Super-kid Stephen Mills Larne's High School goalkeeping recruit turned in another five-star performance which was sure to have caught the imagination of watching Irish Youth manager Roy Millar. But the youngster's clean handling and alertness in the area which belied his 16 years could not prevent Town avenging Saturday's one goal defeat at Inver Park and going clear in second place in the first division.
But 11 minutes before the interval Sheridan finally broke the deadlock when he ran on to Michael McHugh's neat through ball to crack home his sixth goal since joining the club from Finn Harps.
Team: Mills, G.Smyth, Johnston, Mellon, McKinstry, Fullerton, Looney, Hill, Simms, McDowell, McMahon sub Charnley (replaced McKinstry)
Larne scored the only goal to take the points against Newry Town at Inver Park today. Five minutes into the game, a back-header from Larne captain John McKinstry forced keeper Mills to push the ball for a corner. McKinstry then popped up at the other end 10 minutes later, getting on the end of a McDowell corner to get in a shot which Courtney cleared off the line with Vance beaten. Although Newry had plenty of the play it was Larne who continued to create the openings. McDowell tried his luck from 25 yards but the shot drifted just past the left hand post. Eight minutes before the break, McConkey picked up a McMahon pass on the edge of the box only to blast his shot high over the bar. Gary Sliney made his first appearance for Newry in the second half in place of Whyte but it was Larne who went close to open the scoring after 49 minutes. McConkey's pass found Patton on the left. The big striker cut inside but fired his shot across the face of the goal. With an hour gone, Larne took the lead. McConkey's corner from the right looked to be covered by Vance but somehow the ball was allowed to creep inside the back post. Three minutes later, Sliney fired in a corner from the left which fell to fellow debutant Roy Fox who was unlucky to see his header fly inches wide.
Team: Mills, Mellon, McDowell, McConkey, McKinstry, Hill, Fullerton, G.Smyth, Patton, McMahon, Looney subs: L.Smyth, Johnston, Lowry
Referee: Harry O'Neill (Glengormley)
A David Rainey hat-trick helped Ballyclare Comrades romp to a 4-0 victory over East Antrim rivals Larne at Dixon Park this afternoon. Comrades were unlucky not to take the lead in the 26th minute, Lee Galbraith volleying just over from 10 yards after a pinpoint McCrae cross at the end of a flowing move. But they deservedly went ahead on the half-hour when former Larne striker McCrae was in just the right place to divert Rainey's cross-come shot into the roof of the net. Larry McMahon squandered a goalmouth opportunity to level after 32 minutes, firing wide of the mark after breaking clear of the Comrades defence. And the visitors were made to regret this on 34 minutes when the homeside extended their lead, Rainey latching on to Pat O'Connor's long clearance to lob the ball over Larne keeper Stephen Mills and into the empty net. Comrades centre-half Tom Brady was only inches away from increasing his side's lead three minutes after the break with a towering header from another dangerous McCrea corner. At the other end Peter Lowry - a half-time replacement for acting player-boss Harry McConkey - got on to the end of a McMahon cross but delayed too long and his shot was blocked. Brady again came close on 58 minutes when his header from a free-kick by substitute Brendan Allsopp was cleared off the line by Adrian Hill. Rainey made it 3-0 on 81 minutes when he ran onto a Jamesie Kirk pass to round the keeper and steer the ball home from a tight angle. And seven minutes from the end the Ballyclare winger completed his hat-trick and took his tally to 15 for the season with a free-kick from the edge of the box after Mark Picking was upended by Neil Fullerton who was shown the yellow card.
Team: Hill, Mellon, O'Hagan, McConkey, McKinstry, Hill, Looney, Fullerton, Patton, McMahon, G.Smyth subs: Johnston, L.Smyth, Lowry
Referee: David Redfern (Glengormley)
Larne will be kicking themselves following this scoreless draw with Carrick Rangers. A string of missed chances and two goal line clearances denied them full points and almost certainly ended their outside chances of gaining a place in the play-offs for a place in next seasons top division. Larne, hoping to recover from Saturday's drubbing at Ballyclare opened strongly with some fast flowing football. A delightful cross field ball from Looney found O'Hagan on the left he swept the ball across the face of goal but Muldoon, under no pressure, made the clearance. O'Hagan, looking very effective on his home debut, fired in a low corner which was scrambled off the goal-line by the Rangers defence. Carrick then began to settle with sixteen minutes gone Johnston slipped the ball into the path of Wilson whose 25-yard effort flew just wide of the target. The home side wasted two great chances to go in front before the break. McMahon had a clear run on goal following a great pass from Looney but he delayed his shot, then, under pressure, steered it wide. McMahon then found Patton on the edge of the area, he turned well only to poke it past the post. The first chance of the second half fell to Carrick. Doherty provided the right wing cross which found Robinson whose header was straight at Hastings. A free-kick on the hour by Sinclair found Armstrong at the back post. His downward header needed just a touch to put Carrick ahead but there were no takers. Seventeen minutes from time a flick on by Patton fell to Lowry who went down in a challenge with Williamson. Both sides continued to try and create chances but the final ball was sadly lacking. With eight minutes remaining Patton was again out of luck. He got in just ahead of Williamson and Wilson but as the ball trickled goalward Armstrong cleared the ball out of the danger area.
Team: Hastings, G.Smyth, Lowry, Johnston, McKinstry, Fullerton, Looney, Hill, Patton, McMahon, O'Hagan subs: McConkey, L.Smyth, McCormick
Match report courtesy of Martin Harris
Alan Doherty grabbed his fifth goal in three games to keep Bangor's Premier League ambitions bang on course. But an injury to the free-scoring 24 year old soured the Seasiders victory. The Dubliner limped off after 72 minutes but Bangor physio Billy Massey is confident of having Doherty patched up for the weekend. It was Bangor's third successive game under caretaker-manager Davy Chisholm. They have scored seven goals and conceded none. But they found it hard going early on against Larne on a bumpy pitch and a blustery wind. The home team got the break they needed on 39 minutes when Hastings couldn't hold a 30-yard drive from midfielder Jackie Coulter and the ball trickled over the line. Bangor sealed the game just four minutes into the second-half when a long crossfield ball from left-back Niall Lenehan beat the Larne off-side trap and the alert Doherty moved onto the pass and ran 30 yards before striking a low shot past the advancing Hastings from just outside the area. Larne's cause was further dented when referee Francis Harte showed Neill Fullerton the red card for protesting too vehemently at the goal.
team: Hastings, G.Smyth, Lowry, Johnston, McKinstry, Fullerton, Looney, Hill, Patton, L.Smyth, O'Hagan subs: Mellon (replaced G.Smyth, 54), McCormick (replaced L.Smyth, 56)
referee: Frank Harte (Newry)
Match report courtesy of Martin Harris
First Division
08 Mar 97 Ballymena Utd 0-0 Bangor, Carrick Rangers 0-1 Distillery, Larne 1-0 Newry, Omagh Town 2-2 Ballyclare
22 Mar 97 Ballyclare 4-0 Larne, Bangor 3-2 Omagh Town, Distillery 0-1 Ballymena Utd, Newry Town 1-2 Carrick Rangers
26 Mar 97 Ballyclare Comrades 0-2 Bangor, Ballymena United 3-1 Newry Town Larne 0-0 Carrick Rangers, Omagh Town 1-1 Distillery 26 Mar 97 P W D L F A PTS P W D L F A PTS 1. Ballymena United .... 24 19 1 4 43 14 58 2. Bangor .............. 24 12 4 8 38 30 40 3. Omagh Town .......... 24 11 5 8 36 38 38 4. Larne ............... 24 9 4 11 30 38 31 5. Ballyclare Comrades . 24 9 3 12 37 38 30 6. Distillery .......... 24 9 3 12 26 31 30 7. Newry Town .......... 24 8 5 11 29 33 29 8. Carrick Rangers ..... 24 5 3 16 24 42 18 (figures in brackets denote total points possible)
Premier Division
08 Mar 97 Ards 3-3 Coleraine, Cliftonville 1-0 Glentoran, Glenavon 1-2 Crusaders,Linfield 0-2 Portadown
22 Mar 97 Coleraine 1-1 Cliftonville, Crusaders 3-0 Linfield Glentoran 2-1 Glenavon, Portadown 5-0 Ards
26 Mar 97 Ards 1-5 Crusaders, Cliftonville 0-0 Portadown, Glenavon 3-1 Linfield, Glentoran 1-0 Coleraine 28 Mar 97 'B' INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY Northern Ireland 2-0 Portugal Portadown 1-0 CliftonvilleP W D L F A PTS 1. Crusaders ........... 24 11 9 4 36 22 42 (54) 2. Coleraine ........... 24 10 10 4 35 27 40 (52) 3. Glenavon ............ 24 8 9 7 32 28 33 (45) 4. Glentoran ........... 24 7 10 7 29 30 31 (43) 5. Linfield ............ 24 8 6 10 29 32 30 (42) 6. Portadown ........... 23 6 8 9 30 30 26 (38) 7. Cliftonville ........ 23 5 9 9 20 31 24 (36) 8. Ards ................ 24 5 9 10 31 43 24 (36)
World Cup Qualifier Sat 29 Mar 1997 Northern Ireland 0 - 0 Portugal P W D L F A PTS 1. Portugal ............. 6 2 3 1 5 2 9 2. Ukraine .............. 4 3 0 1 4 2 9 3. Northern Ireland ..... 5 1 3 1 4 3 6 4. Germany .............. 3 1 2 0 6 2 5 5. Armenia .............. 4 0 3 1 3 7 3 6. Albania .............. 4 0 1 3 1 7 1