SML round-up: Homers lay down title marker as Connor clinch place in top flight

Harryville Homers took another stride towards retaining their Ballymena Mortgages Saturday Morning League title with a 7-1 demolition of Moylena on Saturday.
A Carniny player has a shot at the Ballykeel goal during their recent match. INBT17-208ACA Carniny player has a shot at the Ballykeel goal during their recent match. INBT17-208AC
A Carniny player has a shot at the Ballykeel goal during their recent match. INBT17-208AC

Elsewhere, during the week, Connor clinched back-to-back promotions with a draw against North End SHamrocks ensuring they clinch a place in the top flight next season.

BALLYMENA MORTGAGES

DIVISION ONE

FC Moylena 1, Harryville Homers 7: Homers got off to a great start when they took the lead after two minutes, as Michael Smith skipped past two men before firing home from 18 yards out for his first Homers goal.

Despite Homers being well on top, Moylena drew level on 18 minutes. A long ball out of defence from Gareth Smith caused a mistake between the Homers keeper and defender and this let Stephen Nicholl in to score.

Homers got themselves back in front shortly after when they won a penalty and Darren Campbell stepped up and fired home from the spot to make it 2-1.

Three minutes before the break Homers made it 3-1 when Bonnes fired home after good work from Rainey and Campbell.

Homers dominated the second half from the offset and Gary Bonnes made it 4-1 when he scored after being played in by substitute Lee Garrett.

Homers killed the game off and made it 5-1 when Campbell capitalised on some slack defending to get his second of the game.

Bonnes completed his hat trick and made it 6-1 when he ran onto a long ball out of defence before lobbing the ball over Steven Turner. Paul McNeill scored the final goal as he slotted home a Jason Logan cross from close range.

Ballykeel 0, Carniny Rangers 1: Having played out a scoreless draw at Wakehurst in September, it was the narrowest of margins that separated the two sides in the return.

The decisive goal came in the 75th minute when Ryan Bamber picked out Rico Wylie at the back post. and his header across goal was scrambled home by sub Darren Kidd from a yard out.

Michelin 3, All Saints OB 1: On 20 minutes Saints got the breakthrough when Gavin Burnside fired home from the penalty spot after Emmet Kerr was bundled over in the box.

The second half saw Michelin take the game to Saints and they got the equaliser 13 minutes into the second half when a free kick from Geoff Tweed was met by Gareth Hill whose header sneaked in at the near post.

Three minutes later Michelin were awarded a penalty when Michael McGroggan was fouled by Saints keeper Brian Martin. Stephen Sexton stepped up and fire home from the spot to keep up his own recent good run of form and give Michelin a 2-1 lead.

Saints were pushing for an equaliser, but it was Michelin who got the fourth goal of the game when Michael McGroggan broke clear and his shot squirmed under Brian Martin.

BALLYMENA MORTGAGES

DIVISION TWO

Connor 2, North End Shamrocks 2: Although Connor started the brighter of the two sides it was the visitors who took the lead on seven minutes when a cross by Paul Donegan was headed home by Brian Paul Donnelly.

Connor pressed for an equaliser and their pressure paid off when Steven Hill was brought down in the penalty area and Connor were awarded a penalty kick. Gavin Kernohan took the penalty and slotted the ball past North End keeper Dylan Little.

In the second half Connor took the lead when a deep cross by Steven Hill from the right hand side was hammered home by Ross Wilson to give the home side the lead with 10 minutes to go.

The visitors were content to hit Connor on the break and it was on one of these breaks that Aaron Kerr sent in a cross for Conan Dunne to slot home from the left hand side of the box.

In the dying minutes Connor had a great chance to snatch all three points when Mervyn Crawford was pulled down in the box and another penalty was awarded. This time Gavin Kernohan sent his spot kick wide of the post as the game finished 2-2.

BALLYMENA MORTGAGES

DIVISION THREE

Wakehurst Star 1, Cullybackey Olympic 4: Promotion-chasing Cullybackey were awarded an early penalty but Star keeper Ryan Armstrong parried on to the post and it came back into his grateful arms.

Wakehurst got a chance on the hour mark and Darren McNeilly took advantage of slack marking to score.

Olympic made a substitution bringing on Ross Steele and within 10 minutes they had turned the game on its head with a goal from Ryan Magill heading in at the back post despite the best efforts of the Star keeper and a calm finish from Ross Steele to go 2-1 up.

With time running out Ross Steele scored his second and in the dying minutes Philip Glass made a good run down the left and a cross come chip ended up in the back of the net.

OTHER RESULTS

Rainey Cup, round two: Clough Rangers 4, Glenravel 1; Abbeyview 2, Randalstown Sky Blues 5; Carniny Rangers 7, Randalstown 1

Ballymena Mortgages Division One: Ahoghill Thistle 9, FC Penarol 1; Clough Rangers 0, Michelin 0; Randalstown Sky Blues 2, Harryville Homers 5

Ballymena Mortgages Division Two: Seven Towers 4, Riverdale 0

Ballymena Mortgages Division Three: Galgorm Blues 2, FC Bayern Money 0

FIXTURES

Wednesday April 23 (6.45pm) - Rainey Cup, round two: FC Penarol v Ballykeel (Showgrounds 5).

George McAuley Cup Quarter Final: Waveney Swifts v Connor (Waveney 2).

Ballymena Mortgages Division Two: Randalstown v Raceview

Sammy Moore Cup, semi-final, second leg: Lisnafillan Swifts [1] v Galgorm Blues [2] (Showgrounds 4); Cullybackey Olympic [2] v Newpark Olympic [3] (Tober Park).

Thursday, April 24 (6.45pm) - Ballymena Mortgages Division One: Ahoghill Thistle v FC Moylena; Carniny Rangers v Ahoghill Rovers (Wakehurst 1); Clough Rangers v All Saints OB (Clough).

Saturday, April 26 (10.15am) - Rainey Cup Quarter Finals: Clough Rangers v FC Penarol/Ballykeel; Randalstown Sky Blues v Carnlough Swifts; Carniny Rangers v Ahoghill Thistle; Harryville Homers v All Saints OB (Wakehurst 2).

George McAuley Semi Finals: Waveney Swifts/Connor v FC Antrim (Showgrounds 4); Braid United v Cloughmills (Showgrounds 5).

Ballymena Mortgages Division Two: North End Shamrocks v Holywell.

Ballymena Mortgages Division Three: Cullybackey Olympic v Atletico Antrim (Tober Park).

Monday, April 28 (7pm) - Ballymena Mortgages Division Two: FC Antrim v Connor (Forum).

Ballymena Mortgages Division Three: Galgorm Blues v Templepatrick (Galgorm); Lisnafillan Swifts v Cullybackey Olympic (Showgrounds 4).

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