Ballinamallard Reserves fired 10 goals past Lisnarick as they marked their Fermanagh and Western Division Three trophy presentation with a double-digit win, 10-1.
The young Ducks were presented with the Brendan Keogh Memorial Cup at the conclusion of the match, and there was never any danger of the result spoiling their celebrations as they continued their season-long undefeated league run with another commanding performance.
Reserves captain Adam McCreery marked the day with a hat-trick and Dylan Boyle scored twice, with Dylan Donnelly, Conor Stewart, Ethan Thomspon and Charlie Clendinning also getting on the scoresheet.
Reserves manager Ally Irwin felt his side coped well with the outside distractions as they put the game beyond Lisnarick in the first half.
“There is always a danger that the boys focus on things other than the football, but I think our first-half performance was outstanding,” he said.
“I don’t think there are too many teams that would have coped with the way we played. The space of Ferney allowed us to use the width and get our full-backs forward.
"It was a first-half I really enjoyed because every one of the seven goals we scored were scored from inside the box through good build-up play. Credit to the lads, they put on a performance that everyone that was in attendance could enjoy.”
The reward at the end of the match was the opportunity to lift the Division Three trophy, and Irwin was delighted the players got their reward for a successful season.
“It was a great way to finish the season and it was a nice reward for the lads who stayed and stuck it out for this year,” he said.
“I believe that the courageous decision was to stick around because they were putting a lot at risk if they didn’t go out and do what people were expecting. Fingers would have been pointed and questions asked, but the lads have achieved what they expected and more. At this point of the season without having lost a game in the league campaign, it has to be seen as a huge positive.”
Playing on the grass of Ferney Park, the home team made a quick start with McCreery having a shot blocked from an early corner and Justin Cashel saving the follow-up from Luke St Ledger.
Boyle then had a shot saved after being put clear by Stewart, but the breakthrough arrived after seven minutes when Ethan Thompson’s header from Stewart’s cross was sliced into his own net by Alan Gregg.
Three minutes later McCreery headed in Shane Speak’s cross to double the lead, and midway through the half Boyle was fouled in the box and he picked himself up to score the penalty.
Donnelly made it 4-0 after 30 minutes when he volleyed in Stewart’s cross at the front post, and a minute later good work from Thompson allowed him to square the ball for a Boyle tap-in.
Boyle then set up Stewart to score, before McCreery’s header from a corner made it seven just before half-time.
A minute into the second half Stewart made it a hat-trick of assists when he beat the defender and pulled the ball back to the edge of the penalty area for Thompson to fire past the keeper.
Lisnarick pulled a goal back when Seamus Ryder held off a defender and fired across Alex McClelland into the far corner, but 10 minutes later McCreery completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after Boyle had been fouled.
Clendinning rounded off the scoring with a close-range effort after Henry Miskimmin’s header had been blocked on the line.
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