Olympic take league crown

Olympic take league crown

8 May 2019

BALLYNAHINCH Olympic seconds were duly crowned Newcastle League Division 1 champions on Thursday evening with a comfortable victory over a battling Santos side at Kilmore playing fields.

The result was never really in doubt, but the visitors certainly didn’t go down without a fight. 

Olympic started well as they went in search of an early goal. Darren Lyons’ clever pass set Rhys Patterson free down the right hand side and the young striker did all the hard work by rounding the last defender, but got his angles all wrong and shot wide of the post. 

Minutes later Lee Ward found Jack Roddy in acres of space and he produced a superb cross into the box, but Jack Patterson’s strike went high over the crossbar. 

Two good Simon Marmion corner kicks in quick succession caused the Santos defence all sorts of problems, but Aaron McCaffrey and then Gavin McMullan had their efforts cleared off the line. 

Olympic were dominating, but looked nervous in front of goal and with half an hour gone there was still no breakthrough. Ward, Lyons and Jack Patterson all had further chances before the Olympic pressure finally paid off.

With 40 minutes gone a Lyons shot was deflected into the path of Roddy, who hammered a left-footed strike into the back of the net. Olympic kept the pressure on, but could only take a 1-0 lead into the break.

The second half was all Olympic as they pushed for another goal. Lyons latched onto a good Roddy pass before being taken down inside the box, but the referee waved play on much to the frustration of the Olympic players.  

Goalkeeper John McMenamin and the back three of McMullan, Mark McClean and Niall McGlew never put a foot wrong and at this stage it looked like it would only be a matter of time before their team got a second goal and with 50 minutes gone Olympic made it 2-0. 

Rhys Patterson battled his way into the penalty area and the ball came off the hand of the Santos defender, leaving the referee with no choice, but to point to the spot. Marmion stepped up and expertly placed it into the bottom corner. 

A tiring Santos were struggling to get to grips with Olympic’s movement and the chances kept coming. 

Lyons somehow missed from close range, Rhys Patterson thought he was in, but for a last ditch tackle and Roddy put it on a plate for Patterson yet again, but he blazed his effort over the crossbar. 

With 15 minutes remaining Olympic got their third. The outstanding Roddy won the ball in his own half and drove at the Santos defence before producing a delightful pass through to Lyons who made no mistake in smashing it into the back of the net. 

Daryl Russell, Gary Wilson and Mick Rice were introduced and with 10 minutes left to play, Olympic put the game to bed.

The Santos defence could only admire Ward’s defence-splitting pass and Lyons was through again, this time pulling off a bullet of a strike from a tight angle to make it 4-0. 

Olympic kept possession for the final few minutes of the game and confirmed themselves as Division 1 champions.

Man of the match: Jack Roddy.

Ballynahinch Olympic II 4

Santos 0

NEWCASTLE LEAGUE DIV 1