The Stars played a home from home game last Saturday 19th May in Newry Leisure Centre. The club welcomed the Ballymoney Badgers to town and faced them in two games on the day. The first game saw both clubs B teams going head to head. Made up of some juniors/ ladies & beginners the Armagh team had a tough afternoon, eventually going down to the more experienced Ballymoney B team 11:1. Armagh Stars Amanda Kerr scoring the team’s only goal of the game. It was their first taste of competitive action for the B team and despite the one sided score line, everyone enjoyed their first game and came away determined to learn from the experience.

The A team game was a much closer affair. The stars took the lead in the game after 5 minutes through a quick wrist shot from player coach Stephen Lynch. Both teams were very well matched and the action was end to end with both having scoring opportunities. The Badgers got themselves back into the game before the end of the first period to tie the game 1:1.Both teams where happy to hear the half time buzzer to get some water on board as temperatures soared in the sports hall.

The second half began just as frantic, with end to end action, Ballymoney had a spell of contained pressure on the Armagh goal but goalie Jordan Burns was having a solid performance in net and was keeping them at bay.
Against the run of play Armagh then took the lead for the second time in the game, when Simon Black found space in front of goal and a quick release shot give the goalie no chance on his glove side.
Ballymoney responded quickly with a well worked cross court play creating space for a shot from the slot which give the goalie no chance.
The Badgers then took the lead minutes later with a long period of good passing pressure in the Armagh zone, which tired out the defence and eventually lead to an opening.
Before the 2nd period buzzer went Armagh tied the game up, with player coach Stephen Lynch getting his second of the game. After skating down into the badgers end and faking to go round the back of the net, he slid the puck in on the near side with the keeper going the other way. End of 2nd 3:3

The intensity of the game dropped slightly in the third and final period of the game, with both sets of players drained by the hot temperatures. Ballymoney took their second lead of the game and their game winner minutes into the period with a fine individual finish from one of their forwards.
Armagh pressed hard for an equaliser and with one minute to go in the game pulled their goalie for an extra attacker, and it nearly worked! The last 30 seconds of the game where hectic with goalmouth scrambles in front of the goal but unfortunately the stars couldn’t get it passed the Badgers goalie.

So a 4:3 defeat for the stars was the final score line, but once again they have made great strides in their development and are well on course for entry into the Irish League this September.