Crumlin star 4-0 18th Newtonabby OB

The Star moved within one win of the league title after they disposed of a well organised 18th side at Solitude.
After the Star ran out 9-0 winners in the previous league encounter between the sides 18th set out with a very defensive formation to try and frustrate the Star.
For the opening twenty minutes they did manage to do that as the Star struggled to break down their two lines of defence but when McAleas pin point through ball fell perfectly to Sean Brown at the edge of the box he unleashed a dipping volley from the highest order that flew over the keeper and into the back if the net. 
That was the breakthrough the home side craved which meant 18th would have to come out and search for an equaliser. 
Midway through the half the Star scored a deserved second goal which again oozed with quality. 
The move started of with a long diagonal ball that found Gormley out wide, after beating his marker he squared the ball to Paul Brown who cleverly let the ball run through his legs for the oncoming Ciaran Reid to fire an unstoppable shot that went in of the post from twenty yards out.

H/T 2-0

The second half was the same as the first with the Star keeping the ball for long periods as they probed for openings in the 18th defence. 
Ciaran Reid then got his second and the Stars third of the day when Conor McDowell put him through with a fine through ball which Reid got to just before the 18th keeper and with a cool lob he made it 3-0. 
Substitute Sean O'Reilly then had a couple of glorious chances to add to the Stars tally but a mixture of poor finishing and some poor touches he failed to do so. 
The final goal of the game once again had quality written all over it after Reid & Brown worked a clever free kick which set Reid free down the touchline and with a pin point cross he found Nellis at the back post who's bullet like header flew into the top corner. 

Next week the Star are away Bangor Swifts and if the Star win that game and Ballywalter fail to win against Mossley the Star will be champions as Ballywalter will not be able to claw back the 16 point gap the Star will have created.

Before that the Star will face Nortel on Tuesday night in the 4th round of the Clarence cup, with a 7:30pm kick off.