Crumlin Star 5-1 Kelvin Old Boys

The Star started this year's Junior cup campaign against 2B outfit Kelvin Old Boys at Mallusk on Saturday. In Bright sunny conditions it was the East Belfast side that had the better of the early exchanges but the Star's defense of  O'Reilly, Hamilton, Keenan and McAlea held firm and when Kelvin did manage to break through on goal Thompson in nets was more than a match for them. Joe Gormley had the Star's first real attempt on goal but his 25 yard effort was well saved by the Kelvin number one. As the half came to its midway point the Star started to up their game as the midfield of S.Brown, Braniff, Burns and Whelan began to overrun their counterparts and begin to insert some pressure on them although Kelvin always looked dangerous with the long ball over the top. As the half came to a close Joe McAlea swung in a dangerous ball into the box which was met by Paul Brown but his effort seemed to by slicing well wide until Anto Braniff stuck out his right boot and guided the ball into the top corner to put the Star in front. Immediately after the restart it was 2-0 when Dam Whelan picked out young Joe Gormley 25 yards from goal and the big striker coolly lobed the keeper to double the Star's lead going into half time.
H/T 2-0
Like the first half Kevin started the brighter of the two sides and had a few efforts on goal with the closest coming of the crossbar when Thompson looked well beaten. Soon after Kelvin did half the deficit when Braniff charged down a cross from a Kelvin winger but the ball caught him on the arm and the referee pointed the spot to the dismay of the Star players and officials as it was more ball to hand rather than hand to ball. The Kelvin striker stepped up to send Thompson the wrong way and lift the away teams spirits. But their hopes of a comeback where shattered ten minutes later when Braniff put Paul Brown through on goal to round the keeper and slot the ball home to make it 3-1 to the Star. The Star where well on top at this stage as they looked to put the game well beyond their rivals and that's what they did in the 70th minute when Joe Gormley beat his marker to the ball and again brilliantly lifted the ball over the stranded keeper to get his second of the day. McConnall, Cairns and McMullan replaced keenan, Whelan and the impressive Gormley as the management tried to freshen up the attack. Captain Sean Brown rounded the scoring of in the 82nd minute when he found himself unmarked at the back post and blasted his right foot shot past the oncoming keeper as the Star marched into the next round.

Team: Thompson, O'Reilly, Hamilton, Keenan, McAlea, S.Brown, Braniff, Burns, Whelan, P.Brown, Gormley
Subs: McConnall, Cairns, McMullan

Young Joe Gormley scored two on Saturday