Northern Ireland
Premier Intermediate League
Saturday 25th April 2026
Kick Off 15.00 On Time!
Strabane Athletic 1 Oxford Sunnyside 1, attendance 155
35’ 1-0
74’ 1-1
@ Melvin Sports Arena
Melvin Road
Strabane
BT82 9PP
£9 Admission
No Programme.
The journey from this morning’s game west to Strabane took around one and a half hours, taking a direct route that remained in a pretty straight line, taking in some very scenic views en route. Melvin Sports Complex is on the south side of the Mourne River from the town centre. It’s a pitch inside a cinder track, compounded by having a six lane sprinting track on the stand side. The stand itself has three rows of seating, with an open backed roof, so probably not that good when it rains and is flanked by six rows of open steps either side. There was a refreshment table set up just inside the entrance, with the changing rooms at the far end of the main viewing area. Grass banking runs along the far side, where the dugouts are, with mesh fencing running around the complex perimeter….perfect for the twenty or so free loaders to watch from!
Strabane are new into the Premier Intermediate League this season, having achieved the treble of Ballymena & Provincial Intermediate League, O’Gorman Cup and Crawford Cup in 2024/25. Oxford Sunnyside had won back to back Mid Ulster League titles before beating Strabane in a two legged play off to join the N.I.F.L. the season before, so there was recent history between the two clubs. Today’s match was 2nd versus 10th in the league table and was not a game to live too long in the memory, certainly not as far as the entertainment value, or lack of it, goes. Perhaps the hot weather didn’t help matters…we even had a drinks break midway through the first half! Strabane broke the deadlock ten minutes before halftime, when an Oisin Duffy strike found the bottom corner from just inside the box. They hit the crossbar seven minutes into the second half too, but failed to get a second goal, which would probably have killed the game off and were made to pay for it with sixteen minutes left, when a cross from wide on the right was missed by the ‘keeper and sent back over him with a looping header from Michael O’Connor that found the far corner.
The result was a blow to Strabane’s title hopes heading into the final games of the season and could even see them missing out on promotion too. Moyola Park lead the table by three points from second placed Dollingstown, with both having one game left. Strabane are one point further back, but do have one extra game to play than the top two, however, Newry City, Rathfriland Rangers and Ballymacash Rangers can still achieve second place too, so it will be an interesting last day of the season!
An overnight stay just south of Antrim, before catching the 09.55 EasyJet flight back to London Gatwick on Sunday morning, which left on time.
