Ulster U18s secured a 6-3 win against Wessex Spartans in the second of three matches at Ulster University this weekend.
A hat-trick each for Adam McKee and John Cunningham sealed the win ahead of the third fixture tomorrow.
An even start to the game saw both sides win early short corners before Milo Thompson had an open play effort saved by the Wessex goalkeeper with just nine minutes played.
It took until the 17th minute of the game for the opening goal of the fixture when JJ Holley played a ball through the Wessex defence for his teammate Adam McKee. The forward found himself unmarked in the circle before calmly slotting past the goalkeeper to make it 1-0.
Ulster then found their rhythm at the start of the second quarter when McKee got both his and Ulster’s second goal of the game with just 19 minutes played.
Just four minutes later John Cunningham made it 3-0 when he got his first of the afternoon. The forward brilliantly took down an aerial in on the right wing before cutting in and picking out the bottom corner with his strike.
Immediately after it was 4-0 as Cunningham made it 4-0 as he got his second of the afternoon as Ulster continued their dominant start to the second quarter.
However, just before the half-time break, there was time for the visitors to grab a goal back when a failed aerial from an Ulster defender gave the ball to an opposing forward before they broke free and beat the goalkeeper.
At the beginning of the second half Ulster continued to look threatening as both Cunningham and Ben Law saw efforts from short corners saved by the Spartans goalkeeper as it remained 4-1.
That was until the 52nd minute McKee rounded off his hat trick and got Ulster’s fifth of the game when his drag flick effort found the corner and proved too much for the goalkeeper on that occasion.
The hosts continued to threaten and got their reward once more just six minutes later when Cunningham picked up the ball 30 yards from goal before beating several defenders and converting with a reverse effort from the penalty spot.
With the score 6-1 to Ulster going into the final ten minutes Ulster went on to concede to late goals from short corners as the game finished 6-3.
The third and final game of the series takes place tomorrow at Ulster University and it is scheduled for a 1oam start.
