Following a few weeks of inactivity, St Mary's took to the field at Mallusk for an early evening kick off against Cavehill Colts who play their football in the East Antrim League.
St Mary's elected to play with the strong breeze at their backs and took the game by the scruff of the neck early on with Eoin McNicholl getting lots of space down the right hand side and Matt Shannon forcing the pace down the left.
Shannon opened the scoring for St Mary's after neatly exchanging passes with Eoin O'Reilly before firing home on seven minutes. Cavehill Colts threatened briefly at the other end but Aidan Quinn in particular patrolled the midfield area with authority and grew in confidence as the half progressed. It was Aidan's midfield partner, Conor Bannon who next came close with a rasping effort from the edge of the area but Mark Davey showed how it was done when taking the ball in his stride to shoot haome from 25 yards to double St Marys' lead.
Skipper Jack Parke was bowled over in the penalty box leaving the referee with no other option but to award a spot kick and although the Cavehill goalie made a fine save from Parke's penalty, Parke reacted quickest to slam home the rebound.
Aidan Quinn nearly capped a fine first half display with an piledriver which the goalie was relieved to clutch from under the crossbar while good work by Eoin McNicholl resulted in Conor Bannon leaving St Mary's four goals to the good at the break.
As the teams switched ends at the break, the St Mary's defence containing Patrick Ross, Oisin Donaghy and Cormac Morgan prepared for a busier second period with the Colts now having the advantage of a strong breeze but the threat never materialised as Parke notched his second goal of the evening when touching an O'Reilly effort home at the back post.
Shannon was again on target to notch his second of the evening while a Cavehill counter attack was swiftly snuffed out by the pace of Eoin McNicholl sweeping up in behind Oisin Donaghy and Paddy Ross
With Glasgow Celtic's woes from the penalty spot this season, Celtic manager Neil Lennon need not look to Eoin O'Reilly to step up to the mark as when he was bundled over in the penalty box on forty minutes, O'Reilly could only muster a weak effort straight down the middle and into the arms of the Cavehill goalie.
Daniel Hackett and the lively Eoin Lundy took to the field for St Mary's both hoping for good performances to force their way into the first eleven and both added to the St Mary's attacking threat.
O'Reilly eventually got his goal when finishing well having been played through by Matty Shannon, king of the assists and O'Reilly was then bundled over in the penalty box again for another spot kick. Up stepped goalie Oliver Breen to confidently slam the ball home.
With the poor Cavehill team looking for the full time whistle to sound, Oisin Donaghy had an effort from distance palmed away but there was just about enough time for left back Cormac Morgan to blast the ball home from the edge of the area for his first goal of the season and St Mary's ninth of the night.
