Inter-league game at Wilbourne Park

THE football ground at Islandmagee has come a long way since the days of the famous slope and it is only fitting that Wilbourne Park, now one of the best pitches in the country, will host the annual challenge match between the Northern Amateur League and the Scottish Amateur Association for the Britton Rosebowl on Saturday (kick-off 2.30pm).

The Northern Amateur League squad this year is managed by Eric Halliday, the ex-Bangor, RUC and Killyleagh YC boss, assisted by Nortel coach John McMinn.

And there should be plenty of familiar faces for local football followers, already suffering from withdrawal symptoms. For instance, Islandmagee themselves have two players in the squad, Michael Moore and Andy Waide, as do Nortel, with Mark Wilkinson and Gary Bell. There is also ex-Nortel man Stuart Doyle (Albert Foundry).

The full squad reads:

Goalkeepers - Robert Robinson (Shankill United), John Munn (Abbey Villa).

Defenders - Paul Hamilton (Grove United), Aaron Robinson (Shankill United), Dominic McGreevy (Killyleagh YC), Cormac Brannigan (Newington YC), Sammy Wallace (Killyleagh YC), Sean Adams (Newington YC).

Midfielders - Stuart Doyle (Albert Foundry), Michael Moore (Islandmagee), Conor Lynch (Rosario YC), Gary Kennedy (Kilmore Rec), Liam Mullan (Ardglass), Gary Bell (Nortel), Phil Rogan (Killyleagh YC), Andy Waide (Islandmagee).

Strikers - Phil Traynor (Kilmore Rec), Mark Miller(Ards Rangers), Mark Wilkinson (Nortel), Niall Murray (Kilmore Rec).