Firsts and Seconds hope for bumper crowd for Christmas Crackers

Both senior teams are involved in huge games this Saturday (2pm) at Lough Moss that could have a bearing on their respective league title bids.

The first team entertain Newcastle Swifts who are the only team to have beaten them in the league this year. Colts are lying in second place ahead of the Mourne men on goal difference though the visitors have a game in hand.

Top scorer Stevie Doherty, who had scored 10 goals in his previous five games before missing last week’s Junior Shield defeat against Braid United, returns to the squad though talented winger Adam Shilliday has gone off to a Australia for a year and will be missed. 

Manager Eamon Deeny said: “We would love to see a good crowd come out and get behind the team for what will be our biggest game of the season so far. Our last league outing saw us beat an excellent Celtic Bhoys team and Newcastle Swifts are every bit as good. They beat us 5-2 down at their place earlier in the season. We were poor defensively in the first half and slipped 4-0 down at the break but got ourselves back in at 4-2 and looked like we might pull off a memorable comeback before they grabbed a late fifth.

“If we play like we did in the second half that day and like our last league game, we will be good enough to take the points. It would be great if we could go into the Christmas break at the halfway point of the league season with the chance of our first ever league title still in our own hands.  

“We have scored 14 goals in our last four league games against really good opposition and scorers have come from all over the pitch while we have also been defending very well too, so we are in a confident mood despite last week’s cup setback in a game we probably should have won. ”

Meanwhile the seconds, who are also lying second,  take on Celtic Bhoys II who they trail by three points and a win would take them to joint first place.

They lost narrowly 2-1 when the two teams met in Downpatrick but the seconds are on a great run at the minute with just one loss in the last seven games.

With both teams on at the same venue and the same time, it is an opportunity for coaches and young players to come along and get behind the senior teams and enjoy two great games of football.