Jones on fire with treble as Olympic pile on agony

Jones on fire with treble as Olympic pile on agony

5 September 2018

A COLD-BLOODED and methodical Ballynahinch Olympic hit Kilmore for six at a sun-kissed Robert Adams Park on Saturday.

However, John Young’s Kilmore side were left wondering where it all went wrong as they had the better chances in an even first half. 

Olympic then worked a few overloads down the left flank at the start of the second half and went from 1-0 up to 5-0 clear within the first 15 minutes. Kilmore managed to claw two goals back following the introduction of B J McMenamin, but there was never any chance of them catching Liam Sloan’s clinical troops.

Everything started so positively for Kilmore. With only two minutes gone Eoin McGrattan fired over after dispossessing Niall Murray and James McGivern was denied by a good, smothering save from Ryan Walsh.

Things took a turn for the worse for Kilmore with nine minutes gone. ‘Keeper Chris Turley failed to handle a floated free kick from Nathan Jones and in the ensuing scramble, Jason Noade poked the ball over the line.

Kilmore tried to retaliate, but Anton McGrattan (twice), Mark McMahon and Young all missed out on equalising. Olympic were riding their luck at this stage and even avoided catastrophe following a rare error between Walsh and Noade on the edge of the box, but Kilmore were unable to take advantage.

The second half was barely underway when Jones and Murray exposed Kilmore’s lack of pace at the back and the former sped away from a prostrate Larry McGonagle before beating Chris Turley with a thunderous finish.

Three minutes later it was 3-0. Callum Dougan played a sublime cross-field pass into the path of Jones out on the left. Jones took one touch and boom the ball was in the back of the net within the blink of an eye. 

Olympic were now in full flow and Stevie Noade dovetailed perfectly with Jones and Reid to release Murray and he did the rest with another ruthless finish before Jones made it 5-0.

Kilmore pulled one back when Jason Noade turned the ball into his own net after McMenamin created an opening for Tommy Macklin. Darren Lyons cancelled this out with Olympic’s sixth goal before McMenamin grabbed his side’s second goal from the penalty spot in the dying stages.

Kilmore Rec: C Turley, L McGonagle, M Stewart, J Cheevers, J Larkin, E McGrattan, T Macklin, C Young, A McGrattan, J McGivern, M McMahon. Subs: P McCarthy, B J McMenamin, G Stranney.

Ballynahinch Olympic: R Walsh, D Tate, R Noade, J Noade, C Reid, R Molloy, J McClean, S Noade, N Murray, N Jones, C Dougan. Subs: A McLean, D Lyons, C McNamara.

Kilmore Rec 2

Ballynahinch Olympic 6

BORDER CUP 1ST ROUND