North Down Hockey Club | www.ndhc.co.uk

By KM
01/07/2008

Sorry to interupt Jimmy and Whyties births, deaths and marriages website but W.E.F the 1st Monday in August pre season training will commence at the Green starting at 7pm sharp!!! A good attendence from the mens section is expected.

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:: BABY GIRL FOR THE TAIMUR KHANS

By Jim Patterson
26/06/2008

Congratulations to 5th XI leading goalscorer and also long serving Cricket Club pro Taimur Khan and wife Mehrin on the birth of a baby girl (8 lbs ) last Saturday 21 June.

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:: Even More Youth Success

By P Whyte
25/06/2008

Congratulations to Tom Donnan who has been selected for the Irish U15 development squad. A great achievement from a very talented player. And just to prove hes good at all sports Tom has also been selected to play in the Belfast squad for the Lords Taverners cricket trophy in London. Well done on both achievements from all at the club.

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:: Selection Success for Girls

By P Whyte
24/06/2008

Congratulations to Zara Millar and Chloe Brown who have both been invited to train with Ulster U16's over the summer. Special congratulations to Chloe who has also been chosen for the Irish U15 development squad training.

This is an excellent achievement and they have both worked hard to get this far. Keep it up girls!

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:: MORE STORK DELIVERIES TO NORTH DOWN

By Jim Patterson
06/06/2008

Congratulations to Andrew Coates and Claire on the arrival of Eva Rose and also to Jo Irwin and Richard with the arrival of Rachel Georgina. Well done to all concerned, and the stork!

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:: Youth BBQ and Awards Presentation

By P Whyte
25/05/2008

This Sunday (25th May) the youth section will be having their annual bbq and awards presentation. As usual the venue will be North Down Cricket Club. All boys, girl and parents from U12 teams and above are welcome. Awards will be presented to U12 and U14 girls players of the year and U13 and U15 boys players of the year. Their will also be the coaches award presented to the player whose attitude to training has been excellent throughout the year. It all starts at 2.00 and i look forward to seeing you there.

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:: MIXED HOCKEY

By Jim Patterson
16/05/2008

Check the guestbook for details of a mixed event coming up.

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:: Summer Hockey Courses

By P Whyte
13/05/2008

Ards Borough Council will again be running two weeks of hockey coaching over the summer at Comber Leisure Centre.

The first week will be 28 July - 1 August and the second week 18 August - 22 August. Both courses will run from 10-12 each morning and the cost is Ł25.00. The courses tend to fill up quickly so i would advise booking your place as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Ring the main Council offices on 02891 824000 and ask for Leisure Services for more information or call in for an application form.

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:: MEN'S 5THS CLINCH LEAGUE TROPHY

By 5th XI reporter
07/05/2008

The 5ths rounded off the 2007/08 hockey season with a convincing 4 - 1 victory over Saintfield 2nds in the Junior League 7 play off game at Deramore last night to complete a cup and league double for the season.

The 5ths were missing Taimur Khan, their leading goal scorer due to cricket committments. Saintfield started much stronger and dominated the first 15 minutes play so it was no surprise when they opened the scoring with a well taken goal which gave Jim Boyd no chance. A few stern words from Gavin Rodgers at the back saw North Down tighten up their act and they levelled the game within 2 minutes through Andrew Haire. Five minutes later, the 5ths went ahead with a power drive from Peter Shields which rattled the back boards and North Down gradually took over control in midfield prompted by Messrs Johnston, Harper and Moreland. It has to be said although that veteran Harper, doyen of the grass, had a far from steady start to the game and was the butt of some unkind comments from the North Down supporters.

Saintfield came out strongly at the start of the second half but again gradually lost their way against a firm defence, with McKee and Graham well to the fore, and when Marty Moreland scored the third from the edge of the circle after 55 minutes play the destination of the league trophy was never in doubt. Peter Shields rounded off the scoring with 10 minutes to go with a pile driver into the back of the net which gave Martin Johnston in goals no chance. North Down played out time and ran out comfortable winners although disappointedly the league trophy was not available on the night for presentation.

The 5th XI this season has proved to be a worthwhile experiment for both the cricket and hockey clubs and hopefully this will continue next season in Junior 6. As usual, there was full media coverage of last night's game. Ian Shields was on hand with his excellent photographs for the website gallery and the match was captured on video. Anyone who wants to borrow the video of the game, contact Jim Patterson.

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:: Summer Coaching Courses

By P Whyte
06/05/2008

I have just received information on the coaching corses available over the summer. These will be Introduction to Hockey Coaching - Teachers, Introduction to Hockey - Volunteers, Level One, Level Two and Level Three. For more information send an email to whytey111@btinternet.com and i will forward the appropriate details and application form. These courses tend to fill very quickly so i would suggest you contact me as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

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:: U14 Girls Youth Finals

By T Ritchie
06/05/2008

The U14 girls made the trip to Garvey this year to take part in their finals day. The girls knew they would face a tough task as the finals day is a step up in class from the regional leagues. However confidence was high as the girls were undefeated this year. The girls started well defeating Harlequins 2-0, Mossley 4-1 and Priorians 3-0. This was enough to see them qualify for the semi-finals but a close defeat to Lurgan meant they faced the tougher draw.

Drawn against an excellent Victorians side, who did not concede a goal throughout the finals, the girsl were unfortunate to get beat 2-0. They produced their best hockey of the season against their toughest oppostion and the only difference in the teams was the ability to finish.

Coach T Ritchie was delighted with the performance of all the girls in the final. Special praise was reserved for Amy Benson, Zara Millar and Chloe Brown who have showed exceptional from throughout the year.

The girls would like to thank Trevor Allsop for his umpiring, and all the parents and friends whose support at the finals and through the year was very much appreciated.

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:: U15 Boys Plate Final Report

By P Whyte
06/05/2008

Last Sunday the U15 boys were defeated heavily by Lisnagarvey in the U15 Plate Final at Mossley.

Having already defeated Garvey A in the semo North Down were confident of victory and dstared the game marginally the better side with the clever running of Stephen Campbell creating several half chances. However North Down did not take any of these chances and the Garvey forwards punished them to take a 3-0 lead into half time.

In the second half North Down started well again but chances were missed and Garvey began to dominate the game scoring a further three goals with North Down replying with only one goal.

This was a disappointing result for North Down and although the scoreline did not fully reflect the game Garvey were more than worthy winners and played some excellent hockey.

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:: MEN'S 5TH XI LEAGUE PLAY OFF

By Jim Patterson
30/04/2008

The 5th XI will play their final game of the season next Tuesday 6 May in the Junior League 7 play off match against Saintfield 2nds at Deramore Park. Pushback is at 7.00 pm. A vast crowd of travelling supporters is expected.

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:: MEN'S 5THS SECURE PROMOTION

By 5th XI reporter
27/04/2008

The 5ths secured promotion from Junior League 7 with a comprehensive victory over the youthful South Antrim 5th XI on Saturday last at Laurelhill High School.

The outcome was never in doubt with North Down scoring 3 times in the opening 15 minutes with short corner strikes twice from Gavin Rodgers and a flick into the net close in from Jamie McKee. The 5ths continued to move the ball about impressively and added a further 3 goals through Rodgers, McKee and Ben Willis by half time.

A dreadful mixup at the back 10 minutes into the second half saw South Antrim pull a goal back but North Down seemed content to hold onto their lead and spent most of the second half using a bewildering combination of substitutions which may not have unsettled South Antrim but certainly confused themselves. With 15 minutes remaining, Paul McCaughey restored the 6 goal advantage witha tap in from 3 yards and the 5ths simply played out time to finish level on top of Junior 7 with Saintfield 2nds.

It is likely that there will now be a play off for the league trophy. Watch this website for news of the date, time and venue.

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:: Guestbook back online...

By Gippy
26/04/2008

Just a quick note to say that the guestbook is back online... only this time all entries are submitted to the Administration and cleared before being posted so expect a wee delay between submitting and seeing your post!

Cheers,
Gippy

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:: MEN'S 5THS JUST EDGE OUT BALLYMENA 2NDS

By 5th XI reporter
23/04/2008

In their penultimate, ie the one before the last, league game of the season, the 5ths just scraped through against a suspiciously strong Ballymena 2nds team which featured at least one Junior Ulster player who had obviously been dropped to the seconds.

There was early drama in the 12th minute when Roger Graham conceeded a short corner by taking a stick in the face. As Ballymena were taking this opportunity to score the first goal the unlucky Graham was enroute for a stitching appointment at the Ulster Hospital. Ten minutes later veteran George Harper equalised with a tame drive into the corner of the net but Ballymena were soon ahead again to show that this was not going to be a routine victory for the Stabane Cup champions.

Goals from Paul Johnston and skipper Martin Moreland eased the 5ths into a half time lead of 3 - 2 but the pace and strong running of the Ballymena forwards gave the North Down defence plenty of headaches in the second half and lynchpin Gavin Rodgers was often seen in a helicopter like spin as he battled to clear his lines. With 15 minutes to go, Davy Wishart picked up a loose ball on the edge of the circle and drove it home to popular acclaim. The home spectators relaxed expecting a cruise to the final whistle but it was not to be. With 10 minutes remaining the Ballymena right winger scored the goal of the game with an unstoppable drive into the roof of the net from a wide angle which gave Jim Boyd no chance.

The 5ths reverted to the time honoured 'Portadown ball' to play out time and there were nervous minutes as the clock ran down and Ballymena looked as if they could salvage a point. The umpires had signalled 'two minutes' when Paul Johnston made the game safe with a tap in from 2 yards to make the final score a somewhat flattering 5 - 3 for North Down.

The final league game of the season for this ground breaking 5th XI is this Saturday against South Antrim 5ths at Laurelhill High School at 2.30 pm. There's no other hockey for any of our teams, it's an important game for the Club and for the 5ths so come along, give your support and join the party!

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:: 2nds consolidate Junior one status

By KM
22/04/2008

The 2nds playing their first season in top flight junior hockey have retained their junior league one status after Newry II XI and Lisnagarvey III XI were relegated.

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:: Big Weekend for Youth Teams

By P Whyte
21/04/2008

This Sunday sees two North Down youth sides in finals action. The u15 boys will play Lisnagarvey in the u15 plate starting at 11.30am in Mossley. The undefeated u14 girls will be playing in their finals day at Lisnagravey Hockey Club with their first game at 10.30. Both sides have done superbly to get this far and all support would be appreciated.

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:: ANDY FORREST SETS NEW CLUB GOALSCORING RECORD

By Jim Patterson
21/04/2008

Well done to Andy Forrest whose 4 goals in the 1st XI's last game of the season against Ballynahinch on Saturday moved him on to 38 for the season and a new Club record. This beats the totals of 36 each previously set by Peter Shields and Darren Rice. Joint second in this season's rankings with 24 goals each were Sam Pyper and Andrew Shannon.

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:: emphatic win to end season

By robin mitchell
19/04/2008

North Down for so long promotion challengers had to come from behind tin their final league game against a Ballynahinch side that had just staved of relegation the previous week by beating Cliftonville
After Andy Forrest had twice gone close for North Down it was Hinch who took a shock lead Mark Graham latching on to a Philip Murray pass before deftly flicking over Andy Coates.The lead was doubled minutes later when Ross scored from an acute angle at a penalty corner.North Down contributed little in the first half but what a transformation in the second period after stern words from coaches Johnston and Davis.The game was turned on its head with North Down grabing 3 goals in the first 5 minutes of the restartGareth Bailie got the first after Forrests effort had been blocked Linter was the provider seconds later for Andy Forrest to equalise.Bailie put North Down in front when he also was set up by Linter.Their was only one team in it now and Andy Forrest extended the lead with 2 excellent finishes.Coates was required to clear his lines after an overhead pass had not been cleared.Barr played a super free into the circle but noone was able to get a touch.Mark Forrest added number 6 after exchanging passes with brother Andy Andy completed a virtuoso second half performance with his fourth and North Downs seventh with the last hit of the game.
Andy Forrests four goal hall created a new club goalscoring record.The record was previously jointly held by Peter Shields and Darren Rice with 36 goals but his 4 goal haul saw him overtake and set a new record of 38.Well done Andy

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:: Thirds Disappointed

By sam pyper
19/04/2008

The third eleven missed out on promotion to Junior 3 by a single point.Mossley secured maximum points from their last three games as a result of opposition teams not turning up.allowing them to stay ahead of North Down who had to properly fulfil all their games.
It is unfair to teams challenging for trophies etc if teams don’t turn up simply because they can,t be bothered travelling, particularly towards the end of the season when they have nothing to play for. .. In order to ensure that all fixtures are fulfilled perhaps the Branch should look at possibility of deducting points from those teams not fulfilling fixtures.
I guess we will never know if the best team won.

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:: 5ths win Strabane Cup

By robin mitchell
19/04/2008

Age and experience helped North Down to victory in the Strabane Cup final at Deramore on Saturday although they had to withstand some late pressure from South Antrim.The Comber team started stronger and were justly rewarded after 10 minutes when Jamie McKee scored following a short corner.
South Antrim whose oldest player was a 17 year old took their time to make an impact on the game but once they did the result could have gone either way
Antrim had the better of the exchanges towards the close and could well have forced extra time but failed to take advantage of two penalty corners which were expertly taken of the line by the experienced Gavin Rodgers.

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:: MEN'S 5THS PLAY IN STRABANE CUP FINAL THIS SATURDAY

By Jim Patterson
16/04/2008

North Down men's team of the year, the 5th XI, will play South Antrim 5ths in the final of the Strabane Cup at Belfast Harlequins this Saturday 19 April with pushback at 1.00 pm. If you're not involved in any of the 3 home league matches this Saturday come along and support the 5ths.

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:: U15 Training Cancelled Tonight

By P Whyte
14/04/2008

Please note that the U15 training tonight has been cancelled. The last training session of the year will be next Monday and as this is the last before the plate final a full attendance is required.

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:: U14 Boys Second in Ringwood Cup

By P Whyte
14/04/2008

On Sunday the U14 boys made the trip to Dublin to play in Three Rock Rovers Ringwood cup and finished a creditable second.

In the pool stages North Down were drawn with Dublin YMCA, Glenanne and the hosts. In their first game the boys beat YMCA 2-0. The first goal was converted by David Birch at the backpost, a position were he constantly caused problems for all the opposition, and the second was a low dragflick by David Shepherd that gave the keeper no chance. Despite creating numerous other oppurtunities, with Stephen Forrest prominent, they could not convert any more chances. Player of the match was Jonny Linter. In the second game the boys beat Glenanne 2-1. Stephen Campbell scored the first and it was easily the best goal of the tournament as he deflected the ball from the top of the circle into the roof of the net. North Down really put the pressure on and Mark Simpson smashed the ball into the net on the half volley to extend North Downs lead. However the boys switched of at this stage and allowed Glenanne to pull one back. They had to survive a nervous last five minutes but held on for the win largely thanks to a great defensive performance from Jordan Linter who wa player of the match. In their last pool game, having already qualified, the boys beat Three Rock 3-0. The first was another contender for goal of the tournament with Tom Donnan hitting the roof of the net from the top of the "D" with a reverse stick shot. The other goal were scored by David Shepherd with a shot from a short corner and Mark Simpson with another great shot from the top of the circle. Player of the match was Jonny Calvin.

Having qualified top of their group with a 100% record the North Down faced a good Cork Church of Ireland in the semi-final. This was a good game of hockey that North Down won by being more clinical and convertin their chances. The first was scored by Stephen Campbell who met a great free from David Shepherd at the back post and expertly tucked it away. North Down then came under great pressure from the C of I team as their legs began to tire but goalkeeper Tony Brown and the central defensive pair of David Shepherd and Jordan Linter were able to stop C of I scoring while being dangerous on the break. In the last minute North Down made certain of victory with Jonny Calvin converting a short corner to secure a final spot. Players of the match were David Shepherd and Jordan Linter.

It was to be an all Ulster final as the boys went up against Banbridge to decide the winners of the tournament. North Down were at this stage struggling with injuries to key players as fatigue began to set in and were beaten 3-0 by an excellent Banbridge side who throughly deserved to win the tournament. The first goal was caused by weak tacling that allowed a Banbridge player to go through the middle of the defence and score on the reverse. They added top their goal with seven minutes to go with a carbon copy goal of their first and added a third with a minute left as North Down pushed forward. Palyers of the match - Michael Black and Connor Millar.

This was a great day out for the boys, superbly organised by Three Rock Rovers, and coaches Bailie and Whyte were delighted by the skills and attitude of the entire North Down squad.

Player of the tournament - Jonny Calvin

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:: Andy Forrest strikes gold in Edinburgh

By Laura Clarke
13/04/2008

Congratulations to Andy Forrest who picked up a gold medal at the British University Championships in Edinburgh with Northern Ireland Universities. After drawing with Wales in their first game Northern Ireland inflicted a shock 3-2 defeat on their English counter parts with Andy scoring the winner. With a win required in their final game to ensure the gold medal against pre tournament favourites Scotland, the Northern Ireland boys romped to victory with an emphatic 5-0 win as Andy grabbed a brace.

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:: Unbeaten run ends

By robin mitchell
12/04/2008

North Down travelled to Raphoe on Saturday hoping to extend their unbeaten run against the league leaders but returned disappointed following a 4-1 defeat
Raphoe exerted the early pressure and after 10 minutes the North Down defence was caught in possession and Raphoe coolly took the lead through Patterson.With the North Down defence at sixes and sevens Raphoe extended their lead when Patterson was allowed to waltz through and score.North Down best move of the half involved the Forrest brothers who combined only to see Andys reverse effort blocked.
The second half showed some improvement in their performance and after 5 minutes Linter reduced the arrearsFollowing good work by Bailie and Wright..Some 10 minutes later Coates made an outstanding double save at a short corner and was unluckly to see Patterson score the rebound.Coates was having an outstanding game and on a number of occasions made point blank saves to keep his side in the game.The game was virtually over when Wright and then McMillan got yellow cards for rather inaucious fouls.Raphoe played out time with the extra men and Corry scored a unstoppable reverse shot right on fool time to give Raphoe a deserved 4-1 victory.

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:: thirds complete league programme

By sam pyper
12/04/2008

The 3’s hosted Annadale in the last rearranged fixture in the season. ND stood 2nd in Junior 4 a solitary point ahead of Mossley who had Raphoe to play on the same day and Ballynahinch the following week. Nothing but a win would do for the Comber side and fingers were crossed for Mossley to slip up with a draw for a playoff or better a loss for a ND promotion to Junior 3.
With injuries & work commitments from the teams above the 3’s were without regulars Nicholls, Shannon and Dazell for most of the game leaving opportunities for McKee, McGreevy and young Matthew Wilson to make an impression.
ND did not start well with the 4 man midfield unsure who was marking who. Annadale won 5 short corners in the first five minutes and managed to convert the last. Annadale were clearly up for it and ND had a job on their hands. Possession was lost too much in midfield however some good attacking play soon brought the hosts level through Pyper. McKee soon made it 2-1 with a great finish and how McGreevy missed on the goal line after Pyper had the keeper beaten was beyond the other ND players.
After the break ND controlled the game with G.Wilson putting in a great performance at the back and Rutherford commanding the midfield. Young Wilson did well in the second half on the right with a good passing display linking with Walls. ND continued to press seeking a third and it was McGreevy who did just that making up for his first half blunder with a neat finish. With ten minutes to go ND should of killed the game off but Annadale forward nicked in at the back post to deflect a shot past Parson. Nothing much the ND keeper could do.
With 5 minutes to go Annadale surprised the visitors with the equaliser, a replica of their previous goal. Parsons was livid at the ND defence. It looked as though ND had blown any promotion chances with the umpire signalling for 2 minutes remaining. ND pressed hard right to the end and in the final minute of the match a saved flick from Dazell landed at the feet of Shannon infront of goal. The 20+ goal scorer for the season has scored some vital goals this year and none more so than the winner to make it 4-3. Composed and collected Shannon picked his spot and made sure all the pressure was on Mossley.
Man of the match – Gavin Wilson
Thanks to Colin and Davy for umpiring and all the support from ND ladies on the sideline spurring us on.
As it turned out Mossley were gifted 2 points and perhaps promotion as Raphoe had a no show. Lets hope Ballynahinch stay out of the drop zone and get a result at the Glade on Saturday.

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:: North Down 2nds Draw & Lose.....

By KM
12/04/2008

The 2nds entertained Banbridge 3rds on Wed 09/04/2008 at Comber leisure centre in a re-arranged junior one fixture. Bann fielding an entirely different squad to that which hammered the Comber lads back in October started the better side. However, North Down somewhat rusty from a lack of games soon started to dominate play. Against play Bann opened the scoring but it was North Down who controlled the game and were to lead by 2-1 with goals from Colin Mockford and Ricky McMillan. The Comber lads created many chances but as so often this season squandered chance after chance. In the Bann goal Aaron Appleton was in excellent form and was evidently one of the busiest players on the pitch making some fantastic saves. With three minutes to go Bann with their third attack of the entire game scored to bring the score lines level. F/T 2-2. North Down were bitterly disappointed with this result.
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On Saturday the 2nds travelled to high flying Banbridge 2nds. Bann strengthened with the presence of Drew Carlisle etc dominated the majority of the match albeit they had only a small number of shots on the North Down goal. North Down under pressure for most of the game created the greater number of goal scoring opportunities but yet again they went amiss at great cost. Bann scrambled home the only goal of the encounter from a short corner to take the two points. Thanks to the four North Down lads who turned up for the 2nds at short notice due to a number of cry offs..... F/T 1-0

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:: Fifths in Cup Final

By PW
10/04/2008

The mens fifths progressed to the final of the Strabane Cup with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Down at Comber LC last night.

In front of a good crowd North Down stared on fire and dominated their neighbours, Down, early on. Their pressure was rewarded when a great ball from Peter Shields was converted expertly by George Harper who ghosted in at the back post. Despite creating several other oppurtunities North Down could not add to their total and were punished when in a rare attack Down converted a short corner. The game was marred at this stage by several off the ball incidents that led to the game becoming scrappy. Following a melee Gavin Rodgers and two Down players were sent to the sin bin. This incident seemed to settle both sides down and when the game got back to being about hockey North Down continued to press but could not make the pressure count and the scores remained level at half time.

The second half continued in the same vein as the first with North Down in control of the game. The pressure finally told when Ryan Donaldson calmly converted a broken down short at the back post. North Down learnt their lesson from the first half and despite provocation from Down concentrated on their hockey. This led to the best goal of the game with Andy Haire deflecting a shot from George Harper into the net following a flowing passing move. This was a deserved goal from Andy who had received some harsh treatment from the Down players. North Down proceede to kill the remainder of the game.

This was a good performance from the fifths and they will be confident of lifting some silverware when they play South Antrim in the final.

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:: Tonights Entertainment

By PW
09/04/2008

For those not watching Man Utd's inevitable march to Champions League glory this evenening there is a feast of hockey at Comber Leisure Centre. At 19:15 the mens seconds will be taking on Banbridge thirds and at 20:30 the mens fifths wll play Downpatrick thirds in the Strabane Cup semi-final. Two very important games so get down and support your club.

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:: nine in a row

By robin mitchell
05/04/2008

North down won their ninth game in a row when they defeated newry 5-1 at Kilkeel on Friday evening.
Coach Johnston had to reorganise his team with the unavailability of three of his players..North Down took the lead after 6 minutes when Keith drove the ball into the circle and the Newry keeper attempted to clear only for the ball to stick in his feet.Bailie was first to react and he shot home.North down were getting caught in possession and Newry won a corner after 12 minutes which Holmes expertly converted..Play swung from end to end with both sides creating chances.One minute from half time Willis gave North Down the lead when he scored following a goalmouth scramble.
Early in the second period Coates made a fine save to keep his side in front..North Down increased their lead after 8 minutes.Willis won the ball in midfield and quickly slipped the ball to Forrest who flicked past the advancing keeper.Newry began to tire and North Down dominated play.However the Newry keeper made a number of fine saves to keep the scoreline respectable.North Down scored a flukey fourth goal when a Keith free seemed to hit Bailie before entering the net.Newry won a short corner and Coates made a fine stick save.Forrest completed the scoring with minutes to go when he converted a short corner

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:: thirds defeat league leaders

By sam pyper
05/04/2008

The 3s hosted league winners South Antrim at Comber on Saturday. With Mossley dropping a point last week, this left ND 1 point behind them with 2 games left. Mossley with an extra game in hand were awarded 2 points as Portrush had a no show. It was therefore vital that ND took all the points to keep in with a shout for promotion.
The game started with ND dominating most of the play with Walls and Johnson controlling a 4 man midfield, however ball speed, decision making and passing was not up to standard and the ND defence were called upon against a strong Antrim side. ND had some great chances with Nicholls and Dazell working well on the wings and winning short corners. South’s goal line stood strong from the traditional stop and hit and took a smart variation to break the deadlock through Johnson. ND continued to press with Pyper and Shannon coming close. ND soon made it 2 when Keith came off the bench to make an immediate impact to deflect a cross past the stranded Antrim keeper. ND went into the break deservedly 2 to the good.
After the break play was much of the same with the ND defence holding strong with Bruce and Nicholson making some excellent tackles. With continuous pressure down the right wing a loose ball was picked up by McMullan who put Johnson through for his second, and a short corner from Pyper made it 4-0. ND seemed to be cruising however, South Antrim soon showed why they sat at the top of the table and with some good attacking play and slack ND defending, they converted 3 identical short corners. Following a similar pattern as the previous game, ND must rethink their strategy in defensive short corner plays.
ND’s impressive hold on the game deteriorated as South pressed for the equaliser and there was a huge relief when the whistle blew for full time at 4-3.
Thanks to Roger & Keith for umpiring.
Man of the match – Paul Johnson

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:: Baby Shields has Arrived

By CEdgar
04/04/2008

Congratulations to Peter & Claire Shields.
Baby James Patrick Shields weighed in at 9lbs 4oz early this morning 04-04-08
Mother and Baby doing well-apparently Father is exhausted!!!

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:: U15's Plate Semi

By P Whyte
02/04/2008

The boys U15s will be playing at Comber LC on Wednesday night against Lisnagarvey in the U15 plate semi final. This should be an excellent game of hockey and all support will be welcome.

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:: U15's Qualify for Final in Thriller

By P Whyte
02/04/2008

The boys U15's qualified for the Ulster Plate final with an exciting 5-4 win over Lisnagarvey A at Comber LC last night.

In a game that they were never behind in North Down took the lead early on when Tom Donnan seized on a poor clearance and set up Stephen Forrest who calmy slotted the ball past the Garvey keeper. Garvey responded almost immediately with an almost identical score following poor play out of defence by North Down. The game settled into a midfield battle after this with the pacey North Down forwards giving their team the slight edge. Following some more good play North Down won a short that was conerted brilliantly by David Shepherd. However almost immediatley Garvey responded as North Down failed to learn from their earlier mistake and again gave the ball away in a poor position and were punished. The game continued at frenetic pace and Paul Ritchie began to control proceedings stepping up from the back to supplement the midfield. Following a great run by Paul he expertly converted a goal he created himself thanks to excellent umpiring. The score remained 3-2 to half time.

The second half picked up from where the first half finished with the game played at great pace. North Down opened up a two goal cushion when Stephen Forrest, who led the line superbly all night, scored his second of the evening. Howevere Garvey showed great fighting spirit to fight their way back into the game with two excellent goals. North Down did not let their heads drop and got just reward for their excllent workrate when with ten minutes to go David Shepherd converted a reverse stick shot following a broken down short. This was a great piece of individual skill and thoroughly deserved to be the winning goal as it indeed proved to be.

This was a great game of hockey played by two teams looking to play fast, constructive hockey. North Down will now go on to play Lisnagarvey B in the final.

Player of the Match - Paul Ritchie

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:: Men's 5th XI reinstated in Cup

By Jim Patterson
29/03/2008

Subject to Branch Council approval next week, the 5th XI will be reinstated in their cup competition following 'irregularities' in the registrations of at least two of the teams who previously had qualified for the semi final stages of the competition. Deary me, who would have thought that such a thing could happen in local hockey, 1st XI captains registered for 2nd XIs etc, where will it all end?

The 5ths will play Down 3rds on 9 April, venue to be confirmed.

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:: Men firsts win at Portadown

By robin mitchell
29/03/2008

North Down travelled to Portadown on Saturday and in atrocious conditions defeated the locals 2-1.This was not North Downs best performance of the year by a distance and coach Johnston was happy just to scramble all 3 points.
Portadown were first out of the blocks and took the lead after 2 minutes.The ball was crossed from the left and poor marking in the circle allowed Gregg to score on the reverse.Portadown continued on the ascendancy winning a number of corners which North Down managed to keep out.Over elaborate play saw them give the ball away needlessly.Forrest made a fine run winning a corner.His effort was saved but Bailie was on hand to slam home the rebound after 25 minutes.
The second half saw some improvement in North Down play.They began to create chances but they were not clinical in front of goalForrest scored the all important goal after 50 minutes when he expertly scored from a short corner.Bailie had a great chance to make the game safe but his effort from in front of goal was scrambled clear.In the final minutes Portadown won a series of corners and Coates and his defence had to be on their toes to keep them out.
An important win but a disappointing performance.

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:: Thirds stay on track

By sam pyper
29/03/2008

The 3’s travelled to Service on Friday night looking to keep the pressure on Mossley for promotion in 2nd place. The game proved to be trickier than expected with a few ‘unfamiliar’ faces in the Service side that didn’t make the Comber fixture earlier in the season. After bright spells from ND it was Service who opened the scoring with a neatly taken goal from the edge of the area. ND continued to press with Shannon putting one over the bar from a defence splitting ball from Nicholson.
Dazell on the right wing won a short corner of which Pyper slotted home to equalise. ND continued to attack with Nicholls causing all sorts of problems in the area. It was Service who took the lead through a short corner which should of been cleared off the post from ND back line. ND got right back in it from a great reverse finish from Nicholls and went into the break tied.
ND came out for the second half and had some good possession, but basic stopping and passing was poor all over the park. This improved for a spell with Johnson and Nicholls working a good partnership on the right. Dazell popped up to put the visitors one up in a goal mouth scrap and Nicholls made it 4-2 with a good finish. At this stage ND should have been in control, however passes went astray and some good attacking play from the hosts earned them another short corner. A replicate of their first short corner found the back board and Caldwell should have done better. Minutes later ND give away another short corner and once again for the third time in the game the same routine equalised making it 4-4 with 15mins to go.
A point was simply not good enough for ND and they continued to search for the winner. A scrap in the Service area wasn’t cleared sufficiently and much to the surprise of the ND players McMullan raced into the D to pick up the loose ball and finish in the corner for the winner.
FT 5-4 win ND
Man of the match Melvin Nicholls

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:: U13 Cup Semi-Final report

By Keith Conway
27/03/2008

The under 13's hosted Armagh on Sunday in the semi final of the cup and were unfortunate to lose by 1 goal to nil.
The game started at a high tempo with North Down controlling the midfield and creating some early chances. However with all their possesion North Down could not turn this to goals. With Conor Millar marking the Armagh danger man out of the game, the majority of play was in the middle of the park, with few clear scoring chances for either team.
The turning point of the game came with 3 minutes to go to half time. Andrew McKibben playin at sweeper took a ball to the ankle and had to leave the field for treatment. During this time Armagh attacked down the right and crossed to the top of the circle, were a quick shot crashed into the net giving the unsighted McSherry in goal no chance.
The second half started with early chances for both teams, but poor finishing kept the score in favour of Armagh. North Down picked up the pace and piled the pressure on the Armagh defence with Conor Millar and Philip Wilson causing them all sorts of problems. North Down won a series of short corners but could not convert them to goals. As the final whistle blew, North Down won a penalty corner knowing they needed to score to send the game to extra time. The ball was switched to the right and played back to Jamie Hunter who saw his shot go inches wide into the side of the net, giving Armagh the win and passage to the final.

A dissapointing result but the boys can hold their heads up after a superb performance against a team much bigger than them.
Man of the match was Conor Millar

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:: Junior Schools Cup Success for Zara

By T Ritchie
27/03/2008

Well done to Zara Millar who was part of the successful Strathearn team that won the junior schools cup recently. This is a great achievement for Zara and all in the club would like to say congratulations.

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:: Youth Hockey Back

By P Whyte
27/03/2008

Youth hockey returns for all starting on Friday night after the Easter break. There is still much to play for with the U14 girls through to their finals day and the U15 boys in the plate semi-final. Training recommences with the U12 and U14 girls in Friday from 19.00-20.00, the minis on Sunday from 13.00-14.00 and the boys U13 and U15's on Monday from 18.00-19.00.

See you there.

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:: U14 girls make it nine out of nine

By P Whyte
27/03/2008

The U14 girls extended their winning streak to nine games this year with a 5-3 defeat of local rivals Ards.

This was a great game of hockey with both temas playing positively and going for the win. Ards started the stronger and scored first but North Down showed their fighting spirit to move into a 2-1 lead. Ards responded and the score was 2-2 at half time. In the second half North Down upped their game and created many scoring opportunities. The eventually ran out 5-3 winners.

Goal scorers wer Jenna Hoeyx2, Zara Millar, Chloe Brown and Natasha Roy.

Player of the Match: Rebecca Hatty

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:: NEW STOCK OF CLUB KIT AT PREMIER SPORTS

By Jim Patterson
21/03/2008

Premier Sports (at their new address of 70 Castle Street) in Comber have just taken delivery of a new stock of Club kit such as jackets, hoodies, ladies' fleeces etc. All sizes are currently available but everything is on a first come, first served basis as there won't be another delivery of Club kit until September. Even if you don't need any North Down gear at the moment there's lots of other stuff so why not pop in to Peter and Claire's new shop and have a browse?

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:: Youth Hockey Break

By P Whyte
16/03/2008

There will be no Monday night training for the boys U13's and U15's for the next two weeks due to St Patricks Day and Easter. The minis will not be on next week (Easter Sunday) but will recommence the week after. Happy Easter to everybody.

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:: 1ST XI CRUISE THROUGH AT SOUTH ANTRIM

By Jim Patterson
16/03/2008

North Down 1st XI continued on their winning ways running in seven goals away to South Antrim in Lisburn last Saturday. The 1st XI have now scored an impressive 44 goals in their last 7 games and, as ever, it was Andy Forrest to the fore repeating his hat-trick earlier in the season against the Lisburn side.

North Down stamped their authority on the game early on when Forrest finished a good move by flicking the ball over the stranded South Antrim keeper. The home team was well in the game at this stage but never looked as if they would trouble the North Down defence and went further behind when Richard Willis drove home the second goal into the corner of the net following a cross from Ross Linter. Young Linter himself instigated the move which then led to the third goal soon afterwards. A series of quick passes led to a shot on goal which the keeper saved but Linter, who can’t stop scoring now, was on hand to reverse flick in the rebound making it 3 – 0 to North Down at half time.

South Antrim hit back on 42 minutes when a long ball from McCandless found Greg Campbell in the North Down circle. For once the defence was all at sea and the striker turned the ball into the net for a simple goal. However, North Down settled the issue with two good goals minutes later both following fine inter passing play. On 48 minutes, Peter Shields squared the ball across the circle when well placed himself for Andy Forrest to drive home and 2 minutes later Richard Willis supplied the pass for Forrest to complete his hat-trick.

Gareth Bailie completed the scoring for North Down with 2 late goals. His first came following a short corner when he deflected in a strike at the far post and his second came following another flowing attacking move which led to an untidy goalmouth melee and Gareth was on hand to bundle the ball over the line. The victory moves the Comber side into 4th position in Senior One with only 4 games remaining.

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:: FIFTHS CONTINUE TO IMPRESS

By 5th XI reporter
16/03/2008

North Down 5ths entertained Mossley 6ths at Londonderry Park last Saturday and came away with both points in a 4 – 1 victory to not only complete a league double over the Mossley team but also keep their promotion hopes alive.

Good hockey was difficult on a bumpy shale pitch but North Down adjusted better to the conditions now alien to players brought up to play solely on astro surfaces. Ace marksman Taimur Khan put the home team ahead midway through the first half after a fine run down the right by Andrew Haire led to a cross from the bye-line from which Taimur slotted home. On the stroke of half time Mossley had a let off when Taimur shot wide with only the keeper to beat.

In the second half the 5ths gradually wore down their opponents giving nothing away at the back where young Mathew Wilson had a great game. With 50 minutes on the clock Taimur Khan made it 2 – 0 with the slightest of touches to a ball driven hard into the circle. Five minutes later Ryan Donaldson added a third goal in identical circumstances and then made it 4 – 0 when he escaped his marker and found space to get on the receiving end of a free from father David.

Mossley, spurred on by veterans Sleith and Fetherstone in midfield, never gave up the fight and were rewarded in the last 5 minutes with a consolation goal from a short corner which was deflected off Jamie McKee’s stick.

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:: Ladies Slip Up In Local Derby

By A Da Costa
15/03/2008

North Down took on NICS at Comber on sat in a clash which saw the visitors eager to cement their position in Senior 1 against a North Down side which included 5 not-so-fresh players from the 2nds defeat to Pegasus. As such Service started on the front foot, piling the pressure on, but the home defence was as solid as ever with Lyne Greenwood breaking down numerous challenges from the centre. This released Rebecca Bill on the right, who delivered several long passes up the line to Lynsey Stevenson. Up front North Down looked threatening, but were unable to capitalise on the opportunities which open play offered, and the first half ended scoreless.

The restart saw Service again came out all guns blazing, but this time their efforts were rewarded. A long ball from the right and a quick succession of passes got the better of the home defence and left them a goal down. Spurred on by their success, the visitors made light work of a stunned North Down side, and a breakdown in communication by the defence gifted Service with their second goal in a matter of minutes. However as has been their trademark this season, the Comber girls fought back, winning a string of penalty corners and defending their own goal with equal success. It was from one of the corners that Captain Lynsey Stevenson pulled one back for her team. North Down went on to produce some fine play, particularly from student/teacher set-up Andrea Long and Kathy Taylor in midfield, which greatly frustrated their opponents. The girls pressed a now cracking service defence, keeping things moving in the circle, and soon levelled the score thanks to a clean finish from Claire Coey. The game looked to be heading for a hard-fought draw, until a few minutes from time when a last-gasp effort from the desperate visitors brought the score to 3-2 in their favour and put them above the relegation zone for now.

Players of the match were Lyne Greenwood and Kathy Taylor. North Down will be looking to move forward and build on last week’s hard fought draw against Greenisland when they host them at Comber LC on Wednesday at 7:15.

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:: SUPPORT ADRIENNE DA COSTA IN THE LONDON MARATHON

By Jim Patterson
15/03/2008

Adrienne Da Costa is running for charity in the London Marathon on 13 April and would welcome any contributions from our generous Club members. You can help out by going to www.justgiving.com/adriennedacosta .

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:: Club Captain grabs late winner for Inst 2nds at Comber

By Chuck
15/03/2008

North Down 2nds hosted Junior One league leaders Inst 2nds on Saturday in the late slot at Comber leisure Centre. Inst fielded a strong side with Stephen Symington, Chris Barnes, Gavin Currie and Chris Kirk to the fore whilst the home side had to cope with a number of key players crying off through work and injury at the last minute. It was the Comber side; however that had the better start and forced Seay in the away goal to make a good save. In fact North Down created numerous chances in the opening exchanges but couldn't execute the finish. Inst started to get to grips with the game and Greg Frizelle fresh from scoring a winning penalty stroke for Inst 3rds against North Down 3rds the week previous started to dominate the midfield slot. Inst showed why they sit top of the league and demonstrated clinical finishing in the circle. They grabbed a 1-0 lead with their first shot of the game and soon increased it to 2-0 despite Mark Parsons making an excellent first time save. The Inst forwards just reacting the quicker. Inst applied all the pressure at this stage but North Down were always dangerous on the counter against a makeshift Inst defence which was missing Cooke and Hollway. Inst increased their lead with another fine goal to make the score line 3-0. North Down despite the deficit continued to create chances on the Inst goal but simply couldn't hit home. An excellent effort left a hapless Seay stranded as the ball hit the upright. Just prior to half time Ricky McMillan hammered the ball high into the Inst net past an unsighted keeper to reduce the score line to 3-1.
North Down started the stronger outfit and forced a couple of saves from the Inst custodian after the restart. Indeed the North down youngsters were getting plenty of mileage out of a slow Inst defence with direct running attacking hockey. Stephen Magee always a pain to any defence was causing all sorts of difficulties for the away rearguard and won a short corner off Currie. North Down were forced to adopt a new short corner routine due to so many players missing and they reduced Inst's lead to one goal after Magee slammed home his effort past a rigid Seay in goal. North Down sensed Inst were nervous and again it was Magee who beat Seay with a thunderous shot from the top of the circle leaving the keeper with no chance to bring the score line level. Inst were making mistake after mistake under pressure and went from a team encamped in the North Down half to one that had eleven men behind the ball. However, with the talent and drive in this Inst side they again displayed why they are top of the league. They dug deep and started to force their less experienced opposition back. Symington and Kirk coming to the fore in their hour of need. Indeed Barnes had a number of short corners saved by Parsons as Inst started to dominate and push forward. With six minutes to go Scotty Moore in a swift counter attacking move lost his centre back marker to be one on one with the keeper who made an excellent save from the youngster to keep his side in it. When it looked like a draw was going to be the order of the day Inst were awarded a short corner which Inst club captain Chris Barnes duly dispatched to the jubilation of the away side. With only a couple of minutes remaining on the clock North Down simply didn't have enough to react and were bitterly disappointed at what was felt to be a point dropped. F/T 3-4.
This was a fine display of hockey by both sides and it will be good experience for a number of the North Down youngsters being able to play against experienced players of high calibre.

Thanks to Pete & Nigel for umpiring.

Man of the Match – Colin Mockford

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:: ISLAND HILL CASTAWAY - HELEN MCGAUGHEY

By Man Friday
12/03/2008

In the last of our present series, today's castaway on Island Hill's sunny shores is ladies' 2nd XI star Helen McGaughey.

Which 10 records would you bring?

1 Don't stop me now - Queen
2 Right here waiting - Richard Marx
3 All Westlife albums
4 Time of my life - Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
5 I'm already there - Lonestar
6 Hate that I love you - Rhianna ft Ne-Yo
7 Alone - Heart
8 You raise me up - Josh Groban
9 Like a prayer - Madonna
10 I believe in you - Il Divo

And which 3 movies on DVD would you like?

1 The Bourne Trilogy
2 The Thomas Crowne Affair (Pierce Brosnan version)
3 Ocean's Eleven

A favourite book?

A time to kill - John Grisham

Whose sports result would you look for in the Sunday Desert Island Times?

Ulster Rugby and Liverpool.

Who would you like to be washed up beside you on the beach?

New Zealand fly-half Dan Carter!

Thanks to Helen and all of the other castaways who took part. Have to stop now as Island Hill is getting too crowded!

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:: Latest report on Steven McGimpsey's world tour!

By Jim Patterson
12/03/2008

I've just received the following from Gippy. It has been edited for mild language content!

I'm still well. I have lost a considerable bit of weight, gained a golden tan, grown a pathetic goatie and my hair has grown so voraciously it is on the verge of needing conditioner. I have been tracking the results and see that the boys have been doing fantastically, I think i should just concentrate on the architecture from now on. Flip, if id been away travelling from the start of the season we'd already be promoted!

Currently in thailand doing my open water scuba diving course, which is pretty awesome. Heading to hong kong in a few weeks for the sevens rugby tournament. A change in plan will see me in sydney for a month and im in the process of contacting sydney hockey teams to get involved.

Well, I had 7 weeks of pure chaos in India. Driving could be classed as an extreme sport here we just about avoided severe collisions at every corner, crossing and junction. There's litter everywhere, even in the most remote himalayan mountain villages, the concept of waste management or even a bloody bin for that matter is beyond the grasp of any self respecting indian! People piss in the streets, in broad daylight no less, and this does not mix well with open sewers on a hot and humid afternoon. Poverty is a big part of india, unfortunately. I think its something ridiculous like 12% of the population lives around the poverty line! It affected me profusely as I am a gentle soul at heart. You would have to be a heartless bastard for it not to affect you. We spent the first three weeks drinking beer from tea pots as the majority of north india is dry. In bombay we "starred" in a bollywood film with the actress Deepika Padukone, she is HOT HOT HOT. Spent a week chilling on a house boat in the palm tree lined backwaters of kerala and got wrecked up on the beaches of goa drinking old monk reserve, some hardcore trance was on the rip. Morbid, but we witnessed a human cremation in the spiritual mecca that is varanasi, a naked corpse burning on a pile of logs, a little disturbing. Played golf at Royal Calcutta Golf Club with personal caddy. mine incidentally played off 6. I think he got a little fed up of me hacking it round the course! Got pretty drunk, no, we got completely wasted in the clubhouse after and were politely asked to leave the premises. Early on i experienced a rather severe stomach upset. Generally speaking the middle class in india are arrogant aresholes, perhaps like some back home in good old norn iron. The poor are so helpful, are always smiling and are delightful people. I hold a lot more respect and time for them. The politics here are more adverse, corrupt, and generally worse than they are at home, which says a lot. Put short, the government are selfish bastards who are literally draining the life from their people, sad but true.

The next three weeks will bring the overconsumption of copious buckets and all night raves and i cant wait! To date ive had quite a range of random, liberating and odd experiences, encompassing all forms of emotion. My only hope is that it continues for the remainder of the journey. Ive rambled enough to bore any poor soul to tears so il leave it there.

Tell the boys i hope they continue to cause absolute destruction to their opposition for the rest of the season. I look forward to preseason, il get rid of my bitch tits yet.

Kindest,

Steven.

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:: UNDER 13 BOYS' SEMI FINAL THIS SUNDAY

By Peter Whyte
12/03/2008

The Under 13 Boys XI will meet Armagh U13s in the cup semi final this Sunday (16 March) at 3.00 pm at Comber Leisure Centre. Come along and support our team and help make it a big day for the boys!

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:: Ladies 2nds beat Omagh and ensure safety in Junior 1

By LC
09/03/2008

Omagh 2nds 1-2 North Down 2nds

The 2nds made the long trip to Omagh after Wednesday night’s derby success hoping for back-to-back wins that would ensure their survival in Junior 1. With only 11 players, not the usual squad of 13 that has been used so well recently and no fewer than five girls making the step up from the 3rds the Comber side knew they would have to work hard for the 3 points.
This became even more evident in the opening few minutes when it became clear that the visitors could expect little from the two Omagh umpires. As a result of this North Down lost their concentration as their arguing and disbelief at some very poor decisions distracted them from playing any good hockey. There was a mere 5 minutes on the clock when the Comber girls found themselves behind to a sloppy goal. This however spurred the visitors into life and they equalised shortly after. They were finally awarded their first, but unbelievable their only short corner of the game in the 12th minute. Laura Clarke’s goal bound strike was cleared off the line at the last minute but only to the waiting Hannah McKee who coolly lifted the ball into the net. North Down nearly went in front a minute later when Clarke sent through Eve Grimason but she shot wide.
With the score 1-1 at half time North Down were determined to make the long drive home with nothing less than 3 points. Omagh came out fighting in the second half and were awarded a series of short corners however these were well dealt with by Janice Scott at first runner. After this Omagh seemed to run out of steam as the Comber girls had them on the back foot for long periods with Eve Grimason causing all sorts of problems on the left for the home defence. As the threat of North Down scoring became more likely the chance of them being awarded anything seemed to vanish. After a couple of unsavoury incidents off the ball the North Down players became frustrated with Ann McBride and Laura Clarke letting their emotions spill over. Particular when Omagh were awarded a penalty corner after the ball had been cleared and North Down were in possession in the attacking 25’.
None the less the visitors stuck at it and Hannah McKee plugged away in midfield despite being the victim of some rash challenges. It was from one of McKee’s breaks that North Down looked to have grabbed the winner. After winning the ball in midfield and riding a couple of tackles McKee found Grimason on the left, she in turn weaved past her marker before sneaking along the back line unchallenged before cutting the ball back to Ashleigh Carr. Unbelievable her effort hit the post and managed to stay out. Sensing victory North Down piled forward. This time McKee was awarded a free after being hacked down just outside the 25’. From the resulting free Clarke picked out Grimason who made amends for her miss in the first half as she lashed the ball across the keeper and into the net for a much deserved goal which sealed the three points and North Down’s safety in Junior 1.

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:: North Down maintain winning ways

By Robin Mitchell
08/03/2008

North Down entertained Queens at Comber on Saturday and ran out winners by 4-2.
Queens opened strongly and had an early chance which went wide.Andy Forrest had 2 quick chances one which went wide and the other over the bar.At the other end Coates had to be on his toes to keep out a reverse shot.
North Down broke the deadlock after 15 minutes.Andy Forrest won a short corner.Speers effort was saved but Mark Forrest was on hand to slam home the rebound.Two minutes later the same duo combined again at a short corner to increase the lead.North Down were now controlling the game and Queens were defending with numbers..The Queens keeper made a mistake after 22 minutes giving Bailie an opportunity which he greatfully accepted.With 4 minutes remaining North Down won a corner and Speers expertly converted.
North Down lost their way in the second period allowing the students to get back into the game and two goals from short corners in the 48 and 53 minute gave them renewed hope.Coates had to make a fine save to maintain the 2 goal advantage.The best move of the game unfortunately resulted in an horrific head injury to Queens defender Stuart McCormick.Linter and Bailie worked the ball up the left wing and crossed for Shields to fire goalwards .The unfortunate McCormick was only feet away and took the full force of the strike on the head.After a long delay the game restarted but neither team seemed to have the drive or desire to continue.The game ended with North Down winning 4-2.

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:: Seconds Draw

By Robin Mitchell
08/03/2008

The second eleven drew 2-2 with Newry in a drab affair at Comber.
Newry took the lead when Caldwell was only able to parry a shot and the rebound was dispatched into the net.Howevert North Down fought back and goals from Magee and Gray saw them take an interval lead.A recurrence of a back injury saw Rice withdraw from the proceedings after 20 minutes.The second half saw North Down in the descendency but their over elaborate play allowed Newry to keep them out.The North Down defence always looked shakey when put under pressure and Newry equalised with about 12 minutes to go.

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:: 11 Goal Thriller

By Sam Pyper
08/03/2008

The 3's travelled to Cookstown determined to keep the pressure on at the top of Junior 4. Cookstown started the brighter with ND giving them too much time on the ball and slack marking. It was Cookstown who indeed opened the scoring with some poor marking at the back. ND got right back in it as Pyper smashed a loose ball from the edge of area to equalise. In attack ND created excellent chances with Moore and Keith making some great runs, however, it was worrying at the back much to the discontent of Parson in goal, as ND seemed unable to pick up their men and read Cookstown's play. Cookstown soon led again but Walls got a vital deflection from a hit in from just outside the area to make it 2-2 at the break.
A half time gee-up (and a right rolicking) from skipper Pyper seemed to do the trick and right from the whistle ND substitute Shannon finished well after a great work from Pyper and Moore on the right hand side. Minutes later the same move was replicated and Shannon got his second holding off the defender and slotting home past the Cookstown keeper.
ND looked comfortable for the next 10 minutes with some great moves through Nicholls but then they got complacent conceding 3 goals with some abismal defencive play! ND failed to mark their men and alot of ball watching did not amuse some ND players. 5mins remained and it looked like ND had thrown 2 points away. ND gained a free on the 22 yard line. Pyper picked out Nicholson at the top of the area and the big sweeper picked out Shannon infront of goal. As usual Shannon's deflective touch did the business and he grabbed his hatrick and the ball out of the net eager for ND to get the winner. It was again Shannon who did just that getting his 4th of the day! Pyper picked out a great run from the on form youngster who again deflected the ball past the keeper with the slightest of touches. ND players where estatic, Cookstown livid.
Attacking wise ND played some excellent hockey scoring quality goals, however defensively they need to sharpen up and start playing as a unit if they want to progress to junior 3!

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:: Hard faught draw for ladies

By A Long
08/03/2008

On a miserable Saturday afternoon, North Down travelled to Carrickfergus to play Greenisland. It was a game where North Down had the majority of the possession but due to Greenisland’s fantastic goal keeper, found it hard to capitalise.

In the first half, North Down dominated the play with some fantastic runs made by forwards Claire Coey and captain Lynsey Stevenson. North Down worked hard in the attacking circle to win many penalty corners, but once again, found it hard to finish due to the great saves made by the opposing goal keeper.

In the second half, Greenisland scored from a quick break and some fast movement upfront. However, even though the rain continued to pour down, the commitment from the North Down team shone through as sharp attacking play from the defence to the forwards resulted in a goal ten minutes later, from Claire Coey which equalised the score.

Greenisland had a few chances near the end of the match to come out with a win but North Down’s goal keeper Adrienne Da Costa was too good and kept the score even. Da Costa was voted player of the match.

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:: Ladies 2nds earn local bragging rights after beating Ards

By LC
06/03/2008

North Down 2nds 2-0 Ards 2nds

Last Wednesday night North Down 2nds picked up three valuable points in a well-contested derby against the old foe Ards. The Comber girls started brightly and controlled the game for the opening ten minutes. However after looking fairly comfortable North Down lost their way a little and found themselves under pressure. Too often they became bogged down on the left hand side and could have gone behind only for some resolute defending from the ever reliable Ann McBride and young Louise Speers. Things were very crowded in the middle of the pitch with the play becoming fairly scrappy at times and little flowing hockey being played as a result.
With the match still scoreless at half time the home side looked to employ a more expansive style of play that would suit their quick forwards and skilful players in midfield. This ploy seemed to be a success as North Down pinned Ards back in their own half for long periods as Hannah McKee and Laura Clarke controlled the pace of the game and fellow midefielder Julie Fisher made probing runs into the Ards circle on numerous occasions. It was from of the runs by Fisher that North Down final broke the deadlock. Fisher evaded several tackles before the visiting keeper saved her effort. However Ashleigh Carr was on hand to tuck the ball into the back of the net from a tight angle.
North Down continued to press forward and showed a lot of confidence to move the ball around for long periods and let Ards chase the game. The second goal followed shortly after when McKee was fouled just outside the 25’, from the resulting free Clarke picked out Fisher who at full stretch managed to divert the ball into the net for a well-taken goal. This was a deserved win for this more settled 2nds squad whose performances have dramatically improved in recent weeks which has been reflected in recent results. Thanks to Beverly for umpiring. Player of the Match Julie Fisher.

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:: ONLY 2 WEEKS TO GO

By Jim Patterson
06/03/2008

There's only 2 weeks to go until the Easter Tournament. Click on the fluffy Easter chicks on the right hand side of the Home page for details on entering your team etc.

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:: ISLAND HILL CASTAWAY - JIM PATTERSON

By Man Friday
05/03/2008

This week's castaway on sun drenched Island Hill is Club Secretary Jim Patterson.

Which 10 favourite records would you bring?

1 Wonderful Land - The Shadows
2 Another Brick in the Wall - Pink Floyd
3 Nessun Dorma - Pavarotti
4 Paranoid - Black Sabbath
5 Fields of Fire - Big Country
6 Brown Sugar - Rolling Stones
7 Radar Love - Golden Earring
8 Won't get Fooled Again - The Who
9 Teenage Kicks - The Undertones
10 Black Magic Woman - Santana

And 3 favourite movies on DVD?

1 It's a mad mad mad world.
2 Billy Elliott
3 A Beautiful Mind

A favourite book to bring?

Puckoon by Spike Milligan

Whose sports result would you look for in the Sunday Desert Island Times newspaper?

Northern Ireland's latest victory!

Which person would you like to be washed up on the beach beside you?

Joanna Lumley!

Next week's castaway, and the last in the present series, will be Helen McGaughey.

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:: Derby match against Ards for Ladies 2nds

By
04/03/2008

The ladies 2nds face local rivals Ards tomorrow night (Wednesday 5th) at Comber Leisure Centre. With ladies training cancelled because of this fixture the girls would appreciate your support for this local derby! Pass back is at 7.15pm.

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:: U13 Through to Cup Semi

By Keith Conway
03/03/2008

The U13's defeated Annadale by two goals to nil at Comber on Sunday to progess to the semi-final of the U13 cup for the second year in a row.

This was a close game against a good Annadale side but North Down had the edge throughout the game and thoroughly deserved their win. North Down began the game on top and got rewarded for early pressure when Philip Wilson set of on an incredible run from the halfway line. Leaving several players in his wake he rounded the keeper to score an excellent individual goal. North Down further increased their lead through captain Connor Millar. His shot from the top of the circle hit the post, and while other players froze Connor reacted to the rebopund to put north Down two goals clear. Annadane came into the game after this and it took a wonder save from Chris McSherry to leave the score 2-0 at half time.

In the second half Annadale continued to pressure the North Down goal but the defence were determined not to concede and Daniel Lavery in particular was superb in this half. North Down were also creating oppurtunites with the direct running and skills of Phlip Wilson causing all sorts of problems for the Anndale defence. Another couple of saves from Chris McSherry kept his goal in tact and North Down saw the game out.

This was an excellent performance that left coaches Keith Conway and Ross Linter delighted with the standard of ability shown by all the players. Player of the match - Daniel Lavery

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:: U14 Boys Lisnagarvey Tournament

By Peter Whyte
03/03/2008

On Sunday the U14 boys went to Garvey to play the home team and Three Rock Rovers in a tournament.

The boys first game was against Three Rock and the boys played some excellent hockey to win 5-0. The boys attacking play in particular had a real cutting edge to it. The goals were scored by Mark Simpson (2), Stephen Forrest, Stephen Campbell and Tom Donnan. Tom was excellent throughout this game and he controlled the midfeld area superbly delivering quality ball after quality ball to the forwards. He was ably assisted by David Shepherd who supported the midfield from sweeper and made a couple of excellent runs that showed his undoubted ability. Keeper Adam Drakelee had to be on his toes on a couple of ocassions but his calmness in his kicking gave the rest of the defence a lot of confidence and they allowed Three Rock only the ocassional sight of goal.

The boys knew the second game against the hosts would be a much more difficult encounter. North Down stared this game the brighter and took the lead from a great strike at a shot corner from Stephen Campbell. After this Garvey dominated the remaider of the game. However North Down stood up to the pressure well and the defence of Welsh, Henderson, Russell and Drakelee (with some excellent saves) were well marshalled by David Shepherd. Eventually the pressure told and Garvey scored two well worked goals to take the match 2-1.

All the boys played well in this tournament with their attacking play showing real penetration and the workrate of the boys excellent. Player of the tournament - Tom Donnan and David Shepherd (to close to call!!)

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:: North Down Stroll to Easy Victory

By Robin Mitchell
01/03/2008

North Down travelled to Ards on Friday evening to play Down.In atrocious conditions they secured a comfortable 6-0 victory although the standard of play at times deteriorated with the weather.
North Down opened at a furious pace and Down struggled to get a touch of the ball in the early minutes.Speers opened the scoring after 7 minutes when he scored from a short corner.Straight from the hit off Conway found Forrest with an overhead and he rounded his marker before supplying Willis with a simple tap in.It looked as if the flood gates would open but credit to Down who defended stoutly for the remainder of the half.>However North Down created a number of chances but poor finishing allowed Down to keep them out.
The second half was only minutes old when Speers got his second.Mark Forrest found Speers free at the top of the circle and he beat the keeper with a reverse shot.Two minutes later the Forrest brothers combined to give Mark a tap in..North Down introduced some of their young players to give them some senior experience and they did not look out of place.Colin Morrison was solid at the back and Under 16 international Paul Ritchie always had time on the ball.Andrew Caldwell deputising for Ulster keeper Andy Coates did not have a save to make..The Down goal had a number of narrow escapes both from open play and corners.With 12 minutes remaining Ross Linter scored his first senior goal when he was on hand to hammer home a Forest cross.Seven minutes later Andy Forrwst scored the sixth from a corner variation.Andy has created a new club scoring record with goals in each of his last 12 games.He is also closing in on Peter Shields and Darrren Rices record of 36 goals in a season..
Coach Paul Johnston was concerned at injuries picked up by Shields and Willis but hopefully both will be available for next weeks game

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:: 2nds beaten by league leaders.

By KM
01/03/2008

The seconds travelled to Junior one league leaders Instonians 2nds on Saturday and returned to Comber beaten 5-1. The Comber lads started the better and the Inst keeper was forced to make a fine save from a Magee short corner within the first two minutes. Inst with veteran Neil Cooke and Robert Holloway at the back started to control and hammered out some pin point passes from the back to their front men. Inst with all the pressure opened the scoring with a scrambled effort past MacArthur. North Down again struggling on a fine water based pitch eventually started to get to grips with the pitch and carved open a few chances only to see the opportunities missed. Inst again had their keeper to thank with an excellent save from a Magee short corner. The half closed with Inst leading 1-0.
The second half opened with Inst scoring in the first thirty seconds with a fine goal. North Down again created chances intercepting wayward passes from some poor Holloway clearances but again the Comber lads couldn't execute. Inst on the other increased their lead to three with another good goal. Some poor discipline by Aaron Gill almost resulted in a facial injury to Keith Haslett and early bath but the matter was soon forgotten and Inst were back on their way with another goal to make it four. Peter Whitten blasted home a goal for the away side past a hapless keeper to reduce the arrears. Inst restored parity when they hammered home number five. Again North Down created chances but simply could not score. Inst played the game out winning 5-1. This was a dour and flat game of hockey with little to offer the spectator. Inst will be happy regardless securing another two points in their quest for the league. For North Down this was a poor day at the office with little positive to take away especially after the wins over Annadale and Lisnagarvey 2nds. North Down face Newry 2nds at Comber next Saturday and a better all round performance is demanded. F/T 5-1
Man of the Match - Keith Haslett

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:: 3rds edged out of cup in strokes...

By Rusty
01/03/2008

The thirds faced an experienced Instonians side at Comber Leisure centre on Saturday in the cup. The thirds fielding a young side were confident that they could give there opponents a good run for their money. This despite Inst fielding one or two players who had played in Junior league one earlier in the day. Inst started the stronger and it took some time for the North Down midfield to get to grips with the game and the positioning of the Inst umpire Bill Harvey who was more often than not caught up in the middle of play much to the amusement of the sidelines. Walls’ working hard in the middle of the park was starting to get the better of his much more experienced opponent and Piper was starting to get some mileage out of the Inst defence with the odd half chance on goal. Inst with some talented players on show took the lead with a fine goal leaving Parsons in the home goal no chance. This was a typical cup match flowing from end to end but it was Inst who were able to close out the half 1-0.
The second half started at a frantic pace with both sides looking to dominate. North Down started to create a lot of chances and Inst were clearly dangerous on the break. Andrew Shannon had an excellent opportunity to bring the scores level but he missed the ball when unmarked at the back post. Melvyn Nichols was proving to be a real handful for the Inst defence and the youngster was creating chance after chance but North Down couldn't find that all important goal. Ben King continued with his fine form and had to be on his toes in order to snuff out any dangerous counter attacks by some talented Inst forwards. Some excellent build up play by Nicholls and Shannon and a defensive mistake by the Inst sweeper allowed ‘Rusty’ Piper to hammer the ball home into the roof of the Inst net to level the scores. Melvyn Nichols had an excellent effort saved by an equally excellent save when he attempted to round the keeper. Some last ditch defending by Inst negated any chance of North Down taking the lead and the match went into extra time at 1-1.
Inst were the quicker out of the blocks and Parsons had to use all his experience to keep some excellent Inst efforts on his goal out. The game was going from end to end and as player got tired more and more mistakes were being made. Both teams had chances to win the contest and nothing could separate the sides. In the second period of extra time inst were awarded a penalty stroke. Up stepped the big sweeper wearing number 13 and in an effort to make amends for his earlier mistake that allowed North Down to score he struck the post. It defiantly was unlucky 13 for him. The match was played out in the same vain as it had started with it flowing from end to end. The dreaded penalty strokes lottery now loomed. Inst opted for the experienced player to take theirs and North Down for the youngster route. With both teams scoring three each North Down faltered and Inst took the lead. Again North Down faltered and for the second time in the match up stepped number 13 for Inst who flicked home to take the match.
North down played well in this encounter and the young players will learn form such experiences and move on. They can now focus on their goal of promotion and hope there is no cup hangover. For the spectator this was an excellent cup match by two committed sides and was thoroughly enjoyed.
Man of the match - Melvyn Nichols.

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:: U12 Tournament Report

By H McGaughey
29/02/2008

Spirits were high following recent training sessions as the girls took part in their 4th tournament of the season. The first match of the day against Victorians resulted in the girls playing their best and most competitive game of the season. Rolb and Elliott in particular stood out with superb attacking and defensive roles respectively. Unfortunately Rolb would have broken the deadlock had it not been for the efforts of the Victorians GK. A 0-0 draw at the end meant that ND had earned their first competitive point of the season. Overall this was a brilliant result but also one which the girls’ effort deserved a little more. High in confidence the girls started their local derby against Ards just as they finished their previous match. In quite a frantic end to end encounter both sides showed good skill and ambition early on. Most pleasing was the link up play between the defence and forwards. As the pressure mounted it was a defensive error by the Ards GK that enabled Jones to pounce on the opportunity to give ND the lead. 1-0 up ND continued to push but in was an unlucky own goal that saw Ards draw level. With their confidence knocked Ards capitalised scoring 2 further goals in quick succession. Despite being 3-1 down ND fought back and with minutes to go a fierce strike by Rolb saw them pull one back. As time ran out ND had to reflect on a game of missed opportunities but once again their performance continued to improve. In the last match of the day the girls faced the daunting opposition of Armagh. Once again with new found determination and skill the girls fought hard for every ball despite having to defend for most of the match. Special mention must be given to Gilliland in defence and Whiteside in Goals who were both excellent. As Armagh became increasingly frustrated the possibility of a draw drew nearer only for Armagh to snatch victory with minutes to go.

Overall this was the girls’ best performance of the season by quite some distance. It was great to see the skills being taught on a Friday night finally come to fruition on the pitch.
Player of the tournament was Elliott.

Once again thanks to all the parents for their support and to Sharon McGaughey for her help in organising the girls.

Next Tournament March 9th 2008

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:: U14 Boys and Girls in Friendly Tournament

By P Whyte
28/02/2008

The U14 boys and girls sides will be in action this weekend as they take part in a three team tournament with Lisnagarvey and Three Rock Rovers from Dublin.

The tournament is being held at Lisnagarvey and runs from 2.00-4.00. This should be an excellent tournament and the standard of competition should be high. All support welcome.

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:: U13 Boys Cup Quarter- Final

By P Whyte
28/02/2008

The U13 boys have been drawn against Annadale in the quarter-finals of the cup. This will be a tough game for the boys and all support will be welcome. Pass back is 2.30 in comber. This match will be followed by the firsts playing a friendly against Ulster Juniors. So for a feast of hockey entertainment Comber is the place to be on Sunday.

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:: TODAY'S ISLAND HILL CASTAWAY - CLAIRE COEY

By Man Friday
27/02/2008

Today's castaway on the far flung sun drenched desert island of Island Hill is ace 1st XI ladies striker - Claire Coey.

Which 10 records would you have with you?

1 Don't Stop the Music/Get up an Drive/Umbrella - Rhianna
2 Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
3 Dreams Catch Me - Newton Faulkner
4 On and On - Jack Johnson
5 Nothing Compares to You - Stereophonics
6 Changes - Sugababes
7 Sexyback - Justin Timberlake
8 Dakota - Stereophonics
9 Walking on Broken Glass - Eurythmics
10 Cigarettes and Alcohol - Rod Stewart

Which 3 movies on DVD?

1 The Bourne Ultimatum
2 Dirty Dancing
3 Sex in the City (Box Set)

A favourite book?

The Da Vinci Code

Which sports result would you look for in the Sunday Desert Island Times newspaper?

I wouldn't!

Who would you like to be washed up on the beach beside you?

Sawyer from Lost (yum yum!)

Thanks Claire for taking the time to answer all the questions. Next week's castaway will be from one of the men's teams.

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:: Ladies 1st XI secure 3 points

By R Bill
25/02/2008

On Saturday North Down hosted Cookstown. North Down had a good start dominating the first 15 minutes. An early goal was disallowed due to the home team allegedly breaking the circle at a short corner. After this Cookstown built up some pace and came back strongly challenging the North Down defence. Lyne Greenwood, the player of the match, made countless vital tackles to keep Cookstown out of the North Down circle. However just before half-time Cookstown’s Laura Buchannon put the ball into the back of the net. H/T 0-1

Eight minutes after half-time Cookstown were 2-0 up. Nevertheless North Down kept their heads and showed what determination could do with captain Lynsey Stevenson scoring a great goal from a penalty corner. North Down went on to score two more goals within five minutes; one from Julie Fisher and the other by Claire Coey. The whole team played well as a unit, particularly in the second half and made sure they came out on top.

They are now placed third in the league table and have to win every match from now on to qualify for the play off's, but their heading in the correct direction.

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:: 2nds defeat Lisnagarvey 2nds

By KM
23/02/2008

The seconds defeated a strong Lisnagarvey second eleven side at Ards leisure centre on Saturday 3-2 with goals from Darren Rice (2) and Stevie Magee (1).

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:: Thirds Continue Winning Run

By Sam Pyper
23/02/2008

The 3s travelled to Parkview hoping to keep the pressure on at the top of the league. They knew it would be a tough game on the unfavoured gravel pitch and if the home game earlier in the season was anything to go by, it was sure to be a fiery affair.
ND started the brighter adapting their style of play to suit the bumpy pitch, with long balls driven into the danger area. Within 2 minutes they could have taken the lead through Rutherford who had a great shot tipped round the post. ND continued to attack Parkview’s goal area with numerous crosses coming through. Shannon came close on occasions but ND couldn’t break the deadlock. HT 0-0
Parkview came close early in the second half with a few short corners, given very dubiously by their own umpire after their striker on one occasion seemed to control the ball with his feet & chest. Surely a hit-out! These poor decisions angered the visiting team and skipper Pyper was warned for expressing his frustrations to the umpire. Once more and he would be off. ND desperate to get a win today pressed on goal and were solid at the back. Pyper had the last laugh as he struck a loose ball from the top of the circle past the Parkview keeper.
ND then held the ball up in midfield and tried to keep possession to run out the clock. In the last 15mins of the game, Parkview were irritated and continued to hack at ND central midfielder Walls. Determined to take him out of the game, a 50-50 ball was the ideal opportunity for Parkview, however with no intention to get the ball, Walls was up ended and Parkview midfielder shown a yellow card. Walls as usual picked himself up and battled on.
. F/T 1-0 Thanks to George Harper for umpiring.

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:: North Downs Goal Spree Continues

By Jim Patterson
23/02/2008

North Down and Belfast Harlequins who the previous week had scored an incredible 22 goals between them added another 10 to their combined tally last Saturday at Comber Leisure Centre but it was the home side who took the honours with yet another impressive victory over a team just above them in the league.

Harlequins started strongly and controlled play in the opening minutes only to go a goal behind after 9 minutes when a breakaway on the left flank by Ross Linter led to a cross which Mark Forrest swept past the Harlequins keeper. The visitors continued to dominate midfield but for all their possession they made no impact in the North Down circle and Andy Coates in goal was little more than an interested spectator. As the first half progressed, North Down slowly started to get to grips with the game and their patient build up play suddenly had Harlequins rocking with three goals in 8 minutes. On 24 minutes, Gareth Bailie forced the ball home after a defensive mix up, Peter Shields slammed home the third goal 4 minutes later and then Mark Forrest added his second on the 32nd minute leaving the score 4 - 0 to North Down at half time.

To their credit, Harlequins started the second half with renewed determination which paid off in the 39th minute when they were awarded a penalty stoke after a stick tackle by Patrick Wright but Andy Coates pulled off a great save diving to his right to keep his goal intact. Minutes later, Harlequins finally scored when Anderson drag flicked a shot from the first short corner of the game and on 54 minutes added a second from open play with the North Down defence for once showing hesitation in clearing their lines. On 57 minutes, North Down were awarded their first short corner of the game and when Harlequins failed to clear the ball immediately it broke to Richard Willis for the skipper to volley home from close range. Although the visitors added their third from another short corner drag flick by Anderson on the hour that was the end of their attempt to get back into the game. The last 10 minutes finished in a flurry of activity in the Harlequins half. In open play, Andy Forrest scored his first of the game to continue his consecutive scoring run and then deftly scored from a penalty stoke 2 minutes from the end after the ball stuck a Harlequins defender on the goal line. On the stroke of full time Andy Coates pulled off the save of the game diving to his right to prevent a further consolation goal for Harlequins who finished a very tired and beaten team.

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:: ISLAND HILL CASTAWAY - ANDY COATES

By Man Friday
20/02/2008

This Wednesday's castaway washed up on Island Hill's golden strand is men's 1st XI and now Senior Ulster goalkeeper Andy Coates!

Which 10 singles or album tracks would you like to have with you?

1 Something About You - Level 42
2 Adam's Song - Blink 182
3 I Don't Care - Transvision Vamp
4 My Way - Frank Sinatra
5 Sweet Child O'Mine - Guns n Roses
6 Let There Be Love - Nat King Cole
7 I Miss You - Blink 182
8 Dignity - Deacon Blue
9 Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
10 Jessie - Joshua Kaddisson

And 3 favourite movies on DVD?

1 Pan's Labyrinth
2 Once Upon a Time in America
3 An Affair to Remember

A favourite book to bring?

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Whose sports result would you look for in the Sunday Desert Island Times newspaper?

QPR

And who would you like to have washed up on the beach beside you, apart from Mrs Coates of course?

Cameron Diaz!

Thanks Andy for taking part. Next week's castaway will be one of the ladies.

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:: ANDY FORREST SETS NEW CLUB SCORING RECORD

By Jim Patterson
19/02/2008

With his 4 goals last Saturday against Cliftonville, Andy Forrest has now scored in 11 consecutive matches - a Club record beating Stephen Magee's 9 in a row earlier in the season. His next target is Darren Rice's and Peter Shields' joint record of 36 in a season, Andy is currently on 25, 8 ahead of Sam Pyper and Stephen Magee.

For those interested, the all time North Down career goal scoring top 10 is:

1 222 Richard Glover
2 201 Jim Sloan
3 200 Colin Linter
4 173 Peter Shields
5 170 Ian Shields
6 165 Crosbie McVeigh
7 134 George Harper
8 125 Simon Hunter
9 125 Andrew McGimpsey
10 111 Sam Pyper

Others still active in the top 20 are:

13 103 Darren Rice
15 94 Richard Willis
16 89 David Donaldson
18 85 David Wishart
20 73 Johnny Gray

and closing in fast are Andy Forrest and Paul Johnston each with 71!

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