Carniny 0 - 0 Newhill FC
Ballymena Showgrounds

The boys made a strong start to the game and settled into it well from the first whistle.

Max was fantastic throughout the opening stages, showing brilliant footwork, composure on the ball and some real fight in the midfield.

It was a close first half with chances at both ends. Reuben came closest when he drove through the defence, only to see his effort strike the outside of the post. Shortly afterwards, Ollie was unlucky too, hitting a shot that beat the keeper but came back off the post.

The second half started tightly, with Newhill enjoying most of the possession and putting plenty of pressure on the boys. Reuben was unfortunate again when he created a goal-line scramble, but somehow Newhill managed to keep the ball out. As the half went on, the boys really came to life and grew back into the game, creating more opportunities and matching Newhill’s intensity. Newhill had a huge chance of their own, but somehow they didn’t score after a dramatic goal-line clearance from Conor.

They continued to come forward strongly, but Alfie was outstanding, producing a superb defensive performance and making several crucial saves to keep the scoreline level.

It was a hard-fought match where a draw was probably a fair result in the end.

A real battling performance from the boys to kick off this season’s competitive games.

MotM - Alfie