St Ninian’s got their season off to a thrilling start with a hard-fought 6–4 victory over local rivals Ballakermeen in an entertaining Douglas derby. There was plenty of anticipation surrounding the first senior fixture of the season, and the match more than lived up to expectations.
St. Ninian’s made a bright opening and took the lead through Noah Campbell, whose dangerous cross-come-shot caught everyone out and nestled into the bottom corner. The momentum continued as Ryan Nelson doubled the advantage in style, spotting the Ballakermeen goalkeeper off his line and delicately chipping him from around 20 yards.
Ballakermeen responded well and pulled a goal back to make it 2–1, which remained the scoreline at half time.
At the break, Mr Kelly made a tactical switch, changing to a 4-3-3 formation and introducing Preston Anderson at left back. The change paid immediate dividends as St. Ninian’s regained control of the game. The third goal came courtesy of Liam Blake, who marked his senior debut in perfect fashion, finishing calmly after some excellent build-up play from his brother Deaglan Blake in midfield.
Ryan Nelson then grabbed his second of the match to extend the lead, but Ballakermeen refused to go away, scoring twice in quick succession to reduce the deficit to 4–3 and set up a tense final period.
St. Ninian’s responded superbly. Deaglan Blake restored breathing space with a superb finish into the top corner after great work from Charlie Alstead and Caleb Hewgill. Ballakermeen struck again to keep the contest alive, but any hopes of a comeback were ended when substitute Callum Yates came off the bench and finished confidently to seal a 6–4 victory.
There were several standout performances on the day. Ryan Nelson was deservedly named Man of the Match with two goals and assists. George Leece, making his senior debut in an unfamiliar defensive role, impressed with a composed display at the back, while goalkeeper Travis Bradshaw, also on his senior debut, made a number of vital saves at crucial moments.
Overall, it was an excellent start to the season for St. Ninian’s, showing both attacking quality and resilience against strong local opposition. Attention now turns to the next fixture, an away trip to King William’s College, as the seniors look to build on this promising opening result.
B Team 3-3 Ballakermeen B
The Saints B team started off on the front foot with complete control of the game, looking strong and controlled on the ball. After countless attacks using the wide areas, Caleb Okanlawon put in a wonderful cross hitting the bar and falling to the feet of winger Dylan Larrosa, placing the ball calmly into the back of the net. This put the Saints up after around 10 minutes. This was shortly followed by a brilliant run from Aaron Chadwick beating multiple Ballakermeen players and eventually laying a pass off to Theo Head for a simple finish. This led to Ballakermeen stepping up and taking more control of the game, and eventually scoring a tidy header from a corner after the Saints struggled to mark their men. The Saints then replied with a corner of their own with a lovely touch and finish from Aaron Chadwick into the bottom corner. This brought the game to a comfortable 3-1 to the Saints at half time. After a positive team talk from captain Will Wiseman and coach Toby Thompson, the Saints started off the second half with intent creating some very strong chances, but just couldn’t put any away. This led to Ballakermeen stepping up once again and punishing the Saints for not putting their chances away making it 3-2. As the game progressed Ballakermeen really dominated, eventually scoring another corner due to the Saints poor marking once again. This left the game with 10 minutes to play and could’ve gone either way. Through some great defensive efforts from Will Wilson and Josh Cowell, and a wonderful curling effort from Caleb Okanlawon, that came agonisingly close to winning the game in the dying moments for the Saints, saw a well battled game finishing 3-3. Well done to all the lads who played, and congratulations to Will Wilson as the Saints' Man of the Match.
St. Ninian’s 3–1 KWC
St. Ninian’s Senior Football Team continued their strong start to the season with an impressive 3–1 away victory over King William’s College in their second fixture of the campaign, played in extremely challenging windy conditions. From the opening whistle, both sides battled not only each other but the blustery weather, which made controlling the ball difficult and tested concentration throughout. St. Ninian’s adapted well, keeping their shape and pressing high up the pitch. The breakthrough came midway through the first half when Ryan Nelson opened the scoring in style. A well-worked move down the flank ended with the ball reaching Nelson at the back post, where he showed great composure to drill a low finish into the bottom corner to give St. Ninian’s a deserved 1–0 lead. The visitors held firm for the remainder of the half, defending resolutely to go into the break ahead.
King William’s College responded after half time with increased pressure and eventually found an equaliser with around 15 minutes remaining, rising highest from a corner to head home and make it 1–1. However, St. Ninian’s showed excellent character and determination to regain control of the match. With eight minutes to play, Callum Yates played a perfectly weighted through ball to Ryan Nelson, who calmly finished to restore St. Ninian’s' lead and claim his second goal of the afternoon. Just minutes later, the result was put beyond doubt with a moment of real quality from Liam Blake. Picking up the ball around 25 yards from goal, Blake unleashed a stunning strike that flew into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance and sealing a memorable 3–1 victory.
There were standout performances across the pitch, with Ryan Nelson’s clinical finishing proving decisive, Liam Blake dominating midfield and producing a goal of the season contender, and Will Wilson making a strong impact after coming on in the second half with energy and composure. A fantastic team effort in difficult conditions sees St. Ninian’s build early momentum in the season. The squad now look ahead to their next fixture — a home match against Ramsey — where they will be hoping to continue their winning form.
St. Ninian’s Senior Football Hit Top Gear in 6–1 Home Win Over Ramsey
St. Ninian’s senior footballers (Years 11–13) produced a superb all-round performance in blustery conditions to secure a convincing 6–1 victory at home against Ramsey Grammar School in their third game of the season.
Despite the strong winds swirling across the pitch, it was the visitors who struck first. After just five minutes, Ramsey caught the home side out with a deep free kick that flew directly into the net to give St. Ninian’s an early setback. However, the response was immediate and emphatic — led by a sensational first-half display from Liam Blake. Blake levelled the scores with a well-taken finish before quickly adding a second with an absolute screamer, reminiscent of the long-range strike he scored in the previous match against KWC. The forward wasn’t finished there, completing a superb first-half hat-trick after being played clean through by Callum Yates to put St. Ninian’s firmly in control. At half time, St. Ninian’s led 3–1 and looked full of confidence.
The second half saw the home side continue to dominate possession and chances. George Leece, having moved up into midfield from centre back, made an immediate impact by adding a fourth goal with a composed finish. Charlie Alstead then extended the lead further before Callum Yates rounded off a fantastic team move — finishing clinically after excellent wide play from Ryan Nelson.
The final whistle confirmed a comprehensive 6–1 win and an impressive attacking display. Several players stood out on the day, with Liam Blake’s hat-trick leading the headlines. Strong performances also came from Captain Deaglan Blake and Noah Campbell controlling midfield, and Oisin Farrelly producing a solid display in central defence.
It was a great team effort and an encouraging result as St. Ninian’s continue to build momentum early in the season.
Next up: a home fixture against QEII — a match the team will be looking forward to with confidence.