Annagh United’s youthful squad is powering their Championship promotion bid, with manager Ciaran McGurgan praising their impact after a 3-1 win over H&W Welders. The victory at the BMG Arena in Portadown keeps the club third in the table with 16 points from seven games, just one point behind leaders Newington Youth.
McGurgan was sent from the touchline during the match following a disagreement with the referee over a blood injury. “There was a disagreement with the referee over a blood injury,” McGurgan said. “But we came out a different side in the second half and deserved the win.”
Youthful Drive
The manager has made a conscious shift towards younger players this season. “We have brought in a lot of kids and they are here to win and they’ve been fantastic for us,” he added. This policy is delivering results, with the team now on a four-game winning streak and unbeaten in their last five matches. Their recent form reads four wins and a draw, with 17 goals scored in the league so far.
League Context
Newington Youth remain top after a remarkable 5-5 draw with Dundela, where Aaron Heaney scored a hat-trick. Annagh’s focus now turns to maintaining their momentum. They face a home fixture against 10th-placed Institute on 26 September, a chance to strengthen their position in a tight title race. Fans can track the team’s progress and upcoming challenges on the club’s fixtures and standings pages.
The club’s promotion ambitions were narrowly thwarted last season in a penalty shoot-out defeat to Crusaders in the play-off. McGurgan’s refreshed, young-at-heart squad is determined to go one better this time, starting with another three points next weekend.
