Gareth Bingham, David Teggarty and Keith Hamilton stepped into the managerial void in an interim basis.
They’d worked tirelessly during the week to convince a number of familiar faces to return to action ahead of Orangefield OBs.
Ballynahinch United 3 – 3 Orangefield OBs
Saturday 5 September
Despite two dropouts on matchday morning, United were able to welcome Stuart McMullan, Matthew Shaw, Alan Patterson and Jamie McNeill to the starting line up.
But it was Orangefield who took the lead after a poor clearance allowed them a second chance to put the ball back into the box, and the rebound fell kindly to the men in orange.
United pulled one back when Glenn Bennett slotted home from the spot after a blatant handball reduced the away side to ten men.
It was level at the break, but United benefitted from their man advantage when Ian McMullan pounced on a loose ball, drove forward and found the top corner.
Ian added a third for the home side when his shot was deflected into the Orangefield goal.
Unfortunately, tired legs were United’s downfall. Orangefield scored twice to level the score once again and give both sides a point at the final whistle.
Line up
Anthony Greene
Charlie Parkinson
Stuart McMullan
Scott Brashaw [C]
Ethan Perkins
Alan Patterson
Jamie McNeill
Ian McMullan
Glenn Bennett
Matthew Shaw
Roy Shilliday
Unused subs: Keith Hamilton, Gareth Bingham, Edan Reid.
Ballynahinch United 2 – 6 Grove United
Saturday 12 September
Ballynahinch welcomed Grove United to The Millbridge just four weeks after the reverse fixture.
The home side went into the game missing three of their returnees from last week, plus Glenn Bennett, but David Corrie did return.
However, it was Grove who opened the scoring in the 7th minute. United equalised when David Corrie powered through after battling hard for a long ball and the scores were level at the break.
Grove came out more determined in the second half and scored 6 minutes in. They added four more before United could respond with Ian McMullan finishing well from outside the box.
Line up
Anthony Greene
Ethan Perkins
Alan Dickson
Scott Brashaw [C]
Greg Blunt
Charlie Parkinson
Roy Shilliday
David Clyde (Callum Greene (Gareth Bingham))
Ian McMullan
David Corrie
Stuart McMullan
Unused sub: Keith Hamilton.
The Swifts faced the same scoreline against local rivals Ballynahinch Olympic Town, with Stephen McNair and Diarmuid Lavery getting on the scoresheet.
Line up
Mark Scott
Max Parkinson
Kian Connolly
John McMenamin [C]
Edan Reid, Stephen McNair
Ben Kennedy
Conor Graham
Diarmuid Lavery (Kaleb Holmes)
Luke Craig
Bradley Herbert (Graeme McMullan).
Albert Foundry 10 – 2 Ballynahinch United
Saturday 19 September – Border Cup, Rd 2
In a break from the league, Ballynahinch travelled to 1A flyers, Albert Foundry. A harsh decision gave the home side the chance to break the deadlock from the spot, but United equalised through Alfie Coulter with a goal on his debut.
Albert Foundry responded with two more before Ian McMullan weaved his way through the crowds to pull one back.
In the second half, Foundry showed their quality and took United apart in a result that was more than expected.
Line up
Michael Vladeanu
Ethan Perkins
Matthew Douglas
Scott Brashaw [C]
Edan Reid
Will McNeill
Jamie McNeill (Gareth Bingham)
Ian McMullan
Glenn Bennett
Alfie Coulter
Callum Greene
Unused subs: Keith Hamilton, Charlie Parkinson
The Swifts welcomed Celtic Bhoys Academy to The Millbridge for their first home game of the campaign and took the lead when Bradley Herbert prodded home.
In the second half, Leo Elliott doubled the home side’s advantage however Celtic Bhoys responded five minutes later with two goals in a minute. The Hoops bagged the winner with United tiring 5 minutes from time.
Line up
Lewis Roy
Bradley Herbert (Mark Scott)
Kian Connolly
Calvin Yeates
Greg Blunt [C]
Kaleb Holmes
Leo Elliott
Roy Shilliday
Diarmuid Lavery
Bohdan Hopanchuk
Luke Grant
Orangefield OBs 7 – 5 Ballynahinch United
Saturday 26 September
In a huge game with both teams at the foot of 1C, it was the home side that raced into an early lead with two goals inside ten minutes, and a third after 20 minutes.
But United reduced the deficit when Matthew Douglas bundled home a rebound from Scott Brashaw’s freekick.
It didn’t last long as Orangefield added two more before the break.
Ballynahinch performed much better in the second half miraculously pulling the score back to five all, with goals from Glenn Bennett, Jamie McNeill, David Clyde and a second for Matthew.
And they had other chances that could’ve changed the result, but a dubious penalty and offside call allowed Orangefield to nick all three points late in the game despite United’s second half heroics in a 12-goal thriller.
Line up
Michael Vladeanu
Ethan Perkins
Will McNeill
Scott Brashaw [C] (David Clyde)
Ian McMullan
Ben Wilson
Roy Shilliday
Jamie McNeill
Glenn Bennett
Charlie Parkinson
Matthew Douglas
Unused subs: Callum Greene, Gareth Bingham
Meanwhile, the Swifts fell to a 5-0 defeat at The Millbridge when they were unable to cope with the set-piece onslaught from Saintfield United III.
Line up
Lewis Roy
Luke Grant
Kian Connolly
Calvin Yeates
Greg Blunt [C]
Luke Craig
Leo Elliott
Graeme McMullan
Diarmuid Lavery
Mark Scott
Ben Kennedy