2nd Ahoghill travelled to Newtownabbey to compete in the opening round of this year's national Seniors 5-a-side football competition.
A total of 12 teams from Northern Ireland had entered the competition, and were split into three groups. 2nd Ahoghill were drawn in Group 3 which was hosted by 1st Granshaw at the Valley Leisure Centre, with 1st Kilkeel and 7th Londonderry our other opponents.
The night took the form of a round robin, with each team playing each other once in a series of 12 minute matches.
Our opening match was against 1st Kilkeel, whose junior team were crowned National champions in 2016/17. Their footballing prowess was still clear to see as they secured a comfortable win despite the boys’ efforts. The final score 4-0 to Kilkeel.
We faced 7th Londonderry in our second match. They too were a very accomplished side and dominated the match, scoring seven goals in the process. Our boys did produce a consolation goal, which was scored by Jack. The final score 7-1 to Londonderry.
Our third and final match was against hosts 1st Granshaw. By this stage the boys were discouraged with no hope of progression. They battled on but succumbed to a final defeat, the score 3-0 to Granshaw.
The final results meant that 7th Londonderry and 1st Kilkeel progressed as the top two teams in our group, and will compete in the Irish Finals. We wish them both well as they continue in the competition.
| Team | Win | Draw | Loss | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7th Londonderry | 3 | 0 | 0 | +12 | 9 |
| 1st Kilkeel | 2 | 0 | 1 | +10 | 6 |
| 1st Granshaw | 1 | 0 | 2 | -9 | 3 |
| 2nd Ahoghill | 0 | 0 | 3 | -13 | 0 |
