Randalstown turn screw in Town and Country title race
With the Randalstown men in action twice this week, they racked up eight points to draw to within two points of the Carnlough-based leaders.
First up for the Veterans was the trip to Carnlough where they took on fellow title chasers McAuleys in what promised to be a close encounter, with the home team to date having only previously lost one match.
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Hide AdVeterans, however, started the night on the right note with Frankie Brammeld taking his team into an early lead with a 2-0 win over Ryan Mitchell.
McAuley's John McAllister then levelled the match with a 2-1 victory over Gary Davison.
In the third game the match swung back in favour of the Veterans, this time James Talbot taking out Sean Davision in a 2-0 scoreline to take the Veterans back in the lead and put pressure back on McAuley's.
The fourth game was contested between David Magill and Hans Kuijten in a game that would always be hard to call, the game was taken to the deciding fame were Kuijten missed a fine cut on his last black resulting in a foul, this gave Magill the perfect opportunity which he didn’t waste and for the second time the match was level and would be decided in the final game.
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Hide AdIn the last game Jason Beggs saw off the challenge of Mark McConnell to grab a 2-1 victory and see McAuleys fall to only their second victory of the season.
With a hard fought victory on Tuesday night, the Veterans then followed up with a comfortable victory on Thursday night when they played host to Greenhills.
The Cargan side had been in good form of late but were powerless to stop the Veterans and the home side ran out 5-0 winners.
Glencloy Inn the team in front, showed no signs of slowing up and recorded their second 5-0 victory in as many weeks this time on the road to Social Chronics, wins for Connor McCollum, Paul Bates, Michael Abram, Stevie Morgan and James Atcheson keeping the Carnlough outfit at the top of the tree.
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Hide AdOther games of the night saw BUSC keep winning ways this time with a 4-1 away win against Lurig B, Fergal McAteer averting the whitewash with a 2-1 victory over Linzi McClelland.
The only other game of the night took place between Heffrons and Black Bull in a local derby match; Black Bull however proved too strong for their neighbours and ran out eventual 4-1 winners.
The match between Halfway A and Halfway B was postponed. No scorecard was returned for the McAuleys v Lurig Inn A game.
Randalstown Veterans 5, Greenhills 0: D Lee 2, C Reid 1; F Brammeld 2, M McAuley 0; J Beggs 2, J Larkin 1; Hans Kuijten 2, E Darragh 1; S Birt 2, P Scullion 1. Sportspersons - Hans Kuijten/Michael McAuley.
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Hide AdHeffrons 1, Black Bull 4: H McNally 1, T Robb 2; B Taggart 2, R Hamilton 1; D Crossan 0, B Byrne 2; M J O’Boyle 0, N Percy 2; J Glennon 0, P Bloomer 2. Sportspersons - Brian Taggart/Brendan Byrne.
Lurig B 1, BUSC 4: T Crawley 1, S Clarke 2; M Crawley 0, S Scullion 2; L Cooper 0, T O’Neill 2; F McAteer 2, L McClelland 1; G Shannon 1, J Knowles 2. Sportspersons - Gareth Shannon/Jimmy Knowles.
McAuley's 2, Randalstown Veterans 3: R Mitchell 0, F Brammeld 2; J Mc Allister 2, G Davidson 1; S Davison 0, J Talbot 2; D Magill 2, H Kuijten 1; M McConnell 1, J Beggs 2. Sportspersons - Jason Beggs/Mark McConnell.
Social Chronics 0, Glencloy Inn 5: W Wilson 0, C McCollum 2; D Black 1, P Bates 2; C Walsh 0, M Abram 2; K Little 0, S Morgan 2; T Hamill 0, J Atcheson 2. Sportspersons - Kirk Little / Michael Abram.
TABLE
PWLPts
Glencloy Inn1513262
R'town Veterans1614260
Lurig A1512356
McAuley's1412251
Halfway A169741
Greenhills1610641
BUSC1010641
Lurig B178937
Halfway B148636
Glencloy Elite1641231
Black Bull1641231
Social Chronics1541127
Heffrons1721524
FIXTURES
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Hide AdMatches this Thursday evening, March 18, are: Black Bull v Glencloy Elite; Halfway House A v Lurig Inn B; Lurig Inn A v Halfway House B; Glencloy Inn v McAuley's; Randalstown Veterans v Heffrons; BUSC v Social Chronics. Bye – Greenhills.