By Phillip Bartlett
A RAMPANT Ards made it four wins from their last six with three unanswered goals at home against Warrenpoint Town on Saturday.
Darius Roohi in, Zach Barr out, was the only change to the side last out for Ards as they finally returned home after three games for the final match before the end-of-season split.
With most of the positions confirmed, Ards discovered their last five games of the season, in the lower half of the division, shortly after the final whistle.
An assured performance in the first half saw them take the lead on 25 minutes, with Roohi firing past Daniel Devine after being played in by Jack Reilly on the left, deservedly putting them ahead after an opening salvo on the ’Point goal.
Eamon Scannell was a couple of lines of paint away from a goal of the season contender, having spotted Devine off his line and clipped it over his head from 40 yards out, only to watch it come back off the crossbar, hit the stranded ’keeper and roll out harmlessly for a corner. The half continued with Ards on the front foot, limiting Warrenpoint’s attacks to a handful of set pieces, all of which failed to trouble the home ‘keeper.
The hosts were very comfortable throughout and came closest to adding to the scoreline before the break, when Keilan Reid met a superb delivery from Reilly and directed a powerful header on to the bar.
Ards kept up the assault in the second half, while Warrenpoint were unable to muster anything of note in the final third, and it seemed only a matter of time before the lead would be extended, as Jamie Browne and Steven Gordon went close shortly after the restart.
They were eventually rewarded for their efforts, perhaps taking a bit longer than some might have hoped, given the extent of the dominance, but two goals in five second-half minutes took the game away from Warrenpoint.
Gordon added to the opener with a bullet header, from Reilly’s corner delivery, followed by a fantastic, solo effort from Jamie Brown after 75 minutes.
The midfielder picked the ball up in the middle of the park, skipped past several challenges and fired an angled shot across goal, picking out the far corner, giving Devine no chance.
An unsavoury moment in between those goals saw the visitors’ Declan Loye shown a straight red card for a challenge on Gordon, shortly after the Ards defender had scored. No attempt to play the ball, a reckless challenge and referee Ben Shepherd left with no choice but to brandish the red.
In reality, Loye could have been off the field early in the game, after a number of questionable tackles went unpunished by the officials.
With a three-goal and one-man advantage, the game was well beyond the travelling side and despite the stoppages in the second 45, there was no added time to be played, with the referee ending the game on the 90-minute mark.
Ards walked away with a comfortable win, having outfought, outran and outplayed Warrenpoint, and were warmly received by the Red and Blue Army as they left the field.
Conor Scannell was named the match sponsors’ man of the match, producing a solid display in defence and posing a real attacking threat down the Ards right.
With the split now decided, and final league standings known, Ards will play their first post- split game away to Ballinamallard at Ferney Park on Saturday.
Having won four of their last six games, they will undoubtedly head into these games full of confidence, aiming to finish as high as they can come the end of the season.
