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A once in a lifetime trip has been organised for Shane O Neill’s ladies senior football team who will be travelling to China for a two-week period from December 29th until January 11th.
It's the first time a GAA club team has been invited to visit China to demonstrate and coach the sport. The trip is being facilitated and funded through the Confucius Institute, based in UUJ, a branch of the Chinese Ministry of Education.
The trip is classed as an academic and cultural exchange under the Study in China programme.
The travelling party consisting of 26 players and 4 mentors, have a busy itinerary ahead of them once they arrive into Beijing on Saturday 30th, including being received at the Irish Embassy.
The group have four days of guided sightseeing planned, with visits to the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium, Summer Palace and Tiananmen Square being arranged.
While the cold weather at this time of year prohibits outdoor games, contact has been made with Beijing GAA club and we hope to visit socially at least and no doubt there will also be time set aside for the cities amazing shopping experience.
The next stage of the trip involves taking the world-renowned Bullet Train to the city of Wuhan, where the group will be based in the nearby Tonino Lamborghini Hotel. Each morning the team will take part in workshops at Wuhan University, learning about Chinese language, culture, history and contemporary society, including educational and business structures. They will also gain an introduction to martial arts and other popular Chinese sports and customs. A visit to a local High School has also been added to the schedule while in Wuhan.
The afternoons will be spent demonstrating and coaching ladies Gaelic football to the Chinese students. With several of the panel having senior Inter county experience, such as double All Star winner Aimee Mackin, her sister Blaithin, Moya Feehan, Louise Kenny and Aoibheann Jones, plus several county underage players, we would hope to demonstrate a high standard of skill and technique, while introducing the rudimentary skills to what we are assured, will be a fascinated participant group.
A one-day trip to Three Gorge Dam at Yitchang will precede the scheduled journey back home from Wuhan on January 11th.
A spokesperson for the Club commented "This is a historic and unique visit to promote our own sport and traditions and also represents a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience and learn so much of this rich culture and fascinating country.
"All of us are honoured and grateful to have been chosen as the first club to receive this official invitation from the Chinese authorities and also so appreciative of the support from Confucius Institute Director Yan Liu and her staff for making this possible. We see this as an investment in the future reputation of our club and even more so in our players, an outstanding group of young ladies, who, while enjoying considerable success on the field in recent years, have always been excellent ambassadors for our club, county, province and now country.
"There has been a huge amount of preparation work put in over the past few weeks to have everything in place. The visa process has now been completed, with weekly classes in Mandarin Chinese ongoing also and everyone travelling are looking forward to this exciting journey and shall endeavour to promote our games and traditions to the highest possible measure."
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AGM
The club’s AGM took place in the club on Sunday afternoon with a decent number of people in attendance.
Outgoing chairman Mick Mackin, secretary Paul O’Neill and treasurer Lynda Griffin all gave very comprehensive reports for 2017 before Gerry Barry oversaw the election of the new officers for 2018 which saw Mick Mackin and Gareth McLoughlin re-elected as Chair and Vice-Chair respectively. Yasmin Mackin has taken over the role of Secretary for 2018 and will be ably assisted by Peter McKeown as Vice- Secretary whilst Lynda Griffin continues in her role as treasurer with Terence Feehan as her assistant.
2018 promises to be another busy year for the club and the incoming committee are asking everyone to get behind them and get involved in the running of the club and help to make it a successful year.
Committee Meeting
All committee members are asked to note that all future Monday night committee meetings will begin at 8.30pm, starting on Monday 18th December.
Lotto
Last week’s winning lotto numbers were 6, 16, 22 & 26. There were no jackpot winners and 2 x match three winners. The jackpot now stands at a very impressive £7,200 so why not get yourself a ticket.... if you’re not in, you can’t win.
Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year
On behalf of the committee of Shane O’Neill’s I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone associated with the club a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year – to all those who sponsored the club in any way this year, to all those who contributed in any way to the successful running of the club, to all the local papers, websites and photographers who continued to promote our club, to everyone who bought lotto tickets and those all who helped with our fundraising efforts throughout the year, to all our Cairde members, to all our players (senior and underage) and their families and to anyone else involved with the club in any way.
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Newry 2’s 2-1 Portadown 2’s
Newry made an excellent start to the match with Darren Liggett and Alan McMinn controlling the centre of the pitch. Portadown were put under a lot of pressure as Simon McCafferty, Adam Foster and Josh Porter linked up well to carve out the games early chances, however Portadown defended well and the keeper had a few saves to make.
It was obvious that Portadowns tactic was going to be to soak up as much pressure as possible and try to hit Newry on the counterattack. Gareth Alderdyce and Eddy Graham performed well to intercept passes and restart the attacks. Jonny Gregg and David Lawson showed their experience as they made some excellent interceptions. Newry took the lead just before half time when Simon McCafferty expertly deflected home a Michael McCullough cross the strikers tenth goal in ten games.
Ten minutes into the second half Newry doubled their lead when Adam Foster calmly slotted home from close range. Newry took there foot off the gas and let Portadown back into the game when they scored a breakaway goal with 10 minutes to go however Newry saw the game out to record back to back wins.
Team: Collum, J. Gregg, G. Alderdice, E. Graham, D. Lawson, M. MCCullough, A. Marks, A. Foster, S. McCafferty, A. McMinn, P. Moffett, D. Hogg
Next for the seconds is a home fixture on Saturday vs Cookstown at 14:30.
North Down 1’s 1-1 Newry 1’s
Newry travelled to North Down on Saturday hoping to build on their 4-1 win against Cliftonville last week. North Down started well but were unable to break through the Newry defence. It was the visitors who had the first real chance as David England was denied by a great stick save from a low drag flick by the North Down keeper. North took the lead with 10 minutes remaining in the first half when they were awarded a penalty stroke after the ball hit Greer on the shoulder from a drag flick which they converted.
Newry started the better in the second half and forced a number of chances but could not find that all important final touch in the circle. However McWilliams came off the bench and got the visitors on level terms when he picked the ball up on the left hand side, driving across the D and firing the ball low into the bottom left corner. The game started to get heated with both sides having players sin binned which affected the flow of the game. Newry managed to hold on when down to 9 men and come away with a hard fought point from Comber.
Team: Beck, D. England, N. McKnight, A. Baird, J. Greer, M. Russell, C. McKnight, R. Irwin, C. Henning, K. McWilliams, D. Andrews, K. Fletcher
Newry Olympic Ladies 1st XI 6-2 – Malone 1st XI
On Saturday 2nd December 2017, Newry Olympic Hockey Ladies 1st XI travelled to Belfast to play Malone Ladies in the second round of the Minor Cup.
Newry started well and were quickly in the lead when right winger Amy Magowan hit the ball across the circle to Shannen Robinson on left post who deflected the ball into the net.
It wasn't long before Malone evened the scoreline but Newry were quick to retaliate and went another goal up by winning the first short corner of the match. The ball was injected out by Kathryn Baird to Suzanne Rollins at the top of the circle who passed it back to Baird at the post deflecting the ball into the net.
With Newry now down to 10 players Malone continued to keep the pressure on but with great passes from defence up to the forward line Newry managed to score their third goal before the end of the first half when Magowan drove the ball into the circle laying off a pass to Rollins which deflected off the keeper but Robinson at left post tapped it in. Score at half time was 3-1 to Newry.
With Newry now back to 11 players at the start of the second half they came out determined to keep in the lead. Laura Simpson and Abbie Blakely worked hard to keep Malone from entering the Newry circle but it wasn't long before Malone slipped one through making the scoreline 3-2. Newry fought back and with some great play by Rachael Lockhart and Gayle Davidson laying passes off to the forwards. It wasn't long before Newry went another goal up by lovely passing among the forwards with the final goal and hattrick for Robinson in left wing.
Newry did not hold back and within minutes scored their fifth goal of the match from a penalty corner with a lovely strike by Rollins.
Before the final whistle Newry won their 6th and final goal when a lovely pass came from mid fielder Lockhart to Robinson in left wing who deflected the ball into the goal leading Newry into the quarter finals.
Team: K Baird (Captain), A Blakely, V Lewis, C Lambe, S Rollins, S Robinson, B Murdock, L Simpson, A Magowan, G Davidson, R Lockhart
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Underage Presentation
On Sunday afternoon our U12 girls and U10 team held a joint underage presentation. During the first part of the afternoon the boys and girls enjoyed brilliant session of Footgolf with them all having a great time. Everyone then returned to club for some food provided by local café Fiships before the girls were presented with their championship winning medals by two-time All-Star winner Aimee Mackin.
Armagh county star Greg McCabe was on hand to present the medals to our U10s in recognition on their shield wins at the Killeavy and Shane O’Neill’s blitzes. The club would like to congratulate all the boys and girls for their efforts throughout the year and to thank all their managers and mentors for their hard work and commitment during 2017.
Senior Ladies Trip to China
Our senior ladies are finalising plans for their upcoming trip to China. This unique and historic occasion will be the first time any GAA club has been invited to visit China. The travelling party of 30 will leave on Friday 29th of December, flying from Dublin to Paris for a short stop before their onward journey to Beijing. The first five days will be spent in the Chinese capital with a reception at the Irish Embassy included in the itinerary. The group will then continue through visits to three universities, engaging in workshops on Chinese culture, language and contemporary society. The due return date is for Thursday 11th of January. With the visa application process now complete, there are a lot of practical details to consider over the coming weeks. Preparation plans continue with a meeting on Tuesday at 7.00pm in the club. There will be an official launch night arranged shortly hosted by Mayor Roisin Mulgrew... more details to follow soon.
AGM
The clubs Annual General Meeting will take place in the clubhouse next Sunday 10th December at 3.00pm. This is undoubtedly the most important meeting of the year and we are asking all current and past members, players (past and present), parents of our underage footballers and anyone else with a genuine interest in the club to come along. 2018 promises to be any busy year for the club and we are encouraging everyone to get on board to help make it a successful one.
U10s
U10 Gaelic football indoor training continues on Wednesday in Cloughreagh Community Centre from 8:15pm - 9:15pm. New children are very welcome to come along and join in regardless if they have never played Gaelic football. Beginner skills programme will be provided for new players.
U6s
Training for all our U6s continues every Tuesday evening in Bessbrook Community Centre from 6.00pm – 7.00pm. Everyone please remember to bring water and £1. All new and current U6s are welcome to come along, starting from 3 years old.
Underage Meeting
A meeting for ALL our underage managers and mentors for both boys and girls football has been organised for next Monday night, 4th December at 7.30pm.
Christmas Coffee Morning
The club is hosting a Christmas coffee morning next Sunday 10th December from 11.00am – 1.00pm. Why not come along and enjoy the Christmas festivities with some tasty winter treats – tea, coffee, hot chocolate, mince pies, Christmas treats, cakes and buns – while the children visit Santa.
Quiz Night
A quiz night in aid of St Paul's International projects to Romania is taking place in the club this Friday night, 8th December at 9.00pm. Everyone is welcome to come along to what should be a great night’s craic! £5.00 entry fee with a raffle on the night.
Paddy Lynch Memorial Darts Tournament
Last Sunday the club hosted and sponsored the annual Paddy Lynch Memorial darts tournament which saw a total of 36 throwers taking part. Following an afternoon of some great darts Stephen O’Hara emerged as the deserving winner. The event raised a total of £340 for Children with Diabetes, the chosen charity of the local darts league. The club would like to thank all those who helped to organise the event and to Mark Trainor for his generous donation towards the charity.
Lotto
Last week’s winning lotto numbers were 1, 27, 30 & 31. There were no jackpot winners and 1 x match three winner. The jackpot now stands at a very impressive £7,100 so why not get yourself a ticket.... if you’re not in, you can’t win.
Watch Out for Your Neighbours
With recent spate of burglaries in the area we asking to be vigilant and if you notice anything suspicious – strange cars or people – report it to the police.
Shane O'Neill Notes 27 November 2017
Mackin Makes Her Mark
For the second time in three years Aimee Mackin picked up a TG4 All-Star award at the City West Hotel in Dublin. In 2015 Aimee claimed her first award at left full-forward whilst on Saturday night she was named as an All-Star in the right half-forward berth, beating of stiff competition from Dublin’s All-Ireland winner Carla Rowe and beaten All-Ireland finalist Ciara O’Sullivan from Cork. All at the club are extremely proud of Aimee and we would all like to congratulate her on a tremendous achievement.
U6s
Training for all our U6s continues every Tuesday evening in Bessbrook Community Centre from 6.00pm – 7.00pm. Everyone please remember to bring water and £1. All new and current U6s are welcome to come along, starting from 3 years old.
Congratulations
A big congratulations this week to Abbie McVerry, Caoimhe Feehan and Rachel McCabe who were all named as part of the Armagh U13 Development Squad earlier this week. They were selected following four weeks of trials which saw over 100 girls take part. Well done girls from everyone at the club and make sure you all keep working and training hard – who knows you may all be future All-Stars yourselves.
Bobble Hats
Can anyone who ordered a bobble hat please contact Yasmin Mackin to arrange collection.
Lotto
Last week’s winning lotto numbers were 5, 6, 11 & 18. There were no jackpot winners and 2 x match three winners. The jackpot now stands at a very impressive £7,050 so why not get yourself a ticket.... if you’re not in, you can’t win.
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Junior 3 League Cup Semi-Final
Newry 2’s 2-0 Queens 2’s
Newry booked their place in the Junior 3 cup final with a superb win over Queens University on Saturday- With a full squad of 16 Newry turned over the league leaders in possibly their best performance of the season.
Newry started well and took the lead after 10 minutes with a fine volleyed strike by Adam Foster after a great through ball from David Hogg- This spurred queens on and Newry had to soak up quite a bit of pressure with returning keeper Ashley Collum making a string of top saves to protect Newry’s lead.
Newry managed to extend their lead when frontman Simon McCafferty slotted home from a clever penalty corner variation continuing his reach vein of goal scoring form. Queens attempted to get themselves back into the game but the Newry defence of Liggett, Gregg, Graham and Baird stood firm and when they were breached keeper Collum was on hand to make crucial saves. Queens but have the ball in the Newry net however it was correctly ruled out for an earlier infringement. Newry did have their chances to extend their lead through captain Andy Marks and Josh Porter however the game finished 2-0 to Newry and they will now play either North Down or Ballymena in the cup final.
Team: Collum, A. Baird, D. Hogg, D. Liggett, E. Graham, A. Marks, A. McMinn, S. Graham, S. McCafferty, M. McCullough, A. Foster, M.McCullough, J. Porter, G. Alderdice, J. Niblock
Newry 1’s 4-1 Cliftonvile 1’s
Newry hosted Cliftonvile at home on Saturday in one of the only games to go ahead in the Ulster League due to the cold weather. Newry were hoping to christen their new kits sponsored by Modern Tyres with a win.
The home side had a lot of the ball in the opening stages but were unable to create any clear cut chances or force the keeper into any saves of note. It was the visitors who looked more dangerous on the counter attack and were unlucky not to take the lead when they hit the post but they soon were in the lead with a great deflected finish from a low hard cross. Newry only started to play after going a goal behind and forced a number of short corners again without any success. However just before the break David England did make one of the corners count as he fired a drag flick into theleft hand side of the goal to level the scores.
Newry were slow to start in the second period but grew into the half and started to cause problems for the Cliftonvile defence. Again they forced short corner after short corner but could not convert. It wasn’t until the last ten minutes that they found the break through with Matty Russell firing home from a well worked short corner. This seemed to free Newry up and they were more fluid in attack. It was three only a matter of minutes later when Keith McWilliams returning from injury was on hand at the back post to slot home. He got his second 1 minute later when it looked like he had ran the ball to wide but he managed to fire home from a tight angle to make it 4-1 and give Newry all 3 points.
Thank you to our new team sponsor’s Modern Tyres.
Team: Beck, D. England, N. McKnight, A. Baird, J. Greer, M. Russell, R. Irwin, C. Henning, K. McWilliams, K. McCombe, C. McKnight, D. Andrews, A. Irwin, M. McCullough
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Newry's Sports fans, clubs, sporting bodies and schools in Newry are being urged to nominate their top sporting stars for 2017 with the launch of the Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards.
Newry has many sports stars who have excelled both locally and nationally who deserve to be recognised for their accomplishments.
The prestigious awards honour Northern Ireland’s top sporting achievers in both the amateur and professional arenas.
The gala ceremony, which attracts some of our most famous and successful sporting heroes, will take place at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall on Monday 29th January 2018. Sports presenter Craig Doyle is returning to host the show for a second year alongside fellow TV presenter Claire McCollum.
The Sports Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of local sports people from grassroots to elite sport and the public can nominate in each of the 13 categories by sending an email of no more than 750 words to events@belfasttelegraph.co.uk. The 2017 awards are supported by category sponsors, Active Financial Life, Celerion, Better, Decathlon, Electric Ireland and Volvo.
When nominating please include the name of the person or team you are putting forward for consideration, the reasons why you feel they should win an award and the category you believe they should be included in as well as your own contact details. For more details on categories and criteria visitwww.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sportsawards2017.
The closing date for nominations is December 4, 2017. Nominations will be judged and shortlisted during December and finalists will be invited to come along to the glittering awards evening.
As well as the coveted Sports Star of the Year title, category awards include Manager/Coach of the Year, won last time by Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill, Young Team and Young Player of the Year, the Malcolm Brodie Player of the Year, Local Heroes and Sportsperson with a Disability.
Other categories are the Special Recognition Award, George Best Breakthrough, Team of the Year and the WJ ‘Paddy’ Patterson Award for services to Sport presented by the NI Sports Forum.
New for this year is the Game Changer award sponsored by Electric Ireland which recognises an individual woman (18 and over) who has made an impact on the Northern Ireland sporting landscape during 2017. This category is open to coaches and administrators as well as female athletes and is accessible for all levels of sport from professional to grassroots and everything in between.
Another Northern Ireland sporting legend will be inducted into the Belfast Telegraph Hall of Fame. Last year this honour went to snooker legend Dennis Taylor who attended the glittering awards ceremony and said he was ‘honoured and delighted’ to be brought into the Hall of Fame.
The judging panel comprises Dame Mary Peters (Mary Peters Trust), Jim Gracey (Belfast Telegraph) Angela Platt (NI Sports Forum) and Sport NI’s Shaun Ogle.
Belfast Telegraph Group Sports Editor Jim Gracey said: “Once again this year has been an amazing year for Northern Ireland sport. All around the world our sporting heroes have excelled.
“It is fantastic to honour these stars at the Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards, which is always a wonderful occasion, and I would really encourage everyone, from our readers to sports governing bodies, to put forward nominees for consideration from both the grassroots and elite sports sectors.
“Northern Ireland sports stars continue to give the country something to feel extremely proud of and year on year the judges face a huge challenge deciding who should be shortlisted and who should win each award. I’m looking forward to a great line-up of nominations.”
Categories
Sports Star of the Year
Hall of Fame
Malcolm Brodie Player of the Year (sponsored by Celerion)
Team of the Year
Young Player of the Year (sponsored by Decathlon)
Manager/Coach of the Year
Sports Person of the Year with a Disability
Game Changer Award (sponsored by Electric Ireland)
WJ ‘Paddy’ Patterson Award (sponsored by the NI Sports Forum)
George Best Breakthrough Award
Local Heroes Award
Young Team of the Year Special Recognition Award (sponsored by Volvo)
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U21s
A disappointing performance from our U21 amalgamation of Patrick Rankins saw them lose to a good Mullaghbawn side in the semi-final of the competition in Killeavy on Sunday, 5 – 13 to 0 – 12.
Mullaghbawn opened the scoring with their first attack of the game with a well taken goal but points from Mark McCabe, Eamon McCabe and Damian O’Hagan had the Rankins back on level terms. Two points from the boot of Matthew Girvan put the Rankins ahead but their lead was short-lived as Mullaghbawn soon registered their second goal of the game to put them one in front. Mullaghbawn tagged on a further four points to take five-point advantage with Matthew Girvan replying for the Rankins with a good point. Mullaghbawn restored their five-point lead with their fifth point of the half but two late first-half scores from Matthew Girvan and Mark McCabe saw the Rankins go into the break three points behind, 2 – 5 to 0 – 8.
The sides swapped points in the opening exchanges of the second-half with Mark McCabe pointing a free for the Rankins before another free, this time form Matthew Girvan, saw his side just two in arrears. However, Mullaghbawn then hit a real purple patch and hit two goals and two points in a ten-minute spell which all but sealed their win. Mark McCabe and Ciaran Mackin responded with a point apiece for the Rankins but these proved to be their final scores of the contest as Mullagbawn went to register a further 1 – 5 without reply to claim a convincing win.
The club would like to thanks all the players and their management team for effort and commitment throughout the U21 campaign.
Senior Ladies Trip to China
In preparation for their upcoming trip to China our senior ladies will continue with their Mandarin lessons in the club on Tuesday night from 7.00pm – 8.00pm. On Tuesday 28th November at 7.30pm there will be an information evening in the club on the China trip for all players and parents. A representative from the Confucius Institute and UUJ will be attendance. If anyone has specific questions for the evening please contact Peter Lynch or Caoibhe Sloan beforehand to ensure that the answers or information can be provided on the night.
U10s
U10 Gaelic football indoor training starts this Wednesday, 22nd November in Cloughreagh Community Centre from 8:15pm - 9:15pm. New children are very welcome to come along and join in regardless if they have never played Gaelic football. Beginner skills programme will be provided for new players.
U6s
Training for all our U6s continues every Tuesday evening in Bessbrook Community Centre from 6.00pm – 7.00pm. Everyone please remember to bring water and £1. All new and current U6s are welcome to come along, starting from 3 years old.
Committee Meeting
All committee members are reminded that Monday nights committee meeting will begin at 8.00pm.
AGM
The club’s Annual General Meeting has been scheduled for Sunday, 10th December at 3.00pm in the club-house.
Paddy Lynch Memorial Cup Darts Tournament
The annual Paddy Lynch Memorial Cup darts tournament will take place in the club next Sunday 26th November. Entry fee to the tournament is £5.00 with registration beginning at 1.00pm with the first darts being thrown at 2.00pm. There is a total of £300.00 prize money on offer with the winner getting £140.00, the runner-up getting £80.00 and the two beaten semi-finalists getting £40.00 each. All entry fees and raffle proceeds are in aid of Children with Diabetes.
Christmas Coffee Morning
The club is hosting a Christmas coffee morning on Sunday 10th December from 11.00am – 1.00pm. Why not come along and enjoy the Christmas festivities with some tasty winter treats – tea, coffee, hot chocolate, mince pies, Christmas treats, cakes and buns – while the children visit Santa.
Happy Birthday
A big 50th birthday to a good friend of the club Anthony Sloan who celebrated with a great party in the club on Friday night.
Lotto
Last week’s winning lotto numbers were 5, 6, 14 & 18. There were no jackpot winners and 2 x match three winners. The jackpot now stands at a very impressive £7,000 so why not get yourself a ticket.... if you’re not in, you can’t win.
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This Wednesday night 22 November sees Armagh Down CC hold its annual membership night and if you are thinking of getting into cycling, it's the perfect opportunity to go along and find out what's on offer. It's at 7pm in the Mourne Country Hotel in Newry.
A warm welcome awaits and you can chat with current members to find out the benefits of cycling with a locally run club, plus hear from one of the country's most eminent cycling experts, Anthony Walsh, founder and director of A1 Coaching.
Anthony has been described as a ‘true practitioner’ having viewed cycling from diverse perspectives. Anthony’s journey has seen him transition from fan to local success story - and from professional athlete to one of the world’s leading coaches.
Anthony envisioned a coaching and mentoring approach based on the best available scientific evidence, combined with a high-level of practical experience and common sense.
As guest speaker, Anthony will cover what you need to get started building a successful foundation for next season. He will be offering professional advice about base training, goal setting, nutrition, strength training, recovery strategies and cross training - you'll hear all the secrets of the pros!
"Our annual membership night is open to all and is a great way for those thinking of joining a club to come and chat to us first-hand, plus get some top tips from a true cycling expert," said Benny Smyth, chairman, Armagh Down Cycling Club.
“We are delighted that Anthony Walsh will be sharing his expert knowledge and we urge anyone thinking of taking up cycling to come along."
Benny added: "Now is the opportune time to join our club as we begin our indoor winter training ahead of the 2018 cycling season. Whether you are a seasoned racer or complete beginner, come along and be part of Armagh Down CC."
Armagh Down Cycling Club was launched late in 2015 and boasts more than 70 members. November's membership night aims to build on this number and attract more new members; men, women and junior riders.
If you're interested in making new friends and getting fit at the same time, the Armagh Down CC membership night is being held at the Mourne Country Hotel on Wednesday, November 22, at 7.00pm. Be part of the experience. Be part of Armagh Down Cycling Club.
For further information, contact Armagh Down CC Chairman, Benny Smyth on 07763622336 or visit www.facebook.com
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Mossley 1’s 2 - Newry 1’s 0
Another week another match with the same outcome for the Newry men as they battled and fought but again came away emptied handed conceding late on.
Newry travelled to Mossley with a depleted squad but still put up a good fight for much of the game. The home side although having much of the possession were unable to break down the Newry defence of give keeper Lindsay Beck any work of note during the first half. It was actually Newry who forced the first chances of the game when they won three shorts on the bounce with David Andrews having a great chance to score but was unable to convert. At half time it was 0-0 with both sides having cancelled each other out.
In the second half more chances started to be created with Mossley looking more dangerous on the attack, but still were not able to force Beck into any work. It wasn’t until midway through the 2nd half that Mossley got their first real shot on goal from a short corner which Beck parried away. Andy Baird denied the Mossley attack on a number of occasions before they forced another short corner which Jeremy Greer cleared off the line. It was then Newry’s turn to have a go with Keith McWilliams coming close on his return from injury but the home keeper came out quickly to smother the ball.Matty Russell then had a short corner saved before Mossley broke on the attack, outnumbering Newry’s defenders and slotting home with 6 minutes remaining. A real blow after a great defence performance from Newry. As the Belfast Road men pushed forward looking for the equaliser, Mossley again hit them on the break making in two with just over 1 minute remaining.
Newry will host Cliftonville on Saturday at home, hoping to get their season back on track after a tough couple of weeks.
Team: Beck, D. England, A. Baird, C. Henning, J. Greer, R. Irwin, M. Russell, D. Andrews, K. Fletcher, M. McCullough, A. Irwin, K. McCombe, K. McWilliams
Newry Olympic Ladies 1st XI 6 – Saintfield 3s 1
On Saturday, Newry Olympic Hockey Ladies 1st XI took on Saintfield, easily winning with their second six goal haul of the season.
Saintfield started strongly pinning Newry back creating 2 good chances in the first five minutes. Newry however struck first when they won a short corner and veteran Laverne Inns stepped up a drove the ball home low into the bottom corner from the top of the circle. It wasn't long before Saintfield broke and deservedly evened the score line when the ball trickled over the line from a short corner. With 5 minutes to half time Newry doubled their lead when Laura Simpson picked out Rachael Lockhart in the centre of the pitch who played a lovely pass to right winger Aimee Magowan who drove the ball into the circle and put the ball into the back of the net, her first goal on her return to playing.
Newry came out even stronger at the beginning of the second half starting to use the full width of the pitch to get around a resolute Saintfield defence. Newry went 3-1 up when centre forward Laverne Inns picked up a pass from centre mid Lockhart and putting the ball past the keeper. Newry were determined to increase the score line even further when Gayle Davidson took the ball into the circle and stroked the beautifully past the keeper into the right hand corner a rare but brilliantly take goal by the defensive midfielder. Two minutes later Captain Baird won the ball back from a deflection in the circle to push the ball past the keeper and the right post giving Newry their 5th goal of the match. Newry were caught on the break a few times but were determined to match the 6 goal win from last week which came minutes later from a short corner when Suzanne Rollins took a shot on goal from the top of the circle. Yet another brilliant score line for the Newry ladies with some great performances from Rebecca Murdock and Katie McCullough showing composure on the ball beyond their years.
Team: K Baird (Captain), A Blakely, V Lewis, C Lambe, S Rollins, DL Inns, S Robinson, B Murdock, L Simpson, R Lockhart, G Davidson, L Gamle, A Magowan, K McCullough
Result
Newry 2’s 4 - Antrim 2’s 4
Scorers: Hogg x 2 Graham x 1 McCaigue x 1
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