The Sadler's Peaky Blinder Irish Cup continued at the weekend with 16 Third Preliminary Round ties which took the winners one step closer to joining the big boys in the competition proper in early January.
It was a day to remember for Greenisland and Windmill Stars who knocked out Premier Intermediate League opposition while there was no shortage of drama amongst the remaining ties.
Mid-Ulster Intermediate A side Windmill Stars travelled to take on Armagh City at Holm Park and returned to Newry victorious following Jemar Hall's 37th minute finish which was enough to see them past Shea Campbell's side.
Greenisland welcomed Lisburn Distillery to Glenkeen Avenue and held a two-goal lead at the break thanks to Darren Bell's double. The Whites fought back in the second half, reducing the deficit courtesy of Aaron Harris' 53rd minute spot-kick but it wasn't enough to stop their Amateur 1C hosts progressing.
The remaining PIL sides did make it safely through. Portstewart hit three goals without reply past Ballymacash Rangers while Bangor defeated St. James' Swifts 2-0 at Clandeboye Park.
Ben Arthurs fired the Seasiders in front after a quarter-of-an-hour but that was how it stayed for almost the entirety of the game. Arthurs was replaced in the 90th minute by Kyle Woods ... and Woods turned super sub by knocking home Bangor's second five minutes into added time!
Newington also made it through with a 2-0 win over Ballynahinch Olympic, just a matter of days after knocking the same opposition out of the Intermediate Cup!
Tobermore United were given a brief scare away to Sirocco Works. Justin Gregg-Tobin fired Sirocco in front after a minute but three goals before the half-hour mark firmly tipped the balance back in favour of the PIL side.
Limavady United squandered a three-goal lead away to Holywood before recovering claim victory. The Roesiders raced into a commanding lead when Alex Pomeroy and Ryan Doherty found the net in the opening 15 minutes and when Gary McFadden added a third early in the second half it looked like game over.
However, Holywood stormed back to hit three goals in ten minutes through Colin Crawford, Joshua Craig and Justin McCadden but a goal from Dean Brown followed by a Pomeroy penalty made sure United moved forward to the next round in the end.
Three ties were settled on penalties. Islandmagee and Derriaghy CC progressed at the expense of Drumaness Mills and Dunloy respectively while Mossley keeper Daniel McWilliams was the hero in their win over Shankill United. He saved one spot-kick in normal time and another three in the shoot-out.
And there was quite a turnaround at Robert Adams Park as Kilmore Rec. got past visitors Lower Maze after trailing by two goals at the break and playing most of the game with ten men after skipper Niall McCarthy was dismissed after 13 minutes.
Meanwhile, there were victories for Ards Rangers, Colin Valley, Oxford Sunnyside, Rathfriland Rangers and Tandragee Rovers.
