NIFL Championship
NEWRY City made it three from three in the Championship on Saturday with a thumping 5-1 win over Institute at the Showgrounds.
City had begun the campaign with wins over Dundela and Harland & Wolff Welders and they ensured they remained top of the early season table as they steamrolled the strugglers from Derry.
John McGovern opened the scoring for Darren Mullen’s men with a thumping header and he added a second soon after as the Institute ’keeper was caught in no man’s land, leaving him free to bury the ball into the net as opposition defenders fell over one another in the confusion.
Daniel Hughes and James Teelan then capitalised on more bizarre attempts at defending by Institute to make it 4-0 and game over by half-time. Decky Carville added a fifth for a rampant City through a header after the break before Institute managed what was barely even a consolation via a cute Brendan McLaughlin finish.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Annagh put five past Ballyclare Comrades at Tandragee Road. Peter Duffin opened the scoring early on with the visitors dealt a further blow a short time later through Elliot McKim's dismissal.
Stephen Murray, Jordan Campbell and Craig Taylor all added to the tally before half-time, with Ruairí McDonald adding a fifth just before the final whistle. Comrades’ solitary reply came through Chris Ramsey with less than a quarter-of-an-hour remaining.
The highest scoring game of the day was at Wilgar Park as Knockbreda got the better of Dundela in a 4-3 thriller. Lee McGreevy, Ethan Devine (two) and Cillin Gilmour were among the goals for 'Breda, while Owain Beggs, David McMaster and Michael Smith responded for Dundela.
At the Dub, goals from BJ Banda and Niall Grace saw Ballinamallard United defeat Queen's University, while Loughgall also found the net twice in their win over Dergview with the goals coming from Andrew Hoey and Nedas Maciulaitis.
Ards kept pace with Newry at the top of the table thanks to a Kym Nelson winner against the Welders at the Bangor Fuels Arena.
