Derby victory for U17s against Dromore

Slane started the brightest pushing the visitors back on the offensive and both Jamie Dickson and Andrew Boyce both had efforts go wide of the target.

Slane found great rhythm in the early stages of the game and were using the flanks to good effect with Ervine Boyd and David Ogle both whipping in dangerous crosses and putting the Dromore keeper under pressure.

On the tenth minute Slane went in front when centre back Philip Galloway made a brilliant intervention and lobbed the ball up the line and over the top of the left back and Dickson raced through and squared the ball across the face of the goal and the alert Andrew Boyce side footed into the back of the net. 1-0

On the quarter hour the visitors forced a corner and the cross was met by the head of the big midfielder and the ball was heading goal bound but Slane keeper Ryan McCann finger tipped it of the bar and the danger was cleared.

The visitors were unlucky not to level the game when they launched a good move up the right and the shot was cleared of the line by Ryan Bready.

Slane forced a corner and David Blakely whipped in the ball and it was cleared as far as Dickson on the edge of the box and his powerful shot was well saved by the keeper. Blakely and Ethan Scott combined well and Scott rounded two players and picked out Boyce with a perfect defence splitting pass and Boyce it a cracking shot but the keeper was well placed to save. Ryan Shilliday and Philip Galloway were instrumental in defence in the middle winning all the aerial balls and the left and right back Blakely and Bready were playing out of their skin. Adam Gibson pulled of a great solid tackle in the middle of the park and found Blakely wide on the right and he dinked around two players and found Ogle with a good pass around the back of the Dromore defence and Ogle struck with great venom but his shot was well pushed around the post by the keeper who was have a busy morning.

Slane got off to a great start early in the second half and two minutes in, Scott found Boyd with a good pass and he raced into the penalty area and was up ended by the defender and the ref pointed to the spot. Scott selected his spot high into the top corner with a good finish to put Slane two goals up.

The visitors didn’t lie down and only for some great saves by Ryan McCann they would have been back into the game.

Dickson hit a free kick just over the bar and Gibson also had a chance but it sailed wide of the target.

Boyce had a wonderful chance to put the game to bed but his headed went the wrong end of the woodwork and wide.

Overall a great performance by the entire team who all played their part and man of the match was Ryan McCann between the sticks for Slane and he pulled off some wonderful saves and a clean sheet.

Team: R McCann, P Galloway, R Shilliday, A Gibson, D Blakely, J Carlisle, E Boyd, A Boyce, J Dickson, D Ogle, R Bready.