Cleary smash record books with five-in-a-row Mid-Ulster Shield titles

Cleary Celtic is a club that's never too far away from the history books and they notched up another historic record smashing result this Easter Monday morning at Stangmore Park.

Beating Hillsborough Boys 3-0 in the Mid-Ulster Shield Final made Cleary Celtic the only team ever to win five Mid-Ulster Shields in a row.

It's an incredible record, with Monday's victory making it seven for the club, an achievement that will seem even more significant in time. Nerves played a part for Cleary in the scoreless first half. But once Marty Havern broke the deadlock early in the second, they looked more convincing and a brace from Connaire Harrison, both set up by Man-of-the Match Havern, was more than enough.

While Cleary had the vast majority of chances in the first half, nothing stuck, thanks to some solid defending and a bit of luck for their opponents. Joe Goodwill also pulled off a couple of excellent saves as Hillsborough were a threat on the counter attack, in particular their forwards Jamie Earney and Toby Alexander.

Cleary began the game with an attacking mentality that saw Mark Hughes shoot from distance in the fourth minute with his effort skimming over off the crossbar. Seconds later a deflected shot from Connaire Harrison was tipped over for a corner by Hillsborough netminder Kyle Brown who was in for a busy game.

Cleary were applying early pressure but when Hillsborough broke Earney combined well with Toby Alexander with the former nodding down into Goodwill's waiting arms. Alexander was back in moments later but his shot from the edge of the box ballooned over the bar. The Carnbane side were soon back in control, winning a number of corners though all came to nothing, but on 20 minutes they came achingly close to opening the scoring with Paul Alexander cleared off the line from a Havern close-range effort. Hillsborough had another let-off when the ball slid across the face of goal with nobody in a Cleary shirt close enough to tap home. It did seem like a matter of time before the Celts would score but on the half-hour mark Goodwill was forced into a superb double save from danger man Earney and again from the resulting corner taken by Adam O'Neill that Earney tried to poke in at the near post. Havern fired a shot over the bar in an immediate response and on 40 minutes across from Harrison, Havern had another go with a header but Brown stood his ground and saved. Before the break, Toby Alexander did well to doggedly take the ball down the field and played a nice one-two before taking his shot that Goodwill claimed and that was the last action of the half. Hillsborough brought their mascot onto the field at half-time as the good-natured holiday atmosphere continued with all to play for in the second half, but it was Cleary who were celebrating within minutes of the restart when Havern got on the end of a long pass and drilled into the net. Cathal O'Reilly headed another Celtic effort over the bar seconds later and Mark Hughes came close to doubling the lead firing just wide from the edge of the box.

Toby Alexander came close again at the other end with the Hillsborough forwards by no means neutralised and another superb save was required by the Cleary keeper.

Havern squandered a free hitting straight into the Hillsborough wall but it mattered little as Cleary kept the ball and when Harrison's effort from the right was denied by the base of the post, the ball was kept in play and he made no mistake on the second time of asking, with the assist from Havern, doubling the advantage to 2-0. The wind was knocked out of Hillsborough's sails with that while Cleary were ready to put the game to bed. They did so on the break with Havern again setting up Harrison for his second and Cleary's third goal.

There was 20 minutes still to play but there was only going to be one winner in this final with one hand on the Shield for Cleary and their supporters just waiting to celebrate.

A lovely run and cross from Fergal Lavery saw Michael Ireland close to making it four with a tap in but the ball was just out of his reach and while Hillsborough made a couple more runs, they never really threatened Goodwill's clean sheet.