Championship

CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE RACE KEEPS HOTTING UP

16 Mar 2024
football
© Sarah Harkness/Pacemaker Press

The ongoing saga in the Playr-Fit Championship continued with yet another dramatic weekend for those sides battling it out at the top.

The lead twice changed hands but, after the dust settled, Dundela still remain in pole position.

The Duns returned to the summit thanks to Jake Corbett’s goal just after the half-hour which proved to be enough to see them past Ballinamallard United at Wilgar Park.

Bangor had toppled Stephen Gourley’s side overnight after hitting five without reply past Knockbreda on Friday evening.

The Seasiders killed the game off with four goals in a blistering eight-minute spell early in the first half.

Scott McArthur opened the scoring on ten minutes after being played through by Ben Arthurs to knock the ball past keeper Marc Matthews.

Tom Mathieson doubled Bangor's lead from close range just a minute after that before, on 13 minutes, Adam Neale got on the end of an Arthurs flick to extend the home advantage.

Neale then doubled his tally for the evening five minutes later when, this time from an Arthurs header, he took the ball round Matthews and into the unguarded net.

Arthurs was then rewarded for his efforts with Bangor's fifth - a header from Matthew Walker's cross - with 12 minutes remaining to complete the scoring.

But the big game of the weekend saw Portadown come from a goal down to snatch a stoppage time winner away to Institute.

‘Stute had led at the break thanks to Mikhail Kennedy’s penalty very late in the first half, but Aaron Traynor hit back for the Ports a few minutes after interval.

And that was how it stayed until the 97th minute when Eoghan McCawl knocked home a dramatic winner for Niall Currie’s side.

Elsewhere, Annagh United’s run continued with victory over Newington at the BMG Arena.

Both goals in the 2-0 win came in the first half with Niall Henderson finding the net after just three minutes ahead Nathan Kerr’s penalty before the break.