Lowwood Football Club 2024 -25

Lowwood are really excited about taking part in quite a few competitions throughout this school year.   There will be girls' and boys' teams competing at different age groups over the year.  We will be entering the Schools' Cup, league days, 5 aside competitions and Futsal, in addition to some friendly inter school matches.  Hopefully lots of fun and enjoyment will come our way, as well as a little success!

Schools' Cup Quarter Final

On 21st October Lowwood travelled to Avoniel Leisure Centre to play against Harding Memorial an the Schools' Cup.  It proved to be a very exciting encounter with many opportunities for both sides.  Harding scored early on and put a lot of pressure on for the remainder of the half.  Player of the Match, Ryan Davidson was on top form in goal and managed to keep the team secure at the back.  Lowwood managed to push forward and put enough pressure on to nick a goal before half-time.  

The second half was much like the first, however Lowwood more buoyant as a result of the goal, pushed forward creating more opportunities.  After a well placed move and pass from Cara O'Neill, Corey Black was put through to strike low and hard in to the bottom corner.  

The final minutes were a tense affair but we managed to hold out for the final whistle. On to the semis!

Harding 1 - 2 Lowwood

SCHOOLS’ CUP WIN

On Tuesday 10th May, Lowwood travelled to Ulidia Playing fields to contest the Small Schools’ Cup against Harding Memorial.  We performed tremendously from the off, on a small, tight pitch.  With some scintillating passing moves and hard battling in the defence, we managed to unlock the opposition early on through a fantastic move culminating in a great cross from Rio McClure and a wonderful finish from Rylan McAllister to set us off and running.  Our Captain Olly Frampton scored four on the day and Blake Sargent and Rio scored the other two, with some great goals among them.  There were amazing performances throughout the whole squad on the day, with Jay Stranaghan and Kyle Stevenson both close to scoring and some brilliant defending from Ross Fee, Harvey Dane and Ethan McAllister.  Our goalkeeper Micah Hill also made some impressive saves and kept us steady at the back.

All in, a magnificent and convincing 7-1 win for Lowwood, and the retention of the trophy that we won on the last match played before the pandemic struck.

Well done boys!!! 🏆

Schools’ Cup Final

On Thursday 12th March Lowwood travelled to Ulidia to play in the Schools’ Cup Final.  The weather was particularly bad with driving wind and rain at times.  It proved to be a very tense match.  The first half was extremely tight with shots on both goals.  Just before half time the ball was laid back to Rhys Davidson who hit a wonderful strike from 20 yards to put Lowwood in to the lead at half time.

Moving in to the second half, playing against the wind, we battled hard with some great tackling and passes through.  Some great strikes from Stephen and Rhys hit the post or drifted just wide.  Our defence held strong until a clever pass slipped through and was extremely well finished by a Harding player.  We recovered quickly and with 5 minutes remaining in the game, Rhys skipped a couple of tackles and struck low and hard in to the bottom corner from close range.

An amazing performance from all involved including the two P5 boys who came on.  Great job boys!!!

School Cup Winners 2020. - Lowwood Primary.

04.12.19- Schools’ Cup Semi-Final

Lowwood travelled to Ballysillan Leisure Centre to play Gaelscoil in the Schools’ Cup.  First half was quite a tense affair with Lowwood having the upper hand and producing some excellent passing moves.  Gaelscoil’s keeper was put under extreme pressure and managed to pull off a number of key saves.  Stephen eventually managed to slot an attempt by the keeper to round off a nice play and put us 1-0 up.  It stayed this way until half-time.  

The majority of the pressure applied in the second half was all Lowwood and with some key defensive tackles by Logan Montgomery and saves by our keeper Jack, this gave us a solid base to score more.  
Rhys scored a fabulous solo goal and Stephen followed up to score two more goals and bag the hat trick.  An amazing performance all round including the substitutes who came on in the second half.  All were considered for the player of the match, but our Captain Rhys Davidson was awarded this for an excellent all round performance.  
The Schools’ Cup final will be played next April or May which we will look forward to competing for a trophy. 

Tournament 05.11.19

On Tuesday 5th November Lowwood travelled down to compete in a friendly tournament with a mixture of P7, 6 & 5.  We played three matches on the day, winning two and losing one.  A lot of talent and skilled was displayed, with several players putting themselves forward for positions on the first team.  Well done to all!

Festival Day 09.10.19

Lowwood travelled to the Hammer Complex on Wednesday 9th October to compete in a Festival League day.  They played three matches winning two and drawing one.  Throughout the three matches there were glimpses of real potential for this year with some very good performances from all who attended.  A great start to the year!

Player of the Tournament - Logan Montgomery

Results 

vs Seaview.         0-0 draw

vs Black Mountain. 2-0 win

vs Carr’s Glen.      2-0 win

Girls’ Festival Day

Lowwood attended our first ever girls league day on Thursday 16th May.  All of the girls performed exceptionally well in three tough matches.  Having won two matches and drawn a third the girls turned out very enthusiastic winners and were presented with medals and a trophy.  We all had a great afternoon out!!

Great win girls!!!

Futsal Tournament

On Wednesday 20th March, two Lowwood teams travelled to the Shankill Leisure Centre to compete in the annual Futsal tournament.  A team of seven girls and seven boys attended.  The boys had a set of mixed results before placing fourth in their group.  However, they did produce some nice passing moves and several impressive goals.

The girls had a slightly more impressive run, beating teams comprehensively in the early rounds.  Grace, Amy B, Holly, Sophie and Aimee A all scored throughout the matches.  On one occasion, having gone two goals down early on the girls battled back to win 3-2 showing amazing character!  They reached the semi-finals and unfortunately lost one nil, placing third in the tournament.

Overall a very fun day out.

Player of the match-  Amy Bowe

5 aside Tournament - 23.01.19

On Wednesday 23rd January, Lowwood travelled to the Shankill Leisure Centre to compete in the annual 5 aside competition. 

We started slowly gaining a 0-0 draw with Carrs Glenn before losing 2-1 to Cairnshill.  We didn't play particularly well in the game, giving away two soft goals, but rallying near the end and very nearly snatching a score draw.  Our next match was against St Therese in which we battled hard, putting their keeper under extreme pressure, although we were unable to find the net.  This ended in another scoreless draw.  The final match of the day was against Stranmillis, which proved to be our best performance with everyone on top form.  Yet again we put the team under pressure but couldn't find a deserved goal.  With a minute to go and a man down, Rhys Davidson turned extremely skilfully and although under duress, managed to find an excellent strike to win the match.

Lowwood finished third but on another day and  with a bit more luck we could have progressed further.

Player of the Match - ?

Friendly vs Kings Park

On Tuesday 20th November a full squad of 34 pupils travelled down to Crusaders to play two matches against two strong Kings Park teams.  We battled extremely hard and put in tremendous performances in both matches but unfortunately did not finish up the victors on the day.  However, good fun was had by all and for many of the P5/6s it was their first experience of playing for their school.  

A very enjoyable day. 

Festival Day 2

On Wednesday the 14th November Lowwood travelled to the Hammer Complex again to compete in the second festival day with three matches to play.

Match one was a tense affair against Cavehill, but we battled hard and played some nice football at times.  Zaac Caldwell scored a great goal midway through the game after a great passing move. The defence held out for the rest of the game with our keeper playing well.

Match two vs Carr’s Glenn proved slightly tougher with lots of intense battling for the ball.  At times we were under pressure but our defence and keeper were organised and held firm.  Our attacking play was skilful and creative and we made two brilliant opportunities which unfortunately did not find the net.

Match three vs Glenwood showed our true colours with the team beginning to truly gel for the first time this season.  We started tremendously, with a goal inside the first minute. This sparked confidence throughout the side and the opposition could not live with us for the rest of the match.  5 goals from Cohen Beattie, a hat trick from Zaac and a brilliant strike from Rhys Davidson led to an excellent 9-0 win for the school.  

Overall a great days work from each member of the team, including the three P6s and one P5 that attended.  One particular highlight was that we didn’t concede any goals in the three matches played, credit given to the strength of our defence, goalkeeper and the work rate in our midfield.

Well done boys!!!

Zaac Caldwell - Player of the Tournament

Festival Day 1 2018

Lowwood entered their first festival day on Wednesday 10th October, with great expectations after the huge successes of last year.  This year’s team includes several experienced players from last season’s campaign, in combination with some young and exciting talent from P6 and P5.  

We played our first match against Carr’s Glen and fought out a tense 0-0 draw with many players finding their feet and getting used to each other’s styles of play.  Our second match was played against our local rivals, Seaview PS, who unfortunately overpowered us 0-3.  After a little self reflection and grit we came back strongly in our third match against Black Mountain running out 8-0 victors with four goals from Cohen Beattie and four from Stephen Hunter on his debut.  We managed to play some very intricate and stylish passing moves with many culminating in fabulous goals proving the teams ability and potential.

Our fourth match was another very tense affair with opportunities at both ends throughout the match.  Travis led the line well but credit must go to our keeper Corey who made a brilliant one on one save at the end, putting his body on the line, to secure the draw.

Overall a reasonably successful venture, although plenty of training is still required in order to shape a side that will reach the lofty heights of last year’s squad.

Northern Ireland School Finals

On Thursday 24th May Lowwood travelled to Allen Park in Antrim to play in the Northern Ireland Finals.  With a number of the regular squad in Lisnaskea for the week, several P6 players and one P5 willingly stepped up to complete the squad.  

We joined five of the best 7 aside teams from around the country to battle for the NI title on a very hot day.  Each and every member of the team made some massive contributions to excellent performances in the early league fixtures.  Finishing second in a very difficult league section, we then progressed to the semi-final where we had a comfortable 2-0 victory, having pinned the the opposing team in their own half for the majority of the game.  We then moved straight in to the Final in which we met a very strong and skilful team.  Despite the impressive effort levels and determination exhibited by the boys, unfortunately a lucky goal midway through the game was enough for the opposition to take the win.  

Such an amazing performance throughout the day, which will stand a lot of the younger boys in good stead for next year.   Great day's work!

P6 Tournament

On Wednesday 9th May, P6 attended the Boys' Model playing fields and competed in a 7 aside Tournament.  On a very wet and cold day the boys performed really well winning three games and drawing two only to lose out on reaching the final on goal difference.  Every boy that attended performed extremely well and thoroughly enjoyed placing third in the Tournament and receiving a well deserved medal.

Belfast Schools' League

Lowwood finished in a valiant fourth position in the league this year.

7aside Schools’ Cup Final

On Wednesday 21st March Lowwood travelled to the Ozone playing fields to compete in the Schools’ Cup final against Gaelscoil, whom they have met for the fourth consecutive year in the final.  On each of the three previous years Lowwood have lost a tight game by one goal. 

This year we went with a huge amount of belief and confidence that we could succeed.  Mr Patterson and Mrs Kirk also came to support the team, giving the boys a lift.

The first half started brightly for Lowwood with some excellent passing and movement leading to a number of near misses. A breakthrough came when Blaine McClure struck a powerful shot which the keeper could not handle putting Lowwood ahead.  A second goal and third goal followed soon after with a brilliant individual run and finish from Blaine, and a great cut back by Jack Boyd and strike by Karl Lamont.  Gaelscoil managed to nick a goal just before half time to make it 3-1.

The second half proved to be exciting with football flowing end to end.  Great defence proved vital with Kai, Rio and Bailey holding fast and a hardworking midfield, including superb battling and skill from Cohen Beattie, helping them out.  Lowwood had a number of good opportunities, but the opposition goalkeeper did extremely well.  Jack Boyd worked unbelievably hard up front on his own throughout the whole match. Substitutions were made to freshen the team with Zach Caldwell, Rhys Davidson and Kenzie McCully entering the field of play.  It did not take long to pay off, with a great passing move ending in Kenzie McCully ensuring Lowwood’s victory with a well taken goal.  

Each member of the squad played a major role and really deserved the win.  The boys were gracious in victory showing great respect to their opponents.  This cup win allows the team to travel to the Northern Ireland finals in May.

A fantastic win, making their school and myself very proud.  One of many we hope.

Quarter Final 9aside Schools Cup

On Tuesday 13th March we attended Ballysillan Leisure Centre to play St. Matthew’s in the quarter finals of the 9 aside cup.  

The match proved to be an exceptionally tight one.  An early own goal scored by a St. Matthew’s central defender was the only difference between the two teams until Cohen Beattie (P6) slotted home an excellent strike to give a little breathing room.  As St. Matthew’s were an excellent team they managed to strike back, scoring a good goal midway through the second half.  However, some excellent work rate, some old school defending and an excellent goal keeping performance by Kai saw the team through to the final whistle.  

The squad of twelve now move in to a semi-final facing either Cairnshill or St. Michael’s, a great achievement in a cup normally dominated by the larger primary schools in Belfast.

Futsal Tournament 08.03.18

On Thursday 8th March Lowwood attended a Futsal tournament with two teams, girls and boys.  

The boys performed well despite two of our main team absent, winning two, drawing one and losing two, finishing fourth.  They were also extremely supportive of the girls’ team during their endeavours.

The girls’ team performed extremely well on the day, reaching and winning the semi-final 1-0.  Lowwood moved in to the final with great confidence, however lost two goals early on. A change in system allowed us to get a goal back late on and with almost the last kick of the game, nick a second to unbelievably tie the game.  The game then moved into penalties with three very brave girls confidently stepping forward to take a penalty.  All three girls scored brilliantly taken penalties and our goalkeeper heroically saved one of our opponents, to complete an amazing comeback.  An extraordinary performance!!!

The girls are now able to attend final’s day in April with all the best teams in Belfast.

Match Report

On Wednesday 31st January we attended the annual 5aside Tournament.  We entered with an extremely strong side who definitely proved their worth.  

Playing five matches, Lowwood won four of these convincingly and drew the fifth, against a very competitive Cranmore team.  Victories over Fane Street, Inchmarlo, Gaelscoil and Sacred Heart were very convincing with 13 goals scored and two conceded, with two hat-tricks scores by Jack Boyd and Cohen Beattie (P6).  This allows us to attend finals day towards the end of February.

Additionally five members of our first team are due to attend the Belfast School Trials on Friday 2nd February.  We wish Jack Boyd, Karl Lamont, Rio Mullan, Bailey Finn and Blaine McClure all the best and I am sure they will represent both themselves and their school exceptionally well.

MATCH REPORT

On Tuesday 5th December, Lowwood travelled to play a match in the 7aside School’s Cup against Cranmore Primary School.

The match proved an extremely tense affair with both teams trading blows early on.  Cranmore were a very strong side and hit the post and bar several times throughout the match.  They scored a very good goal midway though the first half putting us under pressure. Lowwood responded and soon equalised with a great counter-attacking move, leading to Jack Boyd slotting the ball confidently by a very experienced Cranmore goalkeeper, and the score all even at half time.

After a pep talk during the half time break Lowwood started the second half with a little more confidence and Blaine McClure scored early on. The lead was not held long as Cranmore scored almost straight away.  The P6 substitutes came on with 5 minutes remaining and gave us an immediate boost, allowing Jack Boyd to show a lovely touch and excellent skill to lay Blaine McClure in for the winning goal.   With a slight change in formation our superb defence held fast until the final whistle.

This match proved a very tough test for a resilient Lowwood team who now move on to the next round of the cup.  Well done boys!!!

Match Report

On Tuesday 14th November, Lowwood took their first tentative steps in to the 9 aside cup competition, against a confident Carr’s Glen team.  As we normally only play 7 or 5 aside this proved to be a new experience, but one that the boys relished.  

Lowwood started assuredly themselves, striking early, with a number of excellent plays, resulting in two early goals.  We commanded the field of play, passing and moving well showing a great deal of experience.  Every player contributed enormously to a great team performance despite the persistent rain.  

The final result was 6-0 to Lowwood after a thoroughly solid and considered performance, with six different scorers, showing the strength throughout the squad.  We now move forward in to the next round of the competition with anticipation.

Result.                                    Scorers

Lowwood vs Carr’s Glen   6-0 win.    Jack B, Blaine, Kenzie, Bailey, Karl, Cohen

Match Report

Festival Day 2

On Tuesday 7th November Lowwood attended Festival Day 2 at the Hammer Complex.  We began well against Cavehill, performing in our usual stylish manner of pass and move.  After some scintillating play throughout the match, and some excellent strikes on target, we ended the match 3-0 winners.  Karl Lamont scoring twice and Jack Boyd finishing a lovely move with a beautifully flicked ball, which nestled in the bottom corner. 

Match 2 against Glenwood proved a different story altogether and was slightly disappointing as were not as focused as we should have been.  Unfortunately we lost a goal with five minutes remaining and despite trying hard we were unable to squeeze the ball home, losing 1-0.  

Match 3 was played similarly to our first game, with more concentration and a higher tempo, against a good Seaview team.  Lowwood attacked commendably scoring three wonderful goals to raise the morale once again.  

Our first loss this year and our first goal conceded was disappointing, however these games do happen and it’s the character shown to go out and win the next match so convincingly, that proved our worth.

Match Report

On Wednesday 25th October, two Lowwood teams travelled to play against King’s Park Primary school on the V36 pitch located at the Valley Leisure Centre.  This was a friendly match and was played in a competitive but amicable manner.  

The P5/6 squad was filled with players making their debut for the school.  All competed exceptionally well and exhibited great effort and a desire to perform well.  Cohen Beattie scored an excellent solo goal dribbling from his own half.  Unfortunately the score did not reflect our endeavour, but fun was had by all and potential stars for the future were very apparent.

The P6/7 match, again, saw a number of boys making their debut for the school.  All of these individuals played particularly well and blended easily with the more experienced members of the team.

Due to excellent attacking play by King’s Park, Lowwood were one goal down at half time (1-2), however a change of personnel at half time proved decisive with Lowwood running out convincing winners at the final whistle. (6-3)

Thanks to all who came to support us!

Festival Day 1

The first festival day entered by Lowwood this year proved to be an extremely succesful one.  Out of the four games played all were convincing victories, but this was not the only positive, as each performance was full of stylish passing moves and excellent finishing.  If the opposition keepers had not been playing so well there could have been some even higher scores achieved.  Personally, I was really proud of not just the performance, but the team spirit, leadership and positive reinforcement on display.

Well done to Kenzie, Zach, Kai and Hugh for their excellent debuts for the school team.

Results:

Lowwood vs Seaview - Win 3-0.  Blaine x2, Jack

Lowwood vs Glenwood - Win 3-0  Blaine, Rio x2

Lowwood vs Carrsglen - Win 3-0  Karl x2, Blaine

Lowwood vs St. Peters - Win 1-0  Blaine

Player of the Tournament 🏆 Blaine McClure ⚽️

2017-18

September 2017

Football club begins for P7 and selected P6 children on Wednesday 27th September.  These children should attend from 2:45-3:45pm every Wednesday up until Christmas.  The only change to this would be due to adverse weather conditions and school matches.

P5/6 football will begin on Thursday 5th October and will also run for the same time period.  

Children should make sure to pack the following items to ensure they are prepared for all weather conditions:

- Trainers  

- Shin guards

- Light rain coat

- T-shirt

- Shorts

- Football socks

- Tracksuit bottoms

- Training jumper

(Football boots are not required for training as we will be practising on a hard surface) 

Children are encouraged to pack older gear so as to prevent damage to new and expensive clothing.

If selected for a match against another school, each child will receive a permission slip outlining date, venue, times etc.  This must be filled in, signed and returned as soon as possible.  Kits will be provided in an embroidered, numbered kit bag.  I would really appreciate if all kits could be washed and returned, in entirety, as quickly as possible as there are often multiple tournaments in one week.

Finally, please encourage each child to attend as often as possible, as it will help them maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle, in addition to providing an enjoyable atmosphere in which to learn new skills.

 Lowwood has had an impressive legacy in all competitions in recent years and it would be great to maintain this.  Last years win of the 7aside Belfast League and placing second in Northern Ireland for medium schools proved to be our most successful year yet.  The team this year has the potential to achieve even greater awards, as many of the P7s are very experienced having played a full year in the school side already.

We are all bound by a love of the sport and will look forward to a great year and a fantastic team spirit.

First Tournament:  

     Festival Day 1:  Tuesday 10th October

                         (7 aside, squad of 10)

2016-17

NI Finals

As a result of reaching the School's Cup Final again, we had the opportunity to once more attend the Northern Ireland Finals, where all the best 7 aside teams gather to compete in different sections.  Due to a reconfiguration we were placed in the medium schools bracket this year which proved to be a much more difficult prospect. 

On an extremely hot day we travelled to Allen Park in Antrim to play against six other teams in a  Champions league style format.  Each game was 12 minutes long and proved energy sapping due to the heat.  We managed to win four games and lose only two, to extremely good opposition.  We then managed to reach the semi-final stage and played Eden who had beaten us in the league section.  A very hard fought game led to a 2-0 victory and we moved forward to the final to play Dungor. 

We had defeated Dungor 2-1 earlier that day and although we battled hard they proved too much for us and we lost 3-0 against a very good side. 

Lowwood have clearly had their most successful football year yet, reaching the School's Cup final, winning the Belfast League and placing 2nd in Northern Ireland for medium sized schools.  It is clearly all down to the boys' hard work, determination and desire to perform to their best.  Congratulations boys, you will remember this year for a long time to come!

P6 Tournament

The P5/6 boys entered the Boys model tournament facing 9 other schools.  Our squad consisted of six P6 boys and four from P5.  All of the schools were separated into two sections.  We sailed through our section winning all of our matches.  Karl Lamont was our top scorer with eight goals throughout the day.  Kai Daniels (P6) and Eaton Jameson (P5) performed extremely well as goalkeepers and conceded only one goal in the entire tournament thanks to a strong defence and some wonderful saves.

Unfortunately in the final against Harmony Primary we lost a goal with two minutes to go and were unable to strike back.  However, we finished a very successful day as runners up and each boy can be very proud of how they represented the school.

11.05.17  Girl's Tournament

The Lowwood Girl's team entered a six aside tournament at the Valley Leisure Centre and competed against 13 other teams from around Newtownabbey.  On a blazing hot day, the team proved in exceptional form winning five out of there six games in the league section, before moving on to the quarter finals and losing 1-0 in extra time in a very close run game.  Lowwood scored 12 goals and conceded only two during the whole tournament.

Kirsty Quail scored eight goals throughout the day and Madison McKinney four, including an excellent headed goal.  The whole squad, including three P6, girls proved their worth and really represented their school tremendously well.

League Finals 30.03.17

On Thursday 30th of March we attended the Olympia Leisure Centre to play in the School League Finals.  Over the year we have played exceptionally well in a number of Festival Days finishing top of our league, this therefore permitted entry to the top division for Final's day.  Additionally, all of the other league winners joined us in order to determine an overall Belfast School's League winner. 

Three other very skilful teams were in attendance and all of the games proved to be extremely tight.

Game 1 vs Lisnasharragh :  This proved a very tense game were both teams had a number of opportunities.  Our Goalkeeper Matthew Clyde showed his worth making a number of wonderful saves.  The defence remained solid and Blaine McClure managed to steal a brilliantly taken goal before the end.

Game 2 vs Inchmarlo :  Lowwood started the game with some excellent passing moves testing their keeper to his limit on a number of occasions.  Early in the second half Inchmarlo managed to breech our defence scoring with a nice passing move after losing their markers.  Lowwood continued to attack throughout the rest of the second half but were shut out until the final minute when a late strike from Blaine was skilfully deflected in to the net by Jack Boyd. 

Game 3 vs St Peters :  Lowwood again started this game well and drove forward as a team shooting at every opportunity.  The opponent's keeper was in great form and their defence was solid in the tackle.  Despite waves of excellent attacks we were unable to capitalise on our high percentage of possession.  The second half proved to be much the same way until a great piece of skill by Blake Rosbotham on the wing afforded us a critical free kick.  After flooding their box with players, Blake drove an excellent free kick into the near post and Blaine, darting to the front post, allowed the ball to pass through his legs before flicking it with his heel into the roof of the net for a brilliant goal.  After this we changed to a more defensive formation and were able to see out a tense game with sheer grit and determination.

This massive effort resulted in Lowwood winning the 'Belfast School's League' which I believe is a first for the school and a real achievement, proving their unending ability and that they have maintained a consistently high standardthroughout the year. 

I personally have been very proud of this entire squad, with regard to their skill, the style of play produced, but also in their desire to train hard and be positive and encouraging towards others.

Lowwood Primary School - League Champions 🏆⚽️

Well done Boys, you have made your school proud!

Futsal Tournament 28.03.17

We attended an all day Futsal tournament on Tuesday 28th March, with a team of boys and girls.  The boys began uncharacteristically slowly losing their first game closely and their second by a reasonably wide margin.  After some tinkering, we began to play, passing and moving with grace, accuracy and speed.  We drew the next game and moved on to win our remaining two games convincingly and with style.  This may go down as an opportunity lost, as we could have progressed a lot further in the tournament and possibly won if our form had have been consistent throughout the day.

The girls team however played impressively throughout the tournament and were extremely close to the semi-final only losing out on goal difference.  The effort level displayed was outstanding and proved a major asset in our play.  I enjoyed the inclusivity apparent in the girl's team as each girl had no difficulty or complaint in being substituted to allow another a chance to play.  The girls lost their first match in a close run game, but won two more and drew another.  

What impressed me most of all was the rapport between the two Lowwood sides, both boys and girls, supporting, consoling and congratulating each other on hard fought battles contested for their school.

Friendly Match vs King's Park Primary

On Tuesday 21st March our P7/6 girls travelled to the Valley Leisure Centre to play a friendly match against King's Park.  On a lovely day, the girls competed extremely well.  This match was to be used as a warm up for the Futsal tournament and proved to be very useful in selection for that team.  Great talent was on show and despite losing, all enjoyed the chance to play for their school.

Festival Day 2

This again was held at the Hammer Complex on Tuesday 29th November.  Lowwood performed exceptionally well in all of the games played.   The first match against Cavehill started badly, conceding a goal after two minutes, however we rallied playing some excellent football and scoring four wonderful goals.  We then played a tense game against Carrsglenn but our talent shone through winning two nil.  Our last game was against Glenwood who we had beaten previously, however they fielded a very strong and robust team and despite several chances we were held to a draw.

Match                                 Result                           Scorers

Lowwood vs Cavehill                            4 - 0                                       Blaine x3, Jack     

Lowwood vs Carrsglenn                       2 - 0                                       Karl, Blaine

Lowwood vs Glenwood                         0 - 0                                       -

1/4 final Small School's Cup

This match was played on Wednesday 23rd November against Donegall Road, and as we had several key players on trials, we were slightly below power.  The match was played at Crusaders which suited our expansive style.  The first half proved difficult with the opposition keeper making a string of great saves and some very quick forwards giving our defence some difficulties.  It remained 0 - 0 at half time.  The second half continued much the same as the first, but deep into this half and with extra time looming, Blaine McClure stepped forward to score a wonderful header from a corner.  This was soon followed by a goal from Karl Lamont after a goal mouth scramble.  Lowwood now press on to the semi finals to be held sometime in the New Year.

Festival Day 1

Lowwood began their league campaign very successfully at the Hammer complex on Tuesday 15th November.  Four games were played against tough opposition.  We managed to win three and draw a very tense game against Seaview.  Dale Vokes scored a hat-trick against Black Mountain and played exceptionally well throughout the tournament receiving the player of the tournament trophy in school.  Our goalkeeper made some wonderful saves over the four games and did not concede a single goal, helped out by an excellent defensive effort.   Goals by Jack Boyd, Dale Vokes, Blake Rosbotham and a wonderful winning strike by Bailey Finn in the closing minutes of the final game proved very beneficial.  At the moment we are sitting in first place in our league.  Well done boys!!

Results                                             Scorers

Lowwood vs Carrs Glen          -  win   2-0              Blake, Dale

Lowwood vs Seaview              -  draw 0-0            

Lowwood vs Black Mountain   -  win    5-0             Dale x3,  Jack, Blake

Lowwood vs Glenwood            -  win    1-0              Bailey

Friendly vs Inchmarlo Away

On Wednesday 12th October we travelled to play a friendly match against Inchmarlo in Belfast.  It was an excellent day with regard to weather and our style of play.  Unfortunately, that morning, we lost one of our most experienced defenders to injury, but had good quality replacements to fill the void. 

Match Report

At the beginning of the match we did not start well, going 2-0 down almost straight away.  With levelled heads we gathered ourselves and fought back to draw 2-2 at half time, with two excellent team goals.  (Video clips of our two opening goals are shown below).  After half time we were in control for long periods and the Inchmarlo goalkeeper pulled off a string of remarkable saves to keep us at bay.  We made a breakthrough midway through the second half with Blaine McClure striking a magnificent goal from distance.  Fortune was not with us again when a Bailey Finn goal was ruled out due to offside.  This was compounded by two late strikes by the home team to seal their victory.

Overall, every team member played a great part and we were unlucky to lose on the day.  Thanks again to Edna for taking the video.

Football Club 2016 - 17

Training begins this year on Wednesday 28th September, 2:45 - 3:45pm, for P7 and selected P6 pupils (they have already been informed).  The remaining P6s and all of the P5s will begin training on Thursday 29th September, between 2:45 and 3:45pm.  This will continue every Wednesday and Thursday through until Christmas, on the same days every week.  The only interruption may be due to adverse weather conditions or a scheduled match. 

Our first friendly match for the P7s is preliminarily arranged for the 12th October against Inchmarlo, away.  Those selected will receive a permission slip several days beforehand. 

We look forward to a great year!!!

Match Report -  Lowwood vs Kings Park

On Tuesday 7th February, all footballers who attended training had the chance to represent their school against King's Park Primary on the 3G surface at Crusaders.  The first team, made up of largely P7 and P6 was joined by one P5 (Cohen Beattie), who stepped up brilliantly, exceeding expectations, and won the player of the match.  This match proved very close as King's Park had a number of very skilful players.  Half time saw a draw at 1-1 with two evenly matched sides.  Lowwood went 2-1 down early in the second half and looked under pressure.  Several substitutes midway through the second half refreshed the team and saw us produce an excellent equalising goal.  Nearing the end of the game, Lowwood produced a superb piece of play to score the winner.  Matthew Clyde pulled off a number of excellent saves throughout the match and should be credited with keeping us in the game. 

The second team, made up of inexperienced P5/6s, committed themselves exceptionally well, giving everything for their school.  Talent could be seen throughout the squad and potential for future P7 team members was definitely apparent.  Sixteen players attended, meaning a complete swap at half time.  Both halves were filled with excitement, forceful shots on goal, skilful play, great teamwork and thrilling clearances off the line.  The final score was very close with Kings Park edging the win by two goals, but fun was had by all despite the cold weather and sometimes heavy rain.

All who attended enjoyed the opportunity to represent their school and can be very proud of themselves.

Well done Lowwood!!!

Round-up of 2015-16 Football

It has been an extremely exciting year with many highs and lows for the Lowwood Football Team. Training has been enjoyed by all, particularly with the addition of new football nets to score in.  Performances improved after receiving a wonderful new kit, moving back to the original team colours of Lowwood. 

This year we have reached three finals with a fantastic team spirit and some great individual and team play.  In these matches we battled bravely, however fortune was not on our side and we were defeated.

We have the League Final's Tournament coming up on the 19th April and having reached the final of the School's Cup, we will be attending the Northern Ireland finals in Mid Ulster with a date yet to be confirmed.  Fingers crossed for that extra bit of luck required to edge us to victory.

26.05.16 Update

On Friday 20th May Lowwood's P7 football squad attended the Ni Finals in the Mid Ulster Arena, Cookstown.  It proved a long but very worthwhile journey.  In the group stages we battled against some very difficult teams from around the country and came out victorious in all six games.  We played some excellent football throughout and managed to reach the semi-final stage.  This game proved to be extremely difficult and in the end required three very courageous penalty takers to score all of their penalties and see us through to the final. 

The final was a very tense affair and we faced an opponent we had defeated earlier in the day.  Although we peppered the opponents goal with shots, the game went into Golden goal extra-time.  In the last minute, despite some thrilling attacks from our side, the opposing team broke away to score the winning goal.  The boys and girls were again devastated, however due to the fantastic team spirit and a little ice-cream, spirits were soon back to normal as they contemplated how well they had done and how close they came.  This capped a fantastic year of effort and endeavour to perform to their best for their school.  I have been extremely proud of each and every player.

On Wednesday 25th May, we attended a P5/6 tournament at the Boys Model playing fields.  It was a very warm and muggy day and the squad selected were tremendously excited to have the opportunity to play for their school.  We arrived early and received some training from some of the coaches at Boys Model.  From the first whistle, we played some amazing football and worked extremely well as a team.  No matter which boys were selected to play each game, everyone raised their performance and fitted seamlessly into position, knowing exactly their role on the team. 

Each game was filled with excitement with each boy giving their all to make either a defence splitting pass, a wonderful save or a last ditch goal saving tackle.  Goals flowed easily with a multitude of scorers throughout the team and additionally some wonderful saves from our goalkeeper.  We managed to win seven matches in a row against some difficult teams.  This then enabled us to move into the semi-finals to face a very good side.  After a really close game, it was to be decided on penalties, with three very brave boys stepping up to score confidently and our goalkeeper standing strong to prevent one of their penalties finding the net.  This put us through to the final and after the thrill of such a close run game, each player knew that they had still the next match to win. 

In the final itself, each of the ten players played a significant role.  An early scare when the opponents struck the bar heavily with a long range volley, focused the team to their task.  As we had throughout the tournament, the boys maintained a fast flowing, counter-attacking style and this was rewarded with a fantastic move, resulting in an excellent goal.  The confidence gained from this and further input from the substitutes, saw a second goal follow quickly.  We defended our lead exceptionally well for the remainder of the game and won convincingly in the end.  Just reward from a team that did not concede a goal in the whole tournament.  We accepted our winning medals and the trophy with grace, representing Lowwood in an exemplary manner. 

On the following day each player was presented with their medals and the trophy in assembly and received great respect and applause for the effort put in on the day.  Well done to the whole squad!!!