving to be Northend's day.

Northend again dominated play for the remainder of the half without adding to their tally. The boys can themselves unlucky not to get anything out of this match on a day when they played extremely well.

Man of the Match: Ciaran Ferris

Panel: C Ferris, D McAfee, M Kirk, M King(c), L Kirk, S Cunningham, M Robinson, R Douds, C Dunne, G Williams, B Lynas, N Burns

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Northend United U15s 1 Dungoyne U15s 5 Saturday 5th March 2011

Northend entertained last year's South Belfast League champions in the third round of the NIBFA Cup at Broughshane on Saturday.

Northend started the stronger team with Cunningham, Dunne and Kirk calling the shots in midfield. Ciaran Ferris and Brendan Lynas were causing the Dungoyne defence all sorts of problems with their darting runs, but Northend could not open the scoring.

Dungoyne eventually opened the scoring on thirty minutes when a silly defensive mistake allowed them in to beat keeper Dylan Little. Worse was to come when Dungoyne added a second right on half time to leave the score 2-0 to Dungoyne.

Dungoyne started off the second half the quicker and they added a killer punch after five minutes, scoring a third goal. Northend then lost their influential centre-half and captain Matt King to a heavy tackle.

Northend pulled a goal back when Ciaran Ferris was on hand after twenty minutes of the half, to stroke the ball home to leave the score 3-1 to Dungoyne.

This goal lifted them and United continued to press for a second goal, but Dungoyne soon found their rhythm again and took the game to Northend.

Ryan Douds, who was having an excellent game at the heart of the Northend defence, marshalled the United defence in the absence of King. However Dungoyne ran in two late goals in the last ten minutes of the game to give them a 5-1 victory.

Man of the Match: Ryan Douds

Panel: D Little(c), R Douds, L Kirk, D McAfee, M King, M Kirk, S Cunningham, C Dunne, C Ferris, B Lynas, D Freeburn, J Crawford, G Williams, N Burns

Ulidia U15s 3 Northend United U15s 3 Saturday 26th February 2011

Northend were on the defensive from the kick-off in this match and found themselves 1-0 down after four minutes when a defensive error let in the Ulidia striker to score.

Worse was to come when a penalty was awarded against Northend and Ulidia scored again, although the Northend keeper Dylan Little got a fingertip to the ball.

In a torrid first twenty minutes, Northend conceded a third goal when another defensive mistake gifted a goal to Ulidia.

However Northend now came more into the game with the midfield of Matthew Kirk, Mark Robinson and Simon Cunningham winning more of the ball.

Brendan Lynas reduced the deficit just before half time when he scored for Northend to leave the half time score 3-1 to Northend.

This goal lifted them and Northend started off the second half in dominant fashion. Matthew Kirk shot narrowly over the bar before the same player was on hand to score for Northend to reduce the score to 3-2 to Ulidia.

In a super half for Northend, Ciaran Ferris headed an equaliser from acorner kick to level the score at 3-3.

Northend continued to take the game to Ulidia for the rest of this half but were unable to score anymore goals, which left the final score 3-3 in a match where they looked dead and buried after twenty minutes.

Man of the Match: Brendan Lynas

Panel: D Little(c), R Douds, L Kirk, M King, D McAfee, M Robinson, S Cunningham, M Kirk, C Dunne, C Ferris, B Lynas, R Kinney, G Williams, R Kennedy, N Burns

Northend United U15s 5 Ballywalter Rec U15s 3 Saturday 19th February 2011

Northend entertained Ballywalter Rec at Broughshane on Saturday in a NIBFA Cup match. Northend took the game to Ballywalter right from kick-off and the midfield of Kirk, Williams, Cunningham and Robinson were causing all sorts of problems.

Northend took the lead on fifteen minutes when Simon Cunningham was on hand to score with a low shot.

Ballywalter came back at Northend and Ross Swan in the Northend net pulled of two good saves in quick succession, before they equalised with a shot from outside the penalty box.

As the game flowed from end to end, Matthew King forced the Ballywalter keeper to push the ball onto the crossbar and Ciaran Ferris went inches wide with a low shot.

Ross Swan was again called into action when he pulled off another finger tip save but he could do nothing when a low shot from a Ballywalter striker inside a crowed penalty box, found its way into the back of the net.

With almost thirty minutes on the clock, a cross into the Ballywalter penalty box was only partially cleared and Simon Cunningham was on hand to score at the back post to level the scores at 2-2.

Minutes just before half time, a speculative shot from Ballywalter found its way into the back of the Northend net to give them a 3-2 half time lead.

Northend replaced Williams and Bell at half time with Benny Lynas and Ryan Kennedy. They started the strongest in the second half and Conan Dunne began to thread some good balls through from midfield to the Northend strikers. From one of these through balls, Ciaran Ferris rounded his marker but was hauled down inside the box and Matthew King made no mistake from the penalty kick.

As Northend continued to dominate play, Matthew King scored his second when he headed home from a Matthew Kirk corner kick, to give Northend a 4-3 lead.

Ballywalter came back at Northend and Ross Swan was again called upon to make an acrobatic save to push the ball onto the crossbar.

With only seconds remaining on the clock, Benny Lynas raced clear of his marker and rounded the keeper to score Northend's fifth goal to leave the final score 5-3 to Northend, who now progress into the next round of the NIBFA Cup.

Man of the Match: Ross Swan

Panel: R Swan, R Douds(c), M Bell, D McAfee, M King, M Kirk, G Williams, M Robinson, S Cunningham, C Dunne, C Ferris, B Lynas, R Kennedy, D Freeburn, N Burns

Ards Rangers U15s 3 Northend United U15s 1 Saturday 12th February 2011

Northend travelled to the Grove pitches to play Ards Rangers in a SBYL League match. A very even first half saw both sets of defences in top form, with very little chances being created for either team. What chances were created, Dylan Little dealt comfortably with.

On the stroke of half time, Northend were awarded a corner. From this, Northend failed to make any impact and Ards broke out of defence and went on to score the only goal of the half.

The second half started with Northend much the stronger team but they couldn't turn their superiority into goals. On fifteen minutes, Matthew Kirk made a darting run at the Ards defence and was hauled down inside the Ards penalty box. Matt King made no mistake from the resultant spot kick to level the scores at 1-1

Northend continued to dominate but couldn't score anymore goals and with eight minutes remaining on the clock, Ards ran in two goals to win the game 3-1.

Man of the Match: Dylan Little

Panel: D Little(c), R Douds, L Kirk, D McAfee, M King, G Williams, M Robinson, M Kirk, S Cunningham, C Dunne, C Ferris, D Freeburn, R Kennedy

Rosario U15s 5 Northend United U15s 1 Saturday 5th February 2011

Northend travelled to Belfast to play Rosario with a weakened team for the second week in a row. Illness and injury robbed the team of four first team regulars and it was always going to be an uphill struggle against a very good Rosario team.

Northend found themselves a goal down in the first minute when the ball was lobbed into their penalty box and an attempted clearance from the Northend keeper cannoned off a player and landed in the net.

This gave Rosario the confidence to attack Northend and in the first fifteen minutes, Northend found themselves 3-0 down. During this period the Northend defence of Douds, Kirk, king and McAfee were called upon time and time again to clear their lines.

Northend weathered this early pressure and came more into the game. Gareth Williams received an excellent through-ball from Declan McAfee and he pulled a goal back for Northend.

Northend continued to have more of the pressure but couldn't find an all important second goal before half time.

Northend came out for the second half where they had left off the first half, taking the game to Rosario. Some good passing play from Simon Cunningham and Matthew Kirk in midfield led to chances for Ciaran Ferris and Aidan Hughes but they failed to convert.

As the half worn on, Rosario became the stronger team and started to dominate play from midfield. In the last fifteen minutes of the half, they ran in a further two goals without reply to leave the final score of the game 5-1 to Rosario.

The Management team of Johnny Sayers and Brendan McAfee will be hoping to get back to a full strength squad before their forthcoming NIBFA Cup match against Ballywalter Rec next week.

Man of the Match: Matthew King

Panel: D Little(c), R Douds, L Kirk, M King, D McAfee, G Williams, S Cunningham, M Kirk, C Dunne, C Ferris, A Hughes