SUPERCUPNI: County Antrim too strong for Club NI

County Antrim started the better of the two and could have gone ahead inside the first minute when Carson Elliot linked up with Dylan Snodden before his effort was kept out by Terry Devlin.

County Antrim were awarded a penalty inside four minutes and up stepped Christopher McKee to slot the ball into the net.

Club NI were playing some fantastic football but couldn’t cope with the physical aspect of County Antrim and the latter’s McKee played in Peter McKiernan but he was denied by a superb block by Charlie Allen.

Devlin was called into action once again on 23 minutes as he tipped away a powerful drive from the impressive McKee from just outside the box after he turned the Club NI defence.

Devlin was putting in a good performance in goal for Club NI as he made another good save two minutes later as the County Antrim attack cut the defence open before Elliot squared for Adam Donnelly but his shot was somehow kept out by the keeper as he flicked the ball over the top.

County Antrim then began the second half on top again and went two ahead almost instantly when Elliot scored a sublime individual effort as he breezed past the Club NI challenges before thumping the ball into the bottom corner.

Club NI weren’t giving up easily and on 48 minutes they created a good opportunity when Vicky Saldanha fizzed in a low cross for Connor Bradley but the striker just couldn’t get the all-important connection to it.

Elliot was putting in a fantastic display with his constant running at the opposition defence impressing the spectators in Ballymoney and it was he who created the next opening as he latched on to a pass from Carl Johnston before he saw his shot saved by the foot of Devine.

Several minutes later Devine was called into action once again as he made another fine stop when he palmed away a low McKee effort from just outside the box after Elliot had pulled the ball back for him.

It was then the turn of the post to deny County Antrim as Elliot beat the challenges before his effort crashed off the woodwork and ran to safety.

The scoring was then complete off Johnston in the final minute as County Antrim cemented a place in the showpiece final at the Ballymena Showgrounds against American opponents GPS Bayern.