WHITEHEAD EAGLES 3

THERE may be no relegation from 2C, but at least every time Whitehead Eagles slither into that second bottom slot, they invariably respond by springing themselves out again by winning their next game, such as this comfortable success down at mid table side Carryduff FC.

There’s no reason either now why Eagles couldn’t secure some mid table security, especially as their next two games are against bottom club East Down, even taking into consideration the perils of back to back fixtures.

With player boss Paddy Quinlan away for the weekend, once again it was Michael Whittle who was in charge, and he was soon celebrating as Johnny McIlree, set up nicely by Johnny Moore, hammered the ball low and hard into the bottom corner of the net.

Just before the break, however, Carryduff levelled matters, as central defender Michael Brock directed a fiercely driven cross beyond his own keeper Michael Cavan, although to be fair, a Carryduff forward, hovering just behind him, would probably have done the necessary anyway.

Whitehead regained the initiative after the changearound, when Moore, David Adrain and Sheldon linked up to hatch out an opening for McIlree to blast in Eagles’ second.

Eagles, nevertheless, weren’t counting their chickens before they were hatched, but there surely was no way back for Carryduff when one of their players, too, poked the ball into his own net, just beating midfielder Tony Moran to a McIlree cross.

Next Saturday, it’s back to Castleview Road for the first of that ‘double header’ against bottom club East Down.

Best for Whitehead; Johnny McIlree, Johnny Moore and Phil Sheldon.

Whitehead Eagles; Cavan – Gibson, K Brock, M Brock, Tumilty – T Moran, Adrain, Sheldon (Wilson), Moore – McIlree, Hastings (J Tierney). Sub (unused) Hanna.