5–1 Victory for Ladies 1s Despite Rainy Start

Heavy rain greeted both teams in Comber as North Down took on Ballymena. It didn’t take long for the action to begin as a quick green card was shown to Sophie Leckie for failing to give five yards, swiftly followed by a yellow for her younger sister Tara Leckie for the same offence, leaving North Down temporarily down to nine players.

Despite the setback, North Down struck first. Returning from her suspension, Sophie Leckie made an immediate impact, firing a clinical strike into the bottom left corner to give her side a 1–0 lead and lift spirits. The first quarter ended with North Down in front.

Early in the second quarter, North Down doubled their advantage. A well-worked short corner saw the initial shot saved, but Gabby Scates reacted quickest to the rebound, slotting the ball home to make it 2–0. North Down pressed forward with confidence, refusing to sit on their lead. Their pressure paid off when the Ballymena keeper’s clearance fell to Connie Magee at the top of the circle. Her first attempt was blocked by the defender, but with quick thinking she turned onto her reverse and sent the ball looping perfectly over the defence and into the net – a moment of real skill that made it 3–0 at half-time.

As the rain stopped but the pitch remained heavy, both sides battled against a slow ball. Ballymena tried to break through with long, powerful hits, but centre-back Jenna Pliauga was rock solid, cutting out attacks and launching counters. One such move found Caitlyn Taylor, who produced a clever flick past the Ballymena keeper to extend the lead to 4–0.

Continuing in the third quarter, Ballymena pushed hard to get back into the game, but goalkeeper Kathryn McGregor produced several brilliant saves to keep her clean sheet intact. The North Down defence and midfield linked well, recycling possession and keeping Ballymena under pressure.

North Down’s momentum continued from a long corner when Anna Crooks spotted the unmarked run of Caitlyn Adair from centre-back. A neat one-two with Connie Magee opened space at the top of the circle with Connie finishing decisively for her second goal of the day, stretching the lead to 5–0.

Ballymena, to their credit, kept fighting and were rewarded late on with a well-executed short corner, pulling one back with their goal entering at the post from a deflection. However, it was too little too late, as North Down secured a convincing 5–1 victory.