The race for the PIL is all set to lose two potential challengers for next season, as the NI Intermediate League moved into a potentially title-deciding week.
Magherafelt Sky Blues only entered the North West based league this summer, and they have taken the league by storm. They have tasted defeat just once so far, ironically against this weekend’s opponents, as they sit top of the league with an eight-point cushion, needing just three points to secure the title.
The Sky Blues were well established in the Ballymena & Provincial League, but following a few lean years they came close to folding this past summer, before deciding to make the move to the NI Intermediate League. It has proved to be an inspired decision and allied with the hard work of club stalwarts, Brian Taylor and Sean Monaghan, and a squad of locally based players the Spires Park side have put themselves in a great position to end the season with their first ever title at Intermediate level.
The club have big plans off the pitch also as they announced recently the start of redevelopment plans at Spires Park, beginning with new clubrooms, kitchen, offices, toilet block plus a catch net behind the goals.
On Saturday they dealt a fatal blow to the title hopes of potential PIL side Maiden City, with an impressive 3-2 victory over the Derry men. City needed to win all of their remaining six games to have a chance of winning a first title of their own at this level, but it wasn’t to be as the Sky Blues led from the front throughout.
In the only other game of the day in the North West, Newbuildings made the short trip to Oakland Park to take on the potential poopers of the Sky Blue party, Trojans. Newbuildings made light work of it though, crossing the Foyle with three points thanks to a 6-3 victory.
Strabane are the only remaining NI Intermediate League side who have applied to make the move into the PIL who can catch Magherafelt, but their visit of Ballymoney to Melvin on Saturday could prove meaningless if the Sky Blues see off Trojans.
In Mid Ulster though the title picture is no clearer after this weeks games, although Dollingstown are now established as outright leaders, even if the sides below win their games in hand. Banbridge Rangers had begun the week by keeping up their good form, coming back from 1-0 and 2-1 down against Richhill AFC to seal a 3-2 away win on Saturday. However in midweek they fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Hanover, a result which leaves them seven points behind with two games in hand.
Dollingstown remain on top as they won 1-0 at Planters Park against Moneyslane, while third placed Crewe dropped points in midweek as they were held 0-0 at home to Hanover, they now find themselves nine points off the pace, also with two games in hand on the Planters Park side.
On to the NAFL now, where Crumlin Star moved up into second place this week, despite a 0-0 draw on Saturday against Shankill Utd. They followed that up in midweek with a 7-4 victory over Malachians to leapfrog Rathfriland, albeit having played a game more. Ards Rangers moved up the table this week, as they defeated Albert Foundry 2-1 at Paisley Park on Saturday.
Immaculata continued their resurgence with an impressive 7-1 win at Drumaness Mills, before following that up with another 7 goal haul, this time a 7-3 win at Lisburn Rangers, with their form leaving them 13 points off top spot with 5 games in hand. This week did see bottom of the table Lisburn Rangers pick up a rare win though, as they travelled to Malachians were they seen off their hosts 4-1 for only their third win of the season.
In the BPIL the race for the title is really hotting up, with the three sides in the mix all in good form as the finish line approaches. Bangor remain in the lead as they travelled to Cookstown to face a Youth side enjoying a progressive first season at Intermediate level. It was the Seasiders day, however, as they took a 5-1 win back to North Down.
Second place St James Swifts where also on their travels North, to Dromore Park where they met Desertmartin, and they too secured victory with a 2-0 win to stay within four points of Bangor, but with three games in hand on the leaders.
Glebe remain hot on their tails though, in mid week they also travelled to Cookstown Youth and secured a 3-1 win which leaves them a further 4 points behind but with an additional two games in hand on Bangor.
On Monday evening, however, Bangor received a boost when their recent defeat to Sofia Farmer was overturned due to the Farmers playing an ineligible player in the game, resulting in Bangors lead over St.James stretching to 7 points.
Elsewhere, Brantwood secured an impressive and important win as they welcomed a high flying Dunloy side to Skegoneill, winning an end to end game 4-3 to jump above Ballynure and Cookstown and within a point of Cookstown RBL, who drew 3-3 with rock bottom Chimney Corner.
Ballymena & Provincial League
Tuesday 10th April
Cookstown Youth 2-2 Coagh United
Saturday 7th April
Brantwood 4-3 Dunloy
Cookstown Youth 1-5 Bangor
Chimney Corner 3-3 Cookstown RBL
Desertmartin 0-2 St James Swifts
Tuesday 3rd April
Cookstown Youth 1-3 Glebe Rangers
|
Pos |
Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS |
| 1 | Bangor | 20 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 69 | 14 | 55 | 46 |
| 2 | St James Swifts | 17 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 42 | 14 | 28 | 39 |
| 3 | Glebe Rangers | 15 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 46 | 24 | 22 | 35 |
| 4 | Dunloy | 17 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 41 | 24 | 17 | 28 |
| 5 | Coagh United | 18 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 56 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
| 6 | Newtowne | 16 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 40 | 29 | 11 | 27 |
| 7 | Desertmartin | 18 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 31 | 54 | -23 | 24 |
| 8 | Cookstown Youth | 18 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 37 | 45 | -8 | 17 |
| 9 | Sofia Farm | 16 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 29 | 38 | -9 | 17 |
| 10 | Cookstown RBL | 19 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 27 | 43 | -16 | 17 |
| 11 | Brantwood | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 27 | 34 | -7 | 16 |
| 12 | Ballynure OB | 14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 21 | 33 | -12 | 16 |
| 13 | Chimney Corner | 20 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 13 | 97 | -84 | 4 |
Northern Amateur Football League
Tuesday 10th April
Drumaness Mills 1-0 Ards Rangers
Lisburn Rangers 3-7 Immaculata F.C.
Crumlin Star 7-4 Malachians
Shankill United 5-1 Derriaghy C.C.
Saturday 7th April
Albert Foundry F.C. 1-2 Ards Rangers
Malachians 1-4 Lisburn Rangers
Drumaness Mills 1-7 Immaculata F.C.
Crumlin Star 0-0 Shankill United
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | East Belfast | 20 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 67 | 34 | 33 | 41 |
| 2 | Crumlin Star | 14 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 39 | 20 | 19 | 33 |
| 3 | Rathfriland Rangers | 13 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 49 | 17 | 32 | 32 |
| 4 | Ards Rangers | 19 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 39 | 28 | 11 | 31 |
| 5 | Immaculata F.C. | 15 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 49 | 35 | 14 | 28 |
| 6 | Albert Foundry F.C. | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 31 | 29 | 2 | 28 |
| 7 | 1st Bangor Old Boys | 18 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 32 | 33 | -1 | 27 |
| 8 | Shankill United | 15 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 29 | 30 | -1 | 22 |
| 9 | Drumaness Mills | 16 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 22 | 36 | -14 | 20 |
| 10 | Crumlin United | 14 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 24 | 35 | -11 | 19 |
| 11 | Derriaghy C C | 19 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 30 | 41 | -11 | 19 |
| 12 | Malachians | 22 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 38 | 77 | -39 | 18 |
| 13 | Downpatrick F.C. | 16 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 32 | 40 | -8 | 12 |
| 14 | Lisburn Rangers | 21 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 35 | 61 | -26 | 11 |
Mid Ulster Intermediate A
Tuesday 10th April
Hanover 2-1 Banbridge Rangers
Richhill AFC 4-2 Tandragee Rovers
Saturday 7th April
AFC Silverwood P-P Crewe United
Camlough Rovers P-P Fivemiletown United
Dollingstown 1-0 Moneyslane
Hanover A-A Tandragee Rovers
Richhill AFC 2-3 Banbridge Rangers
Windmill Stars 2-1 Ballymacash Rangers
Wednesday 4th April
Crewe United 0-0 Hanover
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS |
| 1 | Dollingstown | 22 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 61 | 21 | 40 | 53 |
| 2 | Banbridge Rangers | 20 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 46 | 23 | 23 | 46 |
| 3 | Crewe United | 20 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 54 | 26 | 28 | 44 |
| 4 | Moneyslane | 21 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 47 | 35 | 12 | 37 |
| 5 | Windmill Stars | 19 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 44 | 26 | 18 | 35 |
| 6 | Hanover | 16 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 32 | 24 | 8 | 26 |
| 7 | St Marys | 22 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 34 | 43 | -9 | 24 |
| 8 | Fivemiletown United | 19 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 27 | 43 | -16 | 24 |
| 9 | Valley Rangers | 16 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 36 | 35 | 1 | 21 |
| 10 | Tandragee Rovers | 16 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 33 | 31 | 2 | 18 |
| 11 | Ballymacash Rangers | 19 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 35 | 48 | -13 | 17 |
| 12 | Richhill AFC | 21 | 5 | 1 | 15 | 31 | 47 | -16 | 16 |
| 13 | AFC Silverwood | 18 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 26 | 55 | -29 | 13 |
| 14 | Camlough Rovers | 17 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 17 | 66 | -49 | 4 |
NI Intermediate League
Saturday 7th April
Magherafelt Sky Blues 3-2 Maiden City
Trojans 3-6 Newbuildings Utd
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS |
| 1 | Magherafelt Sky Blues | 15 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 33 | 22 | 11 | 38 |
| 2 | Strabane Athetic | 13 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 34 | 5 | 29 | 30 |
| 3 | Ardstraw | 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 27 | 18 | 9 | 22 |
| 4 | Maiden Cty | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 12 | 10 | 19 |
| 5 | Dungiven | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 24 | 28 | -4 | 18 |
| 6 | Newbuildings Utd | 13 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 18 | 28 | -10 | 13 |
| 7 | Trojans | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 21 | 27 | -6 | 12 |
| 8 | Ballymoney Utd | 12 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 30 | -16 | 6 |
| 9 | Oxford Utd Stars | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 13 | 36 | -23 | 3 |