We had another full programme of Premier Intermediate League (PIL) football on Saturday with one big upset taking place and that’s where we begin this roundup.
Annagh United 3 Lisburn Distillery 1
Going into Saturday’s games Annagh and Larne were the only teams in the top three divisions to have not won a game this season, and in fact Annagh were sitting at the foot of the table with zero points to their name but both those teams were able to end their winless ducks on Saturday. Annagh started the stronger of the two teams on Saturday but neither side was able to edge themselves in front in the first half but early in the second half Cowan but Annagh ahead when he finished from a left wing cross. Alan McMurtry pulled the sides level from the penalty spot and Paul Young then missed a glorious chance to put the Whites 2-1 ahead and you got the feeling it wasn’t going to be Distillery’s day. Annagh took the lead again with 10 minutes to go when Joe Reid’s attempted tackle sent the ball past keeper Jonah Nicholl and over the line and Ben Eagle made sure of Annagh’s win in injury time. Annagh remain bottom but are only a point behind Donegal Celtic but the Whites now drop from 1st place down to 3rd.
Banbridge Town 2 Armagh City 1
Banbridge are now the new leaders at of the PIL thanks to this win against 7th placed Armagh at Crystal Park on Saturday. Like the previous game the sides went in at half-time on level terms with Banbridge perhaps edging the game but a strong defensive showing from City meant they couldn’t find a way through. Banbridge broke the deadlock when Stephen Teggart found the net following a move down the right hand side. The goal seemed to spark City into life and they eventually equalised when Jake Keegan crossed to Jack Clarke who headed the ball home. City had been looking on top of things but when Clarke was adjudged to have handled in the box Timmy Grant stepped up to convert from the spot and give Town the points.
Moyola Park 5 Donegal Celtic 0
DC’s torrid start to the season continued with this defeat at Mill Meadow on Saturday, fortunately though none of the teams sitting directly above them were able to win on Saturday but Annagh now sit only a point behind them in the table with a game in hand. Moyola Park dominated much of the game but Ben McAuley did have to pull off a great save to deny Decky Monaghan in the 14th minute. Despite their dominance it was 36 minutes before Moyola broke the deadlock when Conor Taggart scored following a Jason Paul pass. Just before the break DC were reduced to 10 men when Brady was shown a straight red following a clash with Craig McAllister. The home side ran riot in the 2nd half with four further goals all coming from the impressive Jason Paul. The three points, along with the boost in goal difference, lifts Moyola up to 4th in the table.
Newington Youth Club 1 Dundela 4
After suffering defeat in their only league win in September Dundela will be pleased to have returned to winning ways with this victory at Seaview on Saturday and climb up to 5th in the table. The result never seemed to be in doubt as goals from Ben Browne and a double from Jordan Hughes had the Duns 3-0 up and cruising. Conal Burns pulled a goal back but Hughes had time to wrap up his hat-trick and restore his sides three goal winning margin. Newington remain as they were in 8th place due to the lack of victories from the teams around them.
Queens University 3 Tobermore 1
Three wins in a row for Queens have seen them fire up the table to 2nd thanks to this home win over Tobermore on Saturday. Queens opened the scoring after 14 minutes when Eamon Fyfe and Ciaran O’Hare combined and the later cut inside around keeper Andrew Findlay and scored into the open goal. Tobermore weren’t long in levelling things up when Dean Brown sent a cross to the far post and Stephen Lamont hammered the ball past Declan Brown. The Queens lead was restored after 35 minutes when Fyfe was the scorer this time to finish Matt Hughes’ cross at the second attempt and in the second half Queens went further ahead when Hughes inadvertently blocked Ryan McCready’s shot but the ball fell nicely for Hughes who sent the ball home. Tobermore’s defeat got worse when late in the game they seen a penalty saved by Brown. As with much of the bottom half of the table it’s as you were with Tobermore still sitting in 9th.
Sport and Leisure Swifts 2 Portstewart 2
Portstewart and Annagh were the only bottom half teams to earn any points on Saturday but even this was enough to move the Seahawks up a spot to 10th in the table. The goal scorers on the day for Sport and Lesiure Swifts were Anto McGonnell and Kevin Lynch while Johnny Stewart and Luke McDowell were on the scoresheet for the visitors. Dundela and Moyola both overtook the Swifts who now drop to 6th.
There’s another full set of fixtures this weekend and the games look like this:-
Annagh v Newington
Armagh v Tobermore
Banbridge v Dundela
Lisburn Distillery v Donegal Celtic
Queens University v Portstewart
Sport & Leisure v Moyola