26/05/2026
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On Saturday, our 2018 Youths made the trip to Ballymena to compete in the prestigious Wes Gregg Memorial Tournament (Red Level).
Faced with a tough group, the players and coaches knew this would be their biggest test to date. The lineup featured some formidable opposition:
- Moyola Colts
- Portstewart Academy
- Ballymena Youth Academy
- Northend Academy
Group Stage
Game 1: Bushmills 2 - 0 Moyola Colts
The 2018s went head-to-head with Moyola Colts, a team they had never faced before. The boys weren't fazed, starting strong by pressing well and working hard as a unit to win the ball back. Within 5 minutes, a brilliant through-ball found Chase, who calmly slotted it past the Moyola keeper. That goal lit a fire in the team. Just 5 minutes later, Chase found himself one-on-one with the keeper again, striking a great effort that rattled the post and went in. Moyola kept pressing, but superb defending and tracking back from the midfield kept them at bay, leaving Bushmills keeper Caleb with very little to do.
Game 2: Bushmills 0 - 0 Ballymena Youth Academy
After a well-needed 45-minute break to relax and escape the heat, the boys took on the tournament hosts. It was an exciting, end-to-end game of football. Bushmills created some fantastic chances, but the Ballymena keeper made some great saves. At the other end, Caleb showed great hands to deny Ballymena, ensuring the match finished in a hard-fought 0-0 draw.
Game 3: Bushmills 0 - 3 Portstewart Academy
With no time to rest, the boys went straight into their third game against Portstewart Academy. Knowing the quality of the opposition, the boys rose to the challenge and gave it everything. Unfortunately, a clinical Portstewart side managed to score three quick goals to take a 3-0 lead. What impressed coaches Jonny and Gareth most was that the boys never stopped fighting, creating several chances of their own right up until the final whistle.
Game 4: Bushmills 0 - 1 Northend Academy
Following another quick 5-minute turnaround, it was time for the final group game against Northendβa team who had beaten us in a friendly a few weeks prior. The boys went out full of fire and heart, leaving everything on the pitch in another end-to-end battle. With just one minute remaining, a Northend player scored from what looked like an offside position. While the referee missed it, mistakes happen in football, and it was a tough 1-0 defeat to swallow.
Group Stage Verdict: A brilliant effort across four tough games saw the Bushmills Youths finish 4th in the group, qualifying them for the semi-finals.
The Semi-Final
Bushmills 1 - 3 Moyola Youths
After a solid 20-minute rest to refuel and hydrate, the boys faced Moyola Youths. The game started at a slow, shaky pace for both sides before settling down. Moyola found their rhythm a bit quicker, breaking through the defense to open the scoring.
Despite going 1-0 down, the boys didn't let their heads drop and kept battling hard. Moyola managed to strike twice more to make it 3-0 with 7 minutes left on the clock. Crucially, the Bushmills spirit never wavered. A fantastic free-kick into the box from Noah found Chase, who slotted it home to pull one back.
Coaches Jonny and Gareth were incredibly proud of the squad's performance:
"We knew this was going to be a challenging day for such a young squad. We told the boys at the start of the day that results didn't matterβtoday was entirely about learning and development. They went out there and proved they can give absolutely anyone a tough game.
Every single player played their part, and that is what's most important. Every one of them should be immensely proud of themselves today, because as their coaches, we could not be prouder of the hard work they put in."
