U18
The U18s continued their championship winning form with their fourth straight win, making it 18 points out of a possible 21 since the middle of October.
After rueing a poor start to the season they are now chasing a top four position.
This was another excellent performance and the foundations for the win came in midfield with Ballycastle finding it difficult to cope with Paddy McEvoy’s impressive work-rate, tackling and no little skill, Joey Sweeney’s pace and skill and Michael Deeny’s impressive distribution and tackling.
The performance of the back four was underlined by the fact that goalkeeper Nathan Lyons and sub keeper Ciaran O’Hagan had barely a save to make, with man of the match Michael Mooney outstanding, alongside the impressive Rory McDonnell, Danny Toal and Gary Fletcher.
Colts created a number of chances in the first half with Jonny Murray particularly impressive down the right hand side and he gave his team the lead with a ferocious drive into the left corner of the net after 25 minutes.
They had a great chance to add a second when Eoin Doherty was brought down in the box but the goalkeeper made a smart save from Deeny’s penalty kick.
Ryan Beattie then went close from another Murray cross while a Deeny corner required the merest of touches but no-one was able to get on the end of it.
Carryduff suffered a blow when the impressive Murray had to go off as he was feeling ill and was replaced by James Artherton.
He added a new dimension with his impressive speed and he made a number of excellent bursts forward.
Colts needed another goal to make the game safe and it duly came 15 minutes into the second half when Doherty’s shot was parried by the goalkeeper and Beattie was on hand to knock in his ninth of the season in 11 starts.
Ballycastle pressed and got one back with 20 minutes still on the clock when they broke with pace on the left and the striker was left one-on-one with goalkeeper Lyons and slotted the ball home.
They went in search of an equaliser but Mooney was moved into centre back and was outstanding, as Ciaran O’Hagan came on as sub keeper and Andy Carter replaced the excellent Danny Toal.
With a slender one-goal lead, Colts suffered a further blow when Carter went off with ten minutes still remaining and with all subs used Carryduff had to hold on with ten men.
However, with time up, McEvoy made a superb break from midfield and was found by a pinpoint pass from Deeny.
He found Beattie whose shot was saved by the keeper but Doherty responded quickest to the rebound to head home his fifth goal in the last three games.
Ballycastle almost scored from the re-start when the striker shot from the halfway line and his effort had O’Hagan scrambling to touch the ball on to the bar but the final whistle went immediately after and another victory was secured.
Colts: Lyons (O’Hagan), Mooney, Fletcher, Toal (Carter), Beattie, McEvoy, Murray, Beattie, Doherty, Deeny, Sweeney.
