Teenage striker with Irish League family connections scores six goals to help promotion-chasing team win 9-0

Two in the first-half followed by another four after the break secured a new personal best for the young striker, who is following in the footballing footsteps of both his father Frankie Small, who spent time with Larne, and uncle Stephen Small – currently in charge of Championship outfit Ballyclare Comrades after his own successful Irish League career.

Frankie and Stephen both started in Larne’s 2004/05 Irish Cup 1-0 semi-final victory over Ballymena United – the only time they shared the pitch together in a competitive game – and now Conal is forging his own path as a clinical goalscorer in Northern Amateur Football League Division 1C with table-toppers Greenisland.

He has netted 24 times in 20 league games in what is just his second campaign in senior football and also has an Irish Cup goal to his name after scoring in their second round victory over Hanover earlier this season.

Saturday’s haul tops any of his previous achievements and – perhaps best of all – gives him the household bragging rights as dad Frankie’s best return in a match was five.

"I love scoring goals,” he said. “I got five at the start of the season against Saintfield. My dad has got five in a game before so I was trying to beat him for a while so I have finally done that!

"He didn't believe me but he's buzzing so it's all good in the house.

"I was getting a bit worried because a while ago I'd went four games without a goal and I thought I had lost it. I thought I was enjoying a good spell and then I'd lost it.

"I scored two goals two weeks ago and said 'right, that's me back' and before the game I knew something big was coming. It feels good.

"It was two in the first-half and I came in at half-time knowing the defence was opening up and then got four in the second-half.

"Our physio said to me before the game that I would score three and I promised him five and then when I had that I needed to get six!"

Greenisland are being chased by unbeaten Willowbank – who have played four games fewer and defeated the Glenkeen Avenue outfit 3-2 last month – but McWilliams-Small and his teammates are fully focused on achieving their pre-season goals.

"From the start of the season promotion was always the aim,” he added. “We all said to each other that last season we got really close to getting promotion but didn’t so the main target this season has been getting promoted and we're on track.

"Promotion would be great for us. It would feel amazing for all the lads and we don't want to just stop at 1B - we want to get to the top and that's what we plan on doing. Hopefully we can get promoted and win a few league titles."

It has been a season to remember for McWilliams-Small who is “Greenisland through and through” having grown up through the youth ranks at the club.

Topping it off with the league’s golden boot – which he is on track to do – and promotion would be the perfect combination.

"This season I felt it was going to be a big one for me and I've been able to put my head down and score goals,” he said. "Hopefully it's a recurring thing and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon.

"At the start of the season I said to myself I would hit 30 in all competitions but I'm almost on 30 just in the league.

"There's a player for Willowbank who equalled me when he scored four so we were both on 18, but then I scored six so that's me on 24.

"It would be brilliant to get promotion and be top goalscorer - I couldn't write a better way to finish the season."