JUNIOR SHIELD
ACADEMY 29
ARDS 51
ARDS booked their place in the last four of the Junior Shield with a convincing victory in Mallusk against Academy on Saturday.
The fixture, being played a week later than planned as a result of the recent storm, was played on the third pitch at Roughfort given the condition of the others. The ground was firm but the wind was strong, blowing from one tryline to the other.
Ards had the wind advantage in the first half but it was the home side who seized the initiative and were awarded an early penalty. Electing to take a shot at goal, the kick was good and Academy were in front.
Academy quickly built on the advantage when their winger went in for a well worked score out wide. The tough conversion was missed but this wasn’t the start Ards had hoped for.
Ards introduced stalwart prop Andrew Foster into the front row and instantly Academy lost the dominance of this aspect of play. Ards were awarded a scrum shortly after some good defensive work and centre Joel De Pledge would take full advantage on his returning 1st XV debut to dot down for a try. Angus Christie dutifully converted to bring Ards within a point.
Robbie Johnston got the visitors’ second score and Christie added the extras to send Ards into the lead for the first time. From the restart, a clever kick from Johnston resulted in a 50-22 in favour of Ards. The resulting lineout saw good carries from Curtis Ewing and Johnston, allowing the ball to be released through the hands to winger Ethan Bell to score in the corner. The difficult conversion went over from Christie but the score moved to 8-21.
Ards went further ahead when Bell made good ground before releasing Christie, who went on a rampaging run down the left wing and the ball eventually arrived into the hands of Ross Torney who took no prisoners and ploughed his way over the line for a great try. Christie added the extras.
Two further successful penalties from Christie had Ards leading 8-34 at half-time.
The visitors’ first score of the second half was initiated by Robbie Johnston, with the ball passing through the hands of Ethan Bell and Chris McClure before Matthew Bell finished off the move in the corner.
After a backline reshuffle, Ards captain Ryan Upritchard – now on the wing – gathered a crossfield kick from Johnston to score the away side’s sixth try of the day. The conversion very narrowly missed with the score reading 8-44.
The game then settled into a battle for territory and, after Johnston was withdrawn to injury prompting another shake-up in the Ards backline, Academy were awarded a penalty which they decided to tap and go resulting in their hooker going over for a converted try.
Buoyed by this, they continued to pile the pressure on the Ards defence and produced the same result, the hooker going over for another converted try.
Ards responded when a clever offload from Grant close to the posts eventually saw Devlin go over for a converted score.
With only a few minutes left Academy were awarded a penalty, following which the hooker went over for his third try.
This was a good win for Ards who are starting to show the type of performances they are capable of. Their semi-final opponents were not known at the time of going to press.
On Saturday, Ards welcome Ballyclare seconds to Hamilton Park in the Towns Cup (2.30pm).
