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Annagh United 2 Wakehurst 0 Saturday 23rd January 2016

This was Wakehurst's first match since before Christmas and it showed in the opening minutes. Wakehurst conceded a goal after three minutes when some defensive frailties' allowed the Annagh striker to outpace the chasing defenders and plant the ball into the bottom of the Wakehurst nets.

Wakehurst should really have been level on fifteen minutes when Bradley Cairns shot straight at the Annagh keeper from a few yards out following a Jamie Timms free-kick. Cairns was again in the thick of the action minutes later when he saw a shot go narrowly wide of the upright.

Jamie Timms was next to see his shot go inches over the Annagh crossbar with the keeper well beaten. However Annagh were always dangerous on the break and another defensive slip needed a top save from Lewis McFall to prevent a certain goal. This chance galvanised Annagh and for the remaining minutes of the half took the game to Wakehurst. Robbie Dennison cleared a ball of the Wakehurst goal line following a mix-up in the Hurst defence in a tense few minutes for the Ballymena boys.

However Wakehurst rallied before the end of the half and saw a Jamie Timms corner headed off the Annagh goal line with almost the last kick of the half. Half time 1-0

Into the second half and a resurgent Wakehurst took the game to Annagh. A Jamie Timms free-kick found Robbie Dennison at the back post but his header went inches wide. Tom Campbell was next to see his shot trouble the Annagh keeper and the Annagh keeper capped an inspired display went he got down low to his left to push a Cairns free-kick around the post.

Debutant Daniel Bell was having a good game for Wakehurst, linking up well with Owen Dick in the Hurst strikeforce. In a half where the Ballymena team had the upper hand, Owen Dick did his chances of a permanent start in the team no harm at all when a marvellous run and strike was heading for the bottom corner of the Annagh net, only to take a slight deflection at the last minute and end up agonisingly wide of the Annagh upright.

Five minutes before the end of the match, Wakehurst conceded a second goal from a corner kick, when the Annagh striker wasn't tracked by Cairns and planted the ball into the Wakehurst net. Full time 2-0

Panel: L McFall, J Lowry, L McAllister, R Dennison, J Timms, T Campbell, B Cairns, A Milligan, S Bennett, D Bell, C Neilly, O Dick, J Anderson

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Wakehurst 0 Annagh United 3 Saturday 19th December 2015

Wakehurst were dealt a blow just before kick-off in this match when regular goalkeeper Jamie Stevenson felt unwell and Lewis McFall donned the No 1 jersey.

Already missing a number of regulars this was always going to be an uphill task for the Ballymena Boys.

Wakehurst started the strongest with Tom Campbell and Bradley Cairns dominating the midfield exchanges. Up front, Mark Cochrane and Owen Dick were stretching the Annagh defence.

With nothing really between the teams in the first half, Lewis McFall pulled off a good save for Wakehurst after twenty minutes and own dick saw a good shot go narrowly wide of the Annagh upright. Half time 0-0

Into the second half and Annagh scored their first goal after ten minutes when a bizarre overhead kick got caught in the strong wind and ended up in the back of Wakehurst's net.

Annagh increased their lead after twenty five minutes of the half when their winger was allowed to glide past three Wakehurst defenders and plant the ball into the corner of the Wakehurst net.

As Wakehurst went chasing the game Annagh scored a third goal following a mistake by a Wakehurst player. Full time 0-3

Panel: L McFall, J Lowry, L McAllister, J Timms, S Bennett, T Campbell, O Dick, J Dawson, A Milligan, M Cochrane, B Cairns, M Waide, C Neilly, J Stevenson

Wakehurst 2 Banbridge Rangers 2 Saturday 28th November 2015

Wakehurst have been stringing a few good League results together recently and this was another well earned point. The Ballymena boys again started the match on the front foot but allowed Banbridge to claw their way back into the game. Banbridge hit the Wakehurst upright on ten minutes following a good move down their left wing.

In an end to end match, Mark Cochrane saw a well struck shot go inches past the Banbridge upright on fifteen minutes. The same player was unlucky not to open the scoring on twenty minutes when a well worked move with Cameron Neilly resulted in a good save from the Banbridge keeper.

Banbridge took the lead on twenty-seven minutes when their well struck free-kick crept in at the base of the Wakehurst post, giving keeper Jamie Stevenson no chance.

Minutes before half time, the Banbridge winger cut inside his marker and hit a shot which went narrowly over the Wakehurst crossbar. Half time 0-1

Into the second half and with a few changes, Wakehurst looked a better team. The Ballymena boys drew level after fifteen minutes of the half when a Andrew Milligan corner has headed into the Banbridge net by Robbie Dennison. Five minutes later and Wakehurst had taken the lead. Sam Bennett was on hand to steer the ball past the Banbridge keeper following a Tom Campbell cross into the box. Wakehurst were now playing some good football with the introduction of Matthew Waide Jamie Timms and Owen Dick driving the team forward.

With ten minutes of the match remaining Banbridge equalised when a slip by a Wakehurst defender allowed their striker to run through and slip the ball past Stevenson in the Wakehurst nets.

With time running out, Matthew Waide and Owen Dick both saw good chances saved by the Banbridge keeper. Final score 2-2

Panel: J Stevenson, J Lowry, L McAllister, R McKenna, R Dennison, T Campbell, S Bennett, J Dawson, C Neilly, B Cairns, M Cochrane, J Timms, M Waide, O Dick, A Milligan

Glendowan 6 Wakehurst 0 Saturday 21st November 2015

Wakehurst came up against one of the top U17 teams in Northern Ireland in the NIBFA Cup on Saturday at their Twinbrook base in Belfast. A combination of deadly finishing and poor defensive lapses resulted in the score but doesn't really reflect how Wakehurst did on the day.

The Ballymena Boys played some good football for long spells in the game and could and should have had a couple of goals during this game.

Wakehurst started brightly but found themselves a goal down after five minutes much against the run of play. Sam Bennett went close to scoring for Wakehurst following a good throughball from Bradley Cairns.

It was 2-0 after fifteen minutes when another defensive lapse allowed the Glendowan striker in to score. Back came Wakehurst and Andrew Milligan tested the Glendowan keeper with a well struck shot. Wakehurst were the team on top at this stage of the game and Tom Campbell was next to test the Glendowan keeper with a wrasping shot. Just as it looked like Wakehurst would claw their way back into the game, Glendowan scored a third goal when Jamie Stevenson, in the Wakehurst nets, was beaten by a well struck shot.

On thirty minutes it was 4-0 when Wakehurst conceded a very soft goal from a Glendowan corner.

The miss of the game came on thirty five minutes when Ryan McKenna headed the ball over the Glendowan crossbar, following a Tom Campbell free-kick. Glendowan scored another with minutes of the half remaining before another Campbell free-kick tested the Glendowan keeper. Half time 5-0

Into the second half and Wakehurst had the first chance when Mark Cochrane trapped the ball and laid it off for Bradley Cairns who's shot went narrowly over the Glendowan crossbar. Wakehurst made a number of substitutions throughout the half and this helped to bring the Ballymena boys more into the game.

With the Wakehurst defence more settled in this half, Matthew Waide and Cameron Neilly were finding more time on the ball.

Glendowan scored their sixth goal following a goalmouth scramble midway through the half. Eoin Dick had a chance to score towards the end of the game but he pulled his shot wide of the Glendowan upright. Final score 6-0

Panel: J Stevenson, J Lowry, L McAllister, R McKenna, R Dennison, T Campbell, J Dawson, S Bennett, B Cairns, A Milligan, L McAfee, M Cochrane, M Waide, O Dick, C Neilly, J Timms

Wakehurst 4 Banbridge Town 3 Saturday 7th November 2015

This was certainly a game of two halves, with a Wakehurst side lacking in ideas in the first half, trailing 2-1 at half time before rallying to a 4-2 lead in the second half and taking a little gloss off the result by conceding a late goal.

For the first time this season, Manager Stephen White had almost a full panel available to him with long term injured players Sam Bennett and Sparky Cochrane back in the starting line-up.

Wakehurst started on the front foot with Sparky and Tom Campbell going close in the opening ten minutes. However the game was to change on fifteen minutes when a rather timid looking shot ended up in the back of the Wakehurst net.

This goal visibly knocked Wakehurst out of their stride and Robbie Dennison, Jamie Timms and Josh Lowry had to be on top of their game as Banbridge began to dominate the midfield tussle. However they could do nothing as Banbridge scored a second goal when their winger broke down the right wing and saw his shot only parried, allowing the Banbridge centre forward a goal with a simple tap in.

Wakehurst did pull a goal back after thirty minutes when Josh Lowry latched onto a loose ball from a Sam Bennett cross and smashed his shot into the top corner of the Banbridge net. Half time 1-2

Into the second half and with Sam Bennett moved into his more usual central midfield role alongside Tom Campbell, it was a much more determined Wakehurst performance. Bradley Cairns was causing the Banbridge defence all sorts of problems, linking up well with Mark Cochrane. Wakehurst almost drew level in the match when a Sam Bennett shot went into the side netting.

With Wakehurst camped inside the Banbridge half, Jack Dawson and Cameron Neilly were driving the Ballymena boys on down the wings. With Cairns, Cochrane and Bennett all going close it looked like it might be one of those days. However Wakehurst got their just reward on twenty minutes, when a Timms corner was headed into the Banbridge net by Robbie Dennison.

Wakehurst weren't finished yet and with Matthew Waide and Owen Dick on, they went looking for a winner. Tom Campbell saw a shot go narrowly over the crossbar before that man Dennison duly obliged on twenty five minutes when he powered a second Timms corner into the roof of the Banbridge net.

Wakehurst introduced Lewis McFall and Andrew Milligan to give them a fresh pair of legs in midfield and with Owen Dick running the Banbridge defence ragged, Wakehurst scored a fourth goal. Robbie Dennison completed his hat-trick when he got on the end of another Jamie Timms corner to steer the ball past the Banbridge keeper.

Banbridge weren't finished yet and Jamie Stevenson pulled off a good save in the final few minutes of the match before the Co Down side had the last say in the game with a final goal in almost the last kick off the ball. Full time 4-3

There were a lot of pluses in this match with Sam Bennett getting another sixty minutes under his belt, the return to action of Sparky Cochrane and Owen Dick turning in a top performance, giving Manager Stephen White a lot of food for thought.

Panel: J Stevenson, J Lowry, J Timms, B Cairns, R Dennison, G Stewart, T Campbell, J Dawson, C Neilly, M Cochrane, S Bennett, M Waide, O Dick, A Milligan, L McAfee, L McAllister