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Loughside U16s 3 Northend United U16s 5 Saturday 29th October 2011

Northend started off sluggish in this game and found themselves a goal down after ten minutes, when a high ball into the Northend box found the Loughside striker and he lobbed Dylan Little in the Northend net.

This was the queue for Northend to finally start to play their fluent passing game and Matt Kirk scored for Northend when he latched onto a Conan Dunne throughball and slide the ball past the keeper. Play swung from end to end but with defences on top their was no further scoring in the first half, leaving the half-time score 1-1.

Northend came out with all guns blazing in the second half and after two minutes took the lead when Mark Robinson, left three defenders for dead and slid the ball past the advancing Loughside keeper. It was all Northend now and after a further five minutes, a Rory Kinney shot was well saved but Mark Robinson pounced on the rebound to score his second and Northend's third goal of the game, leaving the score 3-1 to Northend.

David O'Brien was a thorn in the side of the Loughside defence all match and on fifty-five minutes he was pulled down inside the box and the referee awarded a penalty. Up stepped Matt King and he made no mistake from the spot to give Northend a 4-1 lead in the match.

Instead of going on to finish off the game, the Northend defence went to sleep and allowed Loughside to pull two goals back, the first was a header from a cross into the Northend box and the second was a free-kick which slipped through keeper Dylan Little's hands.

However Northend weren't finished yet and in another attack, O'Brien pulled the ball back from the by-line and Emmet Kerr smashed the ball home from close rang to give Northend a 5-3 win.

Man of the Match: Mark Robinson

Panel: D Little, M Robinson, L Kirk, M King, R Douds, R Kinney, E Kerr(c), C Dunne, M Kirk, C Ferris, D O'Brien, G Williams, S Cunningham, P McKay, C McFerran, S McGaughey

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Northend United U16s 3 Crewe United U16s 2 Friday 21st October 2011

Northend U16s played this match on Friday night at the Showgrounds and the match went on to be a close encounter with both teams attacking at every opportunity. Northend took the lead in the match with Conan Dunne opening the scoring when he ran onto a great pass from midfield and coolly chipped the keeper. Northend further increased their lead when Ciaran Ferris volleyed in from twenty yards out to give Northend a 2-0 half-time lead

Northend started the stronger in the second half and Matthew King headed home from a corner kick to give Northend a comfortable 3-0 lead. However a lack of concentartion in the defence allowed Crewe to pull two goals back before the end of the game to make it a tense last few minutes for Northend

This was an excellent match to watch for the large crowd of spectators who came to watch.

Panel: D Little, R Douds, L Kirk, M King, G Williams, R Kinney, E Kerr(c), M Robinson, C Dunne, C Ferris, D O'Brien, S McGaughey, R Kennedy

Northend United U16s 5 Barn United U16s 1 Saturday 8th October 2011

Northend needed a good result after some recent poor displays and they gave Manager Johnny Sayers a much needed confidence boost with a convincing 5-1 win over Barn United at Mallusk on Saturday.

Play flowed from end to end in a hard fought first half with no team able to create an opening. The Northend strike force of David O'Brien and Mark Robinson had chances to give Northend the lead but good goalkeeping saw Barn stay in the haunt. In the thirtieth minute, David O'Brien picked the ball up twenty yards out and ran at the Barn defence, evading two defenders on the way and he coolly finished past the Barn keeper to give Northend a 1-0 lead.

Barn equalised, just before half time, when some poor defending from Northend allowed their striker in to beat Dylan Little in the Northend nets. However Northend weren't finished yet and David O'Brien popped up on thirty eight minutes to lob the ball over the advancing Barn keeper, to give Northend a 2-1 half time advantage.

Northend started the second half strongly and Emmet Kerr, who was busy patrolling the Northend midfield, burst through from the half way line and hammered the ball past the keeper to give Northend a 3-1 lead.

On fifty minutes , Northend were awarded a penalty when O'Brien was bundled over in the box, but Matt King's penalty was well saved by the keeper.

Northend further increased their lead when from a corner kick, the ball wasn't cleared and David O'Brien headed the ball home to score his hat-trick and give Northend a 4-1 lead.

Barn now started to attack Northend strongly and Dylan Little came out on top in two one on one situations with the Barn striker, to keep Northend in the game.

However Northend weathered this spell and on the seventy-sixth minute, Ciaran Ferris broke down the Northend wing and cut inside to unleash an unstoppable shot past the Barn keeper to leave the final score 5-1 to Northend.

Man of the Match: David O'Brien

Panel: D Little, R Douds, L Kirk, R Kinney, E Kerr(c), G Williams, M Kirk, C Dunne, M Robinson, D O'Brien, S McGaughey, C Ferris, S Cunningham, T Sloan

Ballyclare Comrades U16s 6 Northend United U16s 0 Saturday 1st October 2011

Northend met Ballyclare Comrades for the first time this season at Mallusk. Northend turned in a well below par performance and allowed their opponents to rush into a 4-0 half time lead. Manager Johnny Sayers replaced Ciaran Ferris, Mark Robinson and Ryan Douds before half time with Stephen McGaughey, Simon Cunningham and Gareth Williams in an effort to reshape his midfield.

The Blues started off the second half more brightly but with a four goal deficit, it was never going to be easy. Matt Kirk in the Northend defence was having a good game but all his efforts couldn't prevent the Comrades from going on to score another two goals in the second half, leaving the final score 6-0 to Ballyclare Comrades.

Man of the Match: Matthew Kirk

Panel: D Little, M Kirk, L Kirk, M King, R Kinney, E Kerr(c), M Robinson, R Douds, C Dunne, C Ferris, D O'Brien, S McGaughey, T Sloan, G Williams, S Cunningham

Northend United U16s 2 St. Mary's U16s 3 Saturday 24th September 2011

Northend started of this match missing regulars Cunningham, Kirk and King and as the match progressed it showed.

United started sluggishly and found themselves 1-0 down after fifteen minutes when they failed to clear a corner kick and St. Mary's scored.

However Northend picked themselves up and took the match to St. Mary's and went close when Ciaran Ferris had a good shot well saved by the keeper.

Northend were applying the pressure now and were awarded a free kick twenty yards out.

Rory Kinney hit a piledriver of a shot, which sailed through a crowed penalty box and beat the keeper to go into the top hand corner, leaving the score 1-1.

Northend kept attacking the rest of the half but couldn't find a way past the stubborn St. Mary's defence, leaving the half time score 1-1.

Northend started off the second half in the same fashion and were awarded a corner kick. From Lee Kirk's kick, Rory Kinney powered the ball into the St. Mary's net to give them a 2-1 lead.

Instead of going on and killing off the game, Northend allowed St. Mary's to come back at them and through defensive frailties, allowed St. Mary's to score an equaliser.

With time running out, Mark Robinson saw the keeper make a good save from his shot before Northend conceded a corner with three minutes of the match remaining.

Again United failed to clear the ball and the St. Mary's striker smashed the ball past Dylan Little, in the Northend nets, to give them all three points and win by a 3-2 scoreline.

Man of the Match: Emmet Kerr

Panel: D Little, N McCarry, L Kirk, G Williams, R Kinney, E Kerr(c), M Robinson, C Dunne, S McGaughey, C Ferris, D O'Brien, R Kennedy, R Douds, T Sloan

Newington U16s 3 Northend United U16s 2 Saturday 17th September 2011

Northend went into this game full of confidence, after their good win last week. However they found themselves 1-0 down after twenty minutes, when the Newington striker scored a good goal.

Northend kept on the pressure and David O'Brien, making his first start for Northend, scored a good goal, five minutes before half time. Northend kept attacking for the rest of this half but couldn't add to the scoring, leaving things all square at 1-1 at the interval.

Northend started off the second half in fine form and were unlucky not to add to their scoring when they hit the bar with a shot and David O'Brien drilled one into the side netting.

However the all important next goal didn't come and eventually the Northend defence allowed the Newington striker in to score a soft goal.

This goal stunned Northend, and five minutes later, the Newington striker nipped in again to score another goal and give them a two goal cushion.

With substitutes introduced to this game, giving Northend more running in midfield, they came back at Newington and their keeper couldn't hold an Emmet Kerr shot, and Conan Dunne buried the loose ball into the net, to leave the score 3-2 to Newington, with five minutes remaining.

Northend camped in their opponents half for the rest of the game but couldn't get the all elusive goal they were looking for, leaving the final score 3-2 to Newington and Manager Johnny Sayers's first defeat of the season.

Man of the Match: Dylan Little

Panel: D Little, N McCarry, L Kirk, M King, E Kerr(c), M Robinson, M Kirk, C Dunne, C Ferris, D O'Brien, S Cunningham, S McGaughey, R Kinney, R Kennedy, R Douds

Northend United U16s 7 Larne Youth U16s 0 Saturday 10th September 2011

This Northend U16 team are starting to gel together as this result shows with a clear sheet and seven different goal scorers. Northend opened up their account as early as the tenth minute when Matthew King scored from a penatly after Mark Robinson was upended in the box.

Conan Dunne put Northend further in front after Emmet Kerr played a great ball in behind the Larne defence for Dunne to slide the ball home. Emmet Kerr got the third with a twenty five yard screamer into the top corner and Ciaran Ferris finish of the fourth after the Larne keeper could only parry away Simon Cunningham and Ferris cooly slotted home.

Against the wind, United went in front again when Mark Robinson took on two players and scored from a impossible position when he crossed the ball into the far bottom corner.

Ryan Kennedy then scored after chasing a lost ball and cooly chipped the keeper. David O'Brien then rounded the keeper after Ryan Kennedy played a ball thought to him to finish of a great team performance.

Man of the Match: Gareth Williams

Panel: D Little, N McCarry, L Kirk, M King, G Williams, E Kerr(c), M Robinson, M Kirk, C Dunne, C Ferris, S Cunningham, S McGaughey, R Kinney, R Kennedy, R Douds, D O'Brien

Comber Rec U16s 2 Northend United U16s 2 Saturday 3rd September 2011

Northend U16s started off their league campaign with a 2-2 draw against Comber Rec at the Henry Jones pitches in Ballygowan on Saturday.

Northend started off the brighter team for the first fifteen minutes and Gareth Williams was causing the Comber defence all sorts of problems with his aerial dominance.

Ciaran Ferris should have given Northend the lead when he picked up a knock-on but he delayed his shot and allowed the Comber defender to make a good tackle.

At this stage of the game, the Northend defence was soaking up whatever Comber could throw at them. Matt King and Emmet Kerr were having good games in the middle of the Northend defence.

From a Lee Kirk corner, Matt King should have scored when he narrowly headed the ball over the Comber crossbar. Northend were pulling the strings at this stage and Conan Dunne went on a jinxing run at the Comber defence and saw his shot blocked again by the Comber defence.

Midway through the half, Comber attacked Northend down their right wing and from the resultant cross, their striker scored with a low shot from about six yards to give Comber a 1-0 lead.

This goal increased Comber's confidence and they went looking for a second goal. Dylan Little, in the Northend net, came to Northend's rescue on one occasion but he could do nothing for Comber's second goal.

Almost on the stroke of half time a low hard shot from the Comber striker, was well saved by Little but the rebound fell to him again and he made no mistake with his second attempt to give comber a 2-0 half time lead.

Northend came out all guns blazing for the second half, knowing an early goal would get them back in the game. Gareth Williams was again causing the Comber defence problems, with his knock-downs.

Northend attacked Comber down their left wing and when Conan Dunne played the ball into the box, Comber only half cleared the ball and Emmet Kerr on the edge of the penalty area volleyed the ball into the back of the net, giving the keeper no chance. This goal lifted Northend and they went on to give a spirited second half performance. Stephen McGaughey replaced Robinson to make his Northend debut.

Comber came back at Northend and they just failed to increase their lead, when their striker volleyed over the bar from a cross ball.

Ryan Kennedy replaced Ferris and this proved to be an inspired substitution when he went on to get the Northend equaliser.

From a quickly taken Comber free kick, he nipped in between the defender and goalkeeper to pick up the ball, round the keeper and coolly slot the ball into the back of the net to leave the score at 2-2.

Both teams now went looking for the winner but Dylan Little, the Northend keeper, was having a good game. With Emmet Kerr full of running in United's midfield, Northend had one final chance for a goal. With the match almost on full time, Simon Cunningham could have scored a winner for Northend but his shot trickled past the post, with the Comber defence and keeper well beaten.

So Northend open their account with a 2-2 draw in a difficult away match on the opening day of the season.

Man of the Match: Emmet Kerr

Panel: D Little, N McCarry, L Kirk, M King, E Kerr, M Robinson, M Kirk, C Dunne, C Ferris, G Williams, S Cunningham, S McGaughey, R Kennedy