Sixteen clubs moved a step closer to lining up alongside senior opposition after successfully coming through their Clearer Water Irish Cup Third Round ties on Saturday.
It turned out to be a great afternoon for sides from the NIFL Premier Intermediate League with no fewer than seven progressing to the next round, with only Dollingstown falling by the wayside after going down by the odd goal in seven away to fellow PIL side Knockbreda.
The Dollybirds raced into an early lead through Henry Cromack after just two minutes, with the 22-year-old doubling their advantage midway through the first half.
Knockbreda pulled one back courtesy of Marcus Murphy's spot-kick just after the half-hour mark before he levelled eight minutes after that.
'Breda then moved in front for the first time when Curtis Giltrap found the net on 44 minutes but the visitors hit back with Cromack's third of the game in first half stoppage time!
The second half failed to produce any further goals until eight minutes from time when Tom Patchett popped up with Knockbreda's winner.
Strabane Athletic, Rathfriland Rangers, Dergview, Lisburn Distillery, Ballymacash Rangers (pictured) and Moyola Park also made it through as did Newry City who were the biggest winners of the day when they hit eight goals without reply past Crumlin United at Tom McPeake Park.
Stuart King's side seized the advantage on 18 minutes when Matthew Rendina headed home from a free-kick, and they were further boosted ten minutes after that when the hosts were reduced to ten men following Emmett McCabe's dismissal for serious foul play.
Jack Chambers doubled Newry's lead a few minutes from the break with a calm finish into the bottom corner, with Scott McCullough adding a third on the hour from 25 yards.
The scoring continued through Shane Forbes left-footed 30 yard drive and a Declan Carville strike with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining.
Newry hit three more in the final ten minutes with a Kane Rossiter double book-ending a second of the game for Forbes.
Comber Rec. also bagged eight goals - including four from Dylan Donaldson, the highest individual scorer of the day - as they swept past Glebe Rangers 8-1 at Park Way but the highest scoring game of the afternoon was to be found at Meadowvale as Drumaness Mills defeated Fivemiletown United 6-4, including a second half hat-trick from Callum Dougan.
In addition to Dougan and Dollingstown's Cromack, three other players went home with the match ball - David Parkhouse (Moyola Park), Aaron Smyth (Wakehurst) and Finaghy's Gledis Cakaj.
Two games went all the way to penalties with Dergview edging out Bryansburn Rangers while Lisburn Rangers got past St. James' Swifts.
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