By David Agnew
Senior One
NICS hammered Portadown 7-0 on Saturday, South powered past Ville 6-0 and Harlequins thrashed Down 6-1 – none of those results were unexpected but Armagh’s 1-1 draw with Antrim was certainly a surprise but credit must go to Robbie McMinns men:
A point won or 2 points lost that was the talk going around Ardmore after the City Side played hosts to second in the table Antrim last Saturday, and after being beaten 4 – 0 by the same team the week before Armagh were in no mood to repeat the favour.
With that all important Kirk Cup spot still up for grabs, Armagh needed to step up their game and prove to their Coach Robbie McMinn that all his hard work throughout the season is now paying off, and in the first 5 minutes of the match you would have seen a well structured team on the field and where taking the game to Antrim right from the start.
Unfortunately this style of play wasn’t to last as the game became very scrappy and the game became physical , as much as the game was scrappy Armagh where creating the better chances and went close on numerous occasions only for the Antrim keeper to deny the goal.
On 15 minutes Armagh made the break through when Gregory Croft made space in the D to drive the ball into the net, minutes later Stewart Kirkland was to go very close again finding himself free in the D unfortunately the ball was drove straight at the keeper.
Antrim rarely got through the Armagh defence in the first half however on three occasions it took scrappy defending to clear the ball from around the Armagh goal area, when a touch could have put the ball in the Armagh net. Half Time Armagh 1 Antrim 0.
The second half was to become very physical with cards getting shown right around the field, Armagh continued to make the better chances and the Antrim team was relying on breakaways. Armagh started to win the Penalty Corner tally but they weren't clicking and the Antrim keeper seemed to have all areas covered, Antrim where just as bad as most of the Penalty Corners where hit wide and didn’t trouble the Armagh goal.
Half way through the half Antrim where reduced to ten men for a bad challenge, the advantage Armagh had was short lived as it was levelled up when Davy Warnock was then Sin Binned minutes later. Armagh continued to penetrate the Antrim goal, Kirkland, Bell, Mark Brown, Andy Brown, Warnock, Hutton Warnock and Croft all had chances to finish Antrim off, however poor finishing and the Antrim Keeper made sure the score line remained at 1-0.
Disaster then happened to the City Side and it was their own doing with ten minutes left on the clock and looking to pull off a shock result Paul English played the ball from a Hit out straight to an Antrim forward who played his colleague in, who rounded the Armagh keeper and slotted the ball home.
1-1 was not the end of the day and if you where to ask anyone of the Armagh squad would they have taken a 1-1 at the start, they would have bitten your hand off, however it could of and should of been so much more, but also they could have lost it right at the end as Antrim had two glorious chances to win the match.
The match ended with a Red and Yellow card two minutes from time and they where both handed out to Antrim reducing them to 9 men, however there was not enough time for Armagh to produce a grand stand finish and the game ended Armagh 1 Antrim 1.
Senior Two
In the days only Senior Two game Ballynahinch kept the pressure on PSNI and Campbellians with a 3-1 win over Portrush.
Sussex Regiment Cup
Larne left it late but defeated Ballymena in dramatic fashion when they scored the silver goal in the last minute of extra time (3-2 it finished). They will be joined in the next round by Campbellians who knocked out Parkview winning 2-1 despite missing several key players.
***And finally….one person from each senior league club has got my mobile number. It would be a massive help if you could send through scores, goal scorers and brief match details after every game. Many thanks***
Showing posts with label Senior One. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Senior One. Show all posts
ONE 1918 Senior Spotlight
By David Agnew
Senior One
Once again the focus this weekend in Senior One is on Kirk Cup places as QUB, Armagh and Portadown all battle it out for the last remaining spot in next season’s elite cup competition.
Most neutrals will say that Portadown have little chance of adding to their points tally with a buoyant NICS due for a visit to Edenvilla on Saturday in the Ports last remaining fixture. But the hosts are aiming to put on a decent display with the possibility of a great end to what has been a difficult season.
Armagh are chasing down a 4 point gap and have two games in hand on the Ports so Robbie McMinn’s lads will be fully focussed ahead of Antrim’s visit to Ardmore. Lessons will have been learnt from last weekend’s 4-0 defeat by the same opponents but Antrim will want to finish their own season off in style and make it 5 wins on the trot.
QUB are still in the race and given their recent good run of results they may just fancy their chances of pipping both Portadown and Armagh to the post. They are not in action this weekend though so in true student fashion… I’m sure they will be up early, training hard or watching/scouting their next opponents and then early to bed ahead of their tough Easter holidays from University… I merely jest of course!
Harlequins and Down are due to meet at Deramore as Quins aim to claw their way up to fourth place. Jonny Carren (a returning former Collegians player) is now occupying the Harlequins hot-seat and his playing/coaching CV is extremely impressive. Carren is a Level 3 qualified coach who has been in Australia since 2001 where he gained experience of top-level hockey alongside the likes of Brent Livermore, Jamie Dwyer, Phil Burrows and many more international stars as both a player and later as a coach. Since his return to Belfast in January this year he has been coaching Belfast Harlequins and also secured the Strength & Conditioning Contract for Ulster representatives of the Irish Senior Men’s Team. Quins spokesman Robin Quigley believes that this appointment will be the catalyst for long-term success and of course Premier League status sooner rather than later.
Cliftonville are now out of the race for a Kirk Cup place and South Antrim have claimed third spot so when these two sides meet on Saturday it will purely be for pride.
Senior Two
In Senior Two the only action takes place between Portrush and Ballynahinch and the visitors will be hard to beat given the return to form shown by Grant Hayes in last week’s Sussex Regiment Cup victory.
Sussex Regiment Cup
Ballymena host Larne in what promises to be a close affair while Saintfield face an uphill struggle on their trip to PSNI and Campbellians will fancy their chances of smooth passage into the next round as the league leaders travel to face Parkview.
Predictions
(and as usual my Ports team will be tipped for a win!)
Senior One
Ports 2 vs NICS 1 (stoke the fire a bit)
Armagh 1 vs Antrim 2
Quins 6 vs Down 2
Ville 1 vs South 5
Senior Two
Portrush 1 vs Hinch 4
Sussex Regiment Cup
Ballymena 1 vs Larne 1
Saints 1 vs PSNI 3
Parkview 1 vs Campbellians 4
JUST A NOTE TO ASK IF SOMEONE FROM EACH CLUB COULD TEXT ME SCORE, SCORERS AND BRIEF MATCH DETAILS (INCLUDING CARDS!) EACH SATURDAY EVENING? THANKS. (ONE PERSON FROM EACH CLUB HAS ALREADY BEEN SENT MY MOBILE NUMBER)
Senior One
Once again the focus this weekend in Senior One is on Kirk Cup places as QUB, Armagh and Portadown all battle it out for the last remaining spot in next season’s elite cup competition.
Most neutrals will say that Portadown have little chance of adding to their points tally with a buoyant NICS due for a visit to Edenvilla on Saturday in the Ports last remaining fixture. But the hosts are aiming to put on a decent display with the possibility of a great end to what has been a difficult season.
Armagh are chasing down a 4 point gap and have two games in hand on the Ports so Robbie McMinn’s lads will be fully focussed ahead of Antrim’s visit to Ardmore. Lessons will have been learnt from last weekend’s 4-0 defeat by the same opponents but Antrim will want to finish their own season off in style and make it 5 wins on the trot.
QUB are still in the race and given their recent good run of results they may just fancy their chances of pipping both Portadown and Armagh to the post. They are not in action this weekend though so in true student fashion… I’m sure they will be up early, training hard or watching/scouting their next opponents and then early to bed ahead of their tough Easter holidays from University… I merely jest of course!
Harlequins and Down are due to meet at Deramore as Quins aim to claw their way up to fourth place. Jonny Carren (a returning former Collegians player) is now occupying the Harlequins hot-seat and his playing/coaching CV is extremely impressive. Carren is a Level 3 qualified coach who has been in Australia since 2001 where he gained experience of top-level hockey alongside the likes of Brent Livermore, Jamie Dwyer, Phil Burrows and many more international stars as both a player and later as a coach. Since his return to Belfast in January this year he has been coaching Belfast Harlequins and also secured the Strength & Conditioning Contract for Ulster representatives of the Irish Senior Men’s Team. Quins spokesman Robin Quigley believes that this appointment will be the catalyst for long-term success and of course Premier League status sooner rather than later.
Cliftonville are now out of the race for a Kirk Cup place and South Antrim have claimed third spot so when these two sides meet on Saturday it will purely be for pride.
Senior Two
In Senior Two the only action takes place between Portrush and Ballynahinch and the visitors will be hard to beat given the return to form shown by Grant Hayes in last week’s Sussex Regiment Cup victory.
Sussex Regiment Cup
Ballymena host Larne in what promises to be a close affair while Saintfield face an uphill struggle on their trip to PSNI and Campbellians will fancy their chances of smooth passage into the next round as the league leaders travel to face Parkview.
Predictions
(and as usual my Ports team will be tipped for a win!)
Senior One
Ports 2 vs NICS 1 (stoke the fire a bit)
Armagh 1 vs Antrim 2
Quins 6 vs Down 2
Ville 1 vs South 5
Senior Two
Portrush 1 vs Hinch 4
Sussex Regiment Cup
Ballymena 1 vs Larne 1
Saints 1 vs PSNI 3
Parkview 1 vs Campbellians 4
JUST A NOTE TO ASK IF SOMEONE FROM EACH CLUB COULD TEXT ME SCORE, SCORERS AND BRIEF MATCH DETAILS (INCLUDING CARDS!) EACH SATURDAY EVENING? THANKS. (ONE PERSON FROM EACH CLUB HAS ALREADY BEEN SENT MY MOBILE NUMBER)
ONE 1918 Senior Review
By David Agnew
Senior One
Downpatrick were unable to field a team against Portadown on Saturday so the Ports will be awarded another three points which will keep them in contention for a Kirk Cup place as Armagh were beaten 4-0 by Antrim.
QUB though have an outside chance of nipping into that Kirk Cup place following their 3-1 victory over Cliftonville. It should have been so very different as Ville took an early lead and then missed a penalty stroke. The students got themselves back into the game when Richard Kerrigan scored from their first corner of the day and turned the game on it’s head when Neil Matthews finished off a great passing move with a simple tap in. The second half was end to end but Ville couldn’t convert chances into goals whereas QUB netted a killer third goal when Richard Kerrigan converted another corner.
Senior Two
In the days only Senior Two game Larne and Parkview shared the spoils in a 3-3 draw but Larne will be disappointed having missed a stroke in the last five minutes.
Sussex Regiment Cup
Grant Hayes put his name back in the headlines for Ballynahinch as he scored a hat-trick which earnt his side a place in the next round of the Cup and left Portrush feeling bitterly disappointed. David Price and Ricky McKinnon scored for Portrush but the home side also missed a couple of clear cut chances to take the game into extra time.
Ballymena strolled past Foyle winning 5-1 thanks to a hat-trick from Patrick McKeown and a goal each for David McDonald and Matthew Corbett.
Sadly Omagh had to concede their match to Campbellians.
***And finally… one person from each senior league club has got my mobile number. It would be a massive help if you could send through scores, goal scorers and brief match details after every game. Many thanks***
Senior One
Downpatrick were unable to field a team against Portadown on Saturday so the Ports will be awarded another three points which will keep them in contention for a Kirk Cup place as Armagh were beaten 4-0 by Antrim.
QUB though have an outside chance of nipping into that Kirk Cup place following their 3-1 victory over Cliftonville. It should have been so very different as Ville took an early lead and then missed a penalty stroke. The students got themselves back into the game when Richard Kerrigan scored from their first corner of the day and turned the game on it’s head when Neil Matthews finished off a great passing move with a simple tap in. The second half was end to end but Ville couldn’t convert chances into goals whereas QUB netted a killer third goal when Richard Kerrigan converted another corner.
Senior Two
In the days only Senior Two game Larne and Parkview shared the spoils in a 3-3 draw but Larne will be disappointed having missed a stroke in the last five minutes.
Sussex Regiment Cup
Grant Hayes put his name back in the headlines for Ballynahinch as he scored a hat-trick which earnt his side a place in the next round of the Cup and left Portrush feeling bitterly disappointed. David Price and Ricky McKinnon scored for Portrush but the home side also missed a couple of clear cut chances to take the game into extra time.
Ballymena strolled past Foyle winning 5-1 thanks to a hat-trick from Patrick McKeown and a goal each for David McDonald and Matthew Corbett.
Sadly Omagh had to concede their match to Campbellians.
***And finally… one person from each senior league club has got my mobile number. It would be a massive help if you could send through scores, goal scorers and brief match details after every game. Many thanks***
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ONE 1918 Senior Spotlight
Senior One
Just three fixtures take place in Senior One this weekend and it’s the race for the last Kirk Cup place which takes centre stage.
Down are facing up to the prospect of Senior Two hockey again next season but they will travel to Edenvilla determined to prove a point. Their hosts Portadown had been on something of a good run until they slipped up against QUB last time out so this game could go either way. A win for Portadown will keep them in contention for that coveted Kirk cup place but nothing will be taken for granted.
QUB will fancy their chances of bagging another three points as they host Cliftonville at The Dub. Home advantage is always a bonus for the students so Ville will be hoping for a master-class from player-coach Julian Stevenson to keep their Kirk Cup hopes alive.
Armagh have the toughest assignment as they travel to take on Antrim at The Forum. I’m not sure what the history books say about Armagh’s participation in the Kirk Cup but from my own memory it must be quite some time since they last took part in Ulster’s elite cup competition. As it stands they have a great chance of claiming the remaining qualification spot and this alone may serve as a key motivator going into a tricky game against the league runners up.
Senior Two
In Senior Two the only action takes place on Friday night as Larne host Parkview. Both sides suffered disappointing defeats last time out so this one could be an exciting affair.
IHT Final
Good luck to NICS who face Suttonians in the Trophy final! Hopefully they can add to their already impressive season by bringing this trophy to the North once again.
Sussex Regiment Cup
Foyle will be hoping to build on their good form against PSNI last weekend as they host Ballymena while Omagh have the unenviable task of travelling to face league leaders Campbellians. In the remaining fixture Portrush host Ballynahinch who will see the cup as their best chance of glory this season now that promotion appears to be just out of reach.
Predictions
(and as usual my Ports team will be tipped for a win!)
Senior One
Ports 2 vs Down 1
QUB 4 vs Ville 2
Antrim 3 vs Armagh 1
Senior Two
Larne 2 vs Parkview 2
IHT Final
NICS 5 vs Suttonians 0
Sussex Regiment Cup
Foyle 1 vs Ballymena 2
Campbellians 5 vs Omagh 2
Portrush 1 vs Hinch 3
JUST A NOTE TO ASK IF SOMEONE FROM EACH CLUB COULD TEXT ME SCORE, SCORERS AND BRIEF MATCH DETAILS (INCLUDING CARDS!) EACH SATURDAY EVENING? THANKS. (ONE PERSON FROM EACH CLUB HAS ALREADY BEEN SENT MY MOBILE NUMBER)
Just three fixtures take place in Senior One this weekend and it’s the race for the last Kirk Cup place which takes centre stage.
Down are facing up to the prospect of Senior Two hockey again next season but they will travel to Edenvilla determined to prove a point. Their hosts Portadown had been on something of a good run until they slipped up against QUB last time out so this game could go either way. A win for Portadown will keep them in contention for that coveted Kirk cup place but nothing will be taken for granted.
QUB will fancy their chances of bagging another three points as they host Cliftonville at The Dub. Home advantage is always a bonus for the students so Ville will be hoping for a master-class from player-coach Julian Stevenson to keep their Kirk Cup hopes alive.
Armagh have the toughest assignment as they travel to take on Antrim at The Forum. I’m not sure what the history books say about Armagh’s participation in the Kirk Cup but from my own memory it must be quite some time since they last took part in Ulster’s elite cup competition. As it stands they have a great chance of claiming the remaining qualification spot and this alone may serve as a key motivator going into a tricky game against the league runners up.
Senior Two
In Senior Two the only action takes place on Friday night as Larne host Parkview. Both sides suffered disappointing defeats last time out so this one could be an exciting affair.
IHT Final
Good luck to NICS who face Suttonians in the Trophy final! Hopefully they can add to their already impressive season by bringing this trophy to the North once again.
Sussex Regiment Cup
Foyle will be hoping to build on their good form against PSNI last weekend as they host Ballymena while Omagh have the unenviable task of travelling to face league leaders Campbellians. In the remaining fixture Portrush host Ballynahinch who will see the cup as their best chance of glory this season now that promotion appears to be just out of reach.
Predictions
(and as usual my Ports team will be tipped for a win!)
Senior One
Ports 2 vs Down 1
QUB 4 vs Ville 2
Antrim 3 vs Armagh 1
Senior Two
Larne 2 vs Parkview 2
IHT Final
NICS 5 vs Suttonians 0
Sussex Regiment Cup
Foyle 1 vs Ballymena 2
Campbellians 5 vs Omagh 2
Portrush 1 vs Hinch 3
JUST A NOTE TO ASK IF SOMEONE FROM EACH CLUB COULD TEXT ME SCORE, SCORERS AND BRIEF MATCH DETAILS (INCLUDING CARDS!) EACH SATURDAY EVENING? THANKS. (ONE PERSON FROM EACH CLUB HAS ALREADY BEEN SENT MY MOBILE NUMBER)
ONE 1918 Senior Review
By David Agnew
Senior One
NICS celebrated promotion to the Premier League in style on Friday evening by beating Downpatrick 10-0 at Comber Leisure Centre. Aaron Gill bagged another hat-trick and took centre stage with a stunning display paving the way for Posnett (2), Johnston (2), R Anderson, J Anderson and Towe to add to their own goal tallies for 09/10.
Antrim will now finish in second spot after a convincing 5-1 victory over Newry at the Forum while South Antrim were held to a 3-3 draw by a resurgent Harlequins side. Adam Glass gave South the lead from a mis-hit penalty corner in the first half but Quins roared back and forced Paul Montgomery into some smart saves before the interval. The visitors equalised from a penalty stroke dispatched by Stevie McGrath and then took the lead when Chris Lemon hit the back of the net. Craig Campbell equalised for South during a period of end to end action but Carren was set to be a hero for Quins when he gave his side a 3-2 lead and what looked like being all three points. Quins seemed to sit deep and try to defend their lead rather than press forward for more goals and this proved to be costly as Campbell popped up again for the home side to equalise with the last hit of the game – it’s hard to say whether either side will be happy after this encounter.
QUB took all three points from their clash with Portadown at Edenvilla despite the home side having the vast majority of possession. Ports couldn’t find a cutting edge in the final third and were made to pay the ultimate penalty when the students scored three goals against the run of play making Gareth Titler’s penalty corner conversion somewhat trivial in the end.
Armagh have given themselves a great chance of qualifying for the Kirk Cup following a 5-1 victory over Cliftonville who have lost their way in recent weeks. Gregory Croft (2), Bell, Warnock and McRoberts scored for the Orchard County men with S McMillen grabbing only a consolation goal for Ville.
Senior Two
Hats off to Foyle who pushed PSNI all the way on Saturday only to lose out 4-2 in the end. Having taken an early lead the home side looked set to claim their first ever points but PSNI have a strong squad and had too much firepower over the 70 minutes.
Omagh put on a fantastic display to beat Larne 3-0 Jake Martin and Mark Campbell (2) were the heroes!
Performance of the day though in Senior Two came from Portrush who hammered seven goals past Parkview without reply – Lewis Green (2), Brent Smith (2), David Price,Eoin Sayers and John Dillon all helped themselves to a moment of glory during an impressive team display.
***And finally… one person from each senior league club has got my mobile number. It would be a massive help if you could send through scores, goal scorers and brief match details after every game. Many thanks***
Senior One
NICS celebrated promotion to the Premier League in style on Friday evening by beating Downpatrick 10-0 at Comber Leisure Centre. Aaron Gill bagged another hat-trick and took centre stage with a stunning display paving the way for Posnett (2), Johnston (2), R Anderson, J Anderson and Towe to add to their own goal tallies for 09/10.
Antrim will now finish in second spot after a convincing 5-1 victory over Newry at the Forum while South Antrim were held to a 3-3 draw by a resurgent Harlequins side. Adam Glass gave South the lead from a mis-hit penalty corner in the first half but Quins roared back and forced Paul Montgomery into some smart saves before the interval. The visitors equalised from a penalty stroke dispatched by Stevie McGrath and then took the lead when Chris Lemon hit the back of the net. Craig Campbell equalised for South during a period of end to end action but Carren was set to be a hero for Quins when he gave his side a 3-2 lead and what looked like being all three points. Quins seemed to sit deep and try to defend their lead rather than press forward for more goals and this proved to be costly as Campbell popped up again for the home side to equalise with the last hit of the game – it’s hard to say whether either side will be happy after this encounter.
QUB took all three points from their clash with Portadown at Edenvilla despite the home side having the vast majority of possession. Ports couldn’t find a cutting edge in the final third and were made to pay the ultimate penalty when the students scored three goals against the run of play making Gareth Titler’s penalty corner conversion somewhat trivial in the end.
Armagh have given themselves a great chance of qualifying for the Kirk Cup following a 5-1 victory over Cliftonville who have lost their way in recent weeks. Gregory Croft (2), Bell, Warnock and McRoberts scored for the Orchard County men with S McMillen grabbing only a consolation goal for Ville.
Senior Two
Hats off to Foyle who pushed PSNI all the way on Saturday only to lose out 4-2 in the end. Having taken an early lead the home side looked set to claim their first ever points but PSNI have a strong squad and had too much firepower over the 70 minutes.
Omagh put on a fantastic display to beat Larne 3-0 Jake Martin and Mark Campbell (2) were the heroes!
Performance of the day though in Senior Two came from Portrush who hammered seven goals past Parkview without reply – Lewis Green (2), Brent Smith (2), David Price,Eoin Sayers and John Dillon all helped themselves to a moment of glory during an impressive team display.
***And finally… one person from each senior league club has got my mobile number. It would be a massive help if you could send through scores, goal scorers and brief match details after every game. Many thanks***
Senior One Spotlight
By David Agnew
Senior One
Match of the Day in Senior One this weekend is South Antrim versus Harlequins at Laurelhill with both teams capable of flowing attacking hockey on their day. South will go in as favourites given their impressive season so far but Quins are on the up and will pose a real threat as South aim to secure their top three finish.
Staying at the top end of the table, Antrim host Newry at the Forum and it’s probably the visitors who have most to gain from a win as they try to block the charge of South into 3rd position which the border club currently occupy.
With a Kirk Cup place still up for grabs Cliftonville’s visit to Armagh will be worth watching as will QUB’s trip to Portadown. All four sides can still finish in 6th position so there is still plenty to play for at this late stage of the season.
Unfortunately Downpatrick now look certain to finish at the foot of the table and a visit from high flying NICS on Friday evening will not help their cause.
Senior Two
In Senior Two Portrush should claim all three points from the visit of Parkview and PSNI will have too much firepower for struggling Foyle. In the remaining fixture Larne and Omagh clash for the second week in a row.
Campbellians look set for promotion so all eyes will be focussed on the battle for second place between PSNI and Ballynahinch as the season comes to a close.
Predictions
(and as usual my Ports team will be tipped for a win!)
Senior One
South 3 vs Quins 2
Antrim 4 vs Newry 2
Armagh 3 vs Cliftonville 3
Portadown 2 vs QUB 1
Downpatrick 0 vs NICS 5
Senior Two
Portrush 3 vs Parkview 1
Foyle 0 vs PSNI 5
Omagh 1 vs Larne 1
JUST A NOTE TO ASK IF SOMEONE FROM EACH CLUB COULD TEXT ME SCORE, SCORERS AND BRIEF MATCH DETAILS (INCLUDING CARDS!) EACH SATURDAY EVENING? THANKS. (ONE PERSON FROM EACH CLUB HAS ALREADY BEEN SENT MY MOBILE NUMBER)
Senior One
Match of the Day in Senior One this weekend is South Antrim versus Harlequins at Laurelhill with both teams capable of flowing attacking hockey on their day. South will go in as favourites given their impressive season so far but Quins are on the up and will pose a real threat as South aim to secure their top three finish.
Staying at the top end of the table, Antrim host Newry at the Forum and it’s probably the visitors who have most to gain from a win as they try to block the charge of South into 3rd position which the border club currently occupy.
With a Kirk Cup place still up for grabs Cliftonville’s visit to Armagh will be worth watching as will QUB’s trip to Portadown. All four sides can still finish in 6th position so there is still plenty to play for at this late stage of the season.
Unfortunately Downpatrick now look certain to finish at the foot of the table and a visit from high flying NICS on Friday evening will not help their cause.
Senior Two
In Senior Two Portrush should claim all three points from the visit of Parkview and PSNI will have too much firepower for struggling Foyle. In the remaining fixture Larne and Omagh clash for the second week in a row.
Campbellians look set for promotion so all eyes will be focussed on the battle for second place between PSNI and Ballynahinch as the season comes to a close.
Predictions
(and as usual my Ports team will be tipped for a win!)
Senior One
South 3 vs Quins 2
Antrim 4 vs Newry 2
Armagh 3 vs Cliftonville 3
Portadown 2 vs QUB 1
Downpatrick 0 vs NICS 5
Senior Two
Portrush 3 vs Parkview 1
Foyle 0 vs PSNI 5
Omagh 1 vs Larne 1
JUST A NOTE TO ASK IF SOMEONE FROM EACH CLUB COULD TEXT ME SCORE, SCORERS AND BRIEF MATCH DETAILS (INCLUDING CARDS!) EACH SATURDAY EVENING? THANKS. (ONE PERSON FROM EACH CLUB HAS ALREADY BEEN SENT MY MOBILE NUMBER)
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Tags:
Irish Hockey Challenge,
Irish Hockey Trophy,
Linden Cup,
Senior One,
Senior Two
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ONE 1918 Senior Spotlight
By David Agnew
It’s great to see the blog back in action and it’s just in time for a great weekend of action involving Senior League sides!
It’s great to see the blog back in action and it’s just in time for a great weekend of action involving Senior League sides!
Senior One
All Senior One action this weekend involves teams in the bottom half of the table and match of the weekend is the clash between Down and QUB on Friday evening which is a must win for Down and must not lose for QUB. Both sides have put in impressive shifts recently – QUB drawing with Harlequins and Down narrowly losing out to Antrim – but with so much at stake the form book gets ripped up and this result could go either way.
In the only other Senior One game Cliftonville host Portadown in a rare 4.00pm start at Belmont Road. The Ports have been on something of a good run recently with a point at South Antrim and all three from the reverse fixture with Ville a few weeks back but they are only too well aware that their hosts are capable of a much better performance than the 5-0 score-line reflected on that occasion.
In the only other Senior One game Cliftonville host Portadown in a rare 4.00pm start at Belmont Road. The Ports have been on something of a good run recently with a point at South Antrim and all three from the reverse fixture with Ville a few weeks back but they are only too well aware that their hosts are capable of a much better performance than the 5-0 score-line reflected on that occasion.
Senior Two
In Senior Two PSNI host Ballymena as they aim to continue their resurgence since the arrival of Chris Barnes. Only three points now separate them from Ballynahinch who occupy second place in the league.
Foyle continue to search for their first point and this week they travel to face Parkview who will be hoping to heap even more misery on Ulster Hockey’s newest men’s club.
In the remaining fixture Omagh host Saintfield and will have to be in good form if they are to get anything from this clash with one of Senior Two’s most improved sides this season.
Irish Hockey Trophy
It’s a clash of the Senior One titans at the semi-final stage of the IHT as NICS face Antrim in what promises to be a rip-roaring encounter! On such a special occasion league form means nothing and the neutrals could be in for end to end action and plenty of goals as both sides know how to tuck them away.
Harlequins have a great chance to reach the final and make it an all Ulster affair as they face Dublin based Suttonians in the other semi-final. Suttonians are capable of scoring goals against the best of Ulster’s Senior League sides but they also concede plenty so here’s hoping Quins can hit their stride early and fly the Ulster Hockey flag with pride.
Irish Hockey Challenge
Campbellians and Larne represent Ulster in the IHC semi-finals facing St Brendans and Limerick respectively. Again I’m right behind the Ulster sides and hope to see all Ulster finals in both competitions.
Linden Cup
Last but by no means least we come to the much talked about and eagerly anticipated Linden Cup Final between Armagh and South Antrim. The game has now been moved to Havelock Park Banbridge and it will be interesting to see how this change of playing surface affects the standard of hockey on offer.
South have had a great season so far and look set to finish in the top three which is a remarkable achievement and improvement from last season. Armagh have also taken huge strides forward this season and they have been boosted by the new year return of Gregory Croft who is capable of turning any game on it’s head.
Good luck to both sides and may the best team win!
PS a note for the older hands in both teams…….this auld water based malarkey……watch out for the bobbles and go for the straight bat! LOL
Predictions
(and as usual my Ports team will be tipped for a win!)
Senior One
Down 3 vs QUB 3
Ville 1 vs Ports 2
Senior Two
PSNI 3 vs Ballymena 1
Parkview 2 vs Foyle 0
Omagh 1 vs Saints 2
IHT (I’m gonna back all the Ulster teams!!)
NICS 5 vs Antrim 3
Quins 4 vs Suttonians 2
IHC (I’m gonna back all the Ulster teams!!)
St B 2 vs Campbellians 3
Limerick 1 vs Larne 2
Just a quick note to ask if someone from each club could text me score, scorers and brief match details (including cards) each saturday evening? thanks. (One person from each club has already been sent my mobile number)
