The Star started the defence of the Cochrane & Corry cup with a tricky away fixture against Whitehead Eagles. With a strong wind  favouring the Star in the first half it was the Ardoyne side that dominated the opening exchanges and it was long before the deadlock was broken when fine play from inform striker Joe Gormley seen him ghost past two defenders with ease and set up Dam Whelan to score his first goal for the Star. Again manager Hawkins had to field a different starting eleven for the fifth game running as he had to make do without top striker Paul Brown who was over in Manchester and Sean O'Reilly who pulled a ham string last week. Sean Brown was filling in for younger brother up front and didn't look out of place as himself and Gormley linked up beautifully at times and gave the home team's defence a torid time all afternoon. A quarter hour into the game and it was 2-0 to the Star when Gormley flicked a defence splitting ball into the path of Brown which saw him race clear from the half way line to round the keeper and slot the ball home. Brown got his second of the day soon after when again Gormley breezed past two defenders and put it onto a plate for stand in striker to volley the ball home from six yards out. Gormley finally got a goal of his own just before the break when he beat the off side trap and raced clear to cooley slot the ball past the on coming keeper to round of an excellent half for the Star.

H/T 0-4

Sean Brown was replaced by Mark Mooney at half time as the injury jinx hit the star Star again but hopefully his injury isn't as serious as first thought as the substitution was more of a precautionary one. Gormley got his second of the day when Ciaran Reid slipped him through on goal and the young striker made no mistake with the finish to put the game well beyond the home side. Nellis replaced keenan on the hour to make his first appearance of the season as the big center half was carrying a bit of a knock. Anto Braniff got his second goal in as many weeks when he fired an unstoppable left foot effort into the bottom corner from 25 yards in the 75th minute to round of the scoring to book the Star's place in the next round of the cup. A big mention has to go to Braniff miss of the season when Gormley raced through on goal for his hat-trick only to unselfishly square it to the big midfielder, with the keeper out of the game and only the empty net in front of him he somehow managed to balloon his effort over the bar Ronnie Rozenthal style.

Next week the Star are away to Kilkeel in the Junior Shield.

Team: Thompson, Hamilton, Burns, Keenan, McAlea, Reid, Whelan, Braniff, McConnall, S.Brown, Gormley

Subs: Mooney, Nellis, McCoey