Ballycastle in rampant form

Ballycastle High School 5 v 1 Belfast Royal Academy (B.R.A)

BALLYCASTLE went into this fixture as the in-form team having won their first three games of the competition, leaving them sitting top of the group, although B.R.A also went into this game unbeaten.

Ballycastle began this game full of confidence and right from the start had B.R.A under pressure, but to their credit the B.R.A defence contained the hosts and broke up the Ballycastle attacks before they could get a shot at goal. After eleven minutes Ballycastle got their first shot of the game; and their first goal.

Neat work on the left from Aaron Douglas led to Trevor Linton receiving the ball five yards from goal, he controlled, turned and placed the ball below the on rushing keeper to find the net.

B.R.A battled back and on fifteen minutes got back on level terms with their captain stepping up to sweep the ball into the far corner of the Ballycastle goal.

The rest of the first half was a nervous and tense affair with neither team stamping their authority on the game.

Half time: Ballycastle High School 1-1 Belfast Royal Academy (B.R.A)

If the first half was a close encounter, the second half was a completely different story as a fired up Ballycastle side brushed the opposition aside with some ease.

The rout began just six minutes into the half when Ballycastle won a penalty corner, up stepped Trevor Linton to fire the ball low and hard into the bottom left hand corner with the B.R.A keeper rooted to the spot.

This goal seemed to knock the confidence of B.R.A who conceded again within five minutes, Aaron Douglas received the ball on the by-line, after a very well worked penalty corner routine, before turning and slipping the below the keeper and into the goal from a very acute angle.

This was Aaron’s fifth goal in four games but with ten minutes to go he got his sixth of the competition after Ryan Esler broke through midfield and put Aaron through on goal with only the keeper to beat, and that he did to make it 4-1.

Late on another break from midfield led to Steven Morrison bursting through the defence and placing the ball across the keeper into the corner to finish off the game.

Ballycastle High School 8-1 Ballyclare High School

Ballycastle High School took to a sunny Quay Road astro-pitch on Thursday to face Ballyclare High School, with already four wins from the same number of games under their belt in the competition. They went into this game with the incentive of knowing a win would ensure a semi-final place was secured; and the result never looked in doubt.

Ballycastle did all the early pressing and were rewarded just six minutes into the game when Trevor Linton found the unmarked Aaron Douglas, who calmly flicked the ball past the goalkeeper and into the corner of the goal.

Goal number two closely followed with Richard Mc Conaghie out-running the Ballyclare defence to strike the ball low and hard across the goalkeeper and into the corner of the goal.

Ballyclare started to get more possession in the midfield and were looking as if they were beginning to find their feet when Aaron Douglas scored again; he found the Ballyclare goal after some neat stick work

to create the space in a congested area.

Half time: Ballycastle High School 3-0 Ballyclare High SchoolThe second half of this game began with Ballyclare coming at Ballycastle and having their first period of sustained pressure. They made the most of their possession and when an innocuous high ball into the circle evading the home defence, the Ballyclare centre forward was on hand to tap in at the back post.

This goal stung Ballycastle back into life and the goals began to flow again. Aaron Douglas was picked out by the hard-working Mark Mc Allister to get his hat-trick and Steven Morrison was soon in on the act with a great finish after a strong run from midfield.

As the game entered the final ten minutes, Trevor Linton capped off a great display with a penalty corner strike and another assist when he fired a pass through to Aaron Douglas for his fourth of the day.

Late on Richard Mc Conaghie got his second of the day to cap off another solid display from the Ballycastle boys who now can look forward to a semi-final place in two week’s time.