FOOTBALL: Rampant Reds knock six past FC Whiteabbey

During this purple patch the rampant Reds have scored 30 while conceding only four, and two of those were against Premier League opponents Dunloy in a cup tie.

Burns made several positional and personnel changes, but continuing with his three at the back formation his side dominated throughout.

Jamie McMillan opened the scoring with a left foot shot in to the bottom corner, and Michael Haskins added a second after being played in by Ryan McIlwaine.

Approaching the interval Chris Crowe made it 3-0 when he tapped in to the net after McMillan’s initial had been parried by the agile keeper.

Scott Gault, who had volunteered to don the gloves after regular keeper Jonah Nicholl had been called up to the senior side, scarcely had a touch during a one-sided first half, and the pattern continued in the second session.

McIlwaine netted number four when he coolly chipped the keeper after having run on to a through ball from Ross Clarke, and then came a bizarre fifth strike. An attempted ‘Abbey clearance rebounded off a team-mate and looped over the stranded keeper in to the net.

Ross Davidson, who had replaced Gregg McFaul (injured) at the interval, completed the whitewash near the end with a header from a Haskin cross.

Commenting Burns said: “The lads moved the ball nicely around the pitch, and this was a pleasing performance even without our top scorer, Scott Cummings, who will be out for another couple of weeks after spraining his ankle.

“However we face the acid test this weekend when we clash with Newington who are our main rivals at the top of the table. They trail us by two points but have two games in hand when we line out at Valley Leisure Centre on Saturday, for the Junior League Division 1 match of the day,” he cautioned.

Ballyclare Comrades Reserves: Gault; McCauley, Todd, B Crowe; Clarke, Burke, McFaul, Haskins; McIlwaine, McMillan, C Crowe. Subs: Davidson, McAllister, Woods, Robinson.