Southside celebrate return to Ballymena with hard-fought victory

Southside Youths FC pictured in their new Dunbia-sponsored football kit at Wakehurst before their weekend match against Larne. INBT 42-870H

Having played all their previous South Belfast Youth League games in and around greater Belfast, a large crowd was in attendance at Wakehurst for Southside’s ‘homecoming’.

They had to wait just five minutes to celebrate a goal when Stewart Nixon received the ball on the left hand side of the penalty area and he cleverly lobbed the visiting goalkeeper.

Southside continued to dominate but couldn’t add a second goal with the referee chalking off an effort for offside.

And the Ballymena boys were shocked in the second half as Larne equalised with an unstoppable free kick.

But as the minutes ticked away Sam McNiece broke down the right and his perfectly placed cross was superbly finished first time by Ryan Stewart in the near post area.

Southside held on for a 2-1 win which puts them second in the table in the South Belfast Youth League.

Southside: Erwin, Nixon. Livingstone, Logan, Allen, Graham, Bonnes, McCready, Calderwood, McNiece, R Stewart J Stewart, McDowell, Henry, Corrigan, Kirk.

* Southside Youths, in association with Edwin May Volkswagen, are holding a major fund-raising concert, featuring Ritchie Remo and his band, in the Braid Arts Centre on Wednesday, November 27.

Look out for more details in the coming weeks.