Sion Swifts 1-2 Crumlin Star

The Star made it through to the quarter finals of the Junior Cup on Saturday after a hard fought victory in Strabane. It took the Star 20 minutes to actually get going in this game and by that time they could've been 3-0 down as the home side struck the woodwork and forced the Star's stand in keeper Ciaran McNeill into a couple of outstanding saves. It was the 16 year olds debut for the first team as Mal Thompson was injured and the youngster didn't disappoint with a faultless display between the sticks. On the half  hour Sion Swifts took a deserved lead from a corner when their big centre half beat everyone in the air and nodded the ball into the back of the net. This was the wake up call the Star needed as they began to get more and more into the game as Ciaran Reid forced the home keeper into a fine save from an acute angle. Not long later the Ardoyne side where awarded a penalty when Joe Gormley was hacked down by a Sion defender. For the second week in a row Sean Brown stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way to bring the sides level. The Star grew in confidence after the equaliser with Mooney, Gormley and Paul Brown giving the Swifts defenders all sorts of problems. On the Stroke of half time the Star took the lead when Anto Braniff tried his luck from distance as his shot looped over the stranded keeper with the help of a slight deflection.
H/T 1-2
The second period the Star were happy to soak up any pressure the home side could put on them as the Ardoyne side always looked dangerous on the counter attack. The back four of O'Reilly, Burns, Nellis & McAlea defended like lions as Sion struggled to get any where near the young inexperienced Star keeper. Devenny replaced Gormley on the hour and had the best chance of the half when Braniff put him through one on one with the keeper but when he skillfully rounded the keeper a Sion defender came rushing in to clear the danger. The Star had another couple of half chances to finish of the game but where unable to but a great defencive display from the team ensured they marched on into the last eight of the competition.
Next week the Star are at home to Suffolk Swifts in the Clarence cup, Kick off 1:30pm

Team: McNeill, O'Reilly, Burns, Nellis, McAlea, S.Brown, Reid, Braniff, Mooney, P.Brown, Gormley
Subs: Devenny, Whelan, McConnall

Ciaran McNeill: Outstanding debut on Saturday

Anto Braniff scored the winner