PLAYR-FIT CHAMPIONSHIP
ARDS 1
STEELE 27’
BALLYCLARE COMRADES 3
MORGAN 8′, HEALY 17′ 39′
Rory McKee at Clandeboye Park
ARDS have now failed to beat Ballyclare Comrades in their last nine attempts after Saturday’s 3-1 reversal at the hands of the County Antrim club.
In a game which saw all the goals arrive in the first half, it was John Bailie’s side who enjoyed large parts of the play, but not for the first time this season Ards were left to rue a lack of killer instinct in the final third as Ballyclare punished them on the counter-attack time and again.
The Red and Blues started the brighter of the two sides and could have gone ahead as early as the third minute, but Lee Newell chose to go alone rather than square the ball to Ross Hunter in a promising position with Comrades goalkeeper Gerard Walker on hand to make the block.
Ards continued their early onslaught and Hunter’s effort from inside the area was just off target as his wait for a first goal since the opening day of the season dragged on.
Against the run of play, the visitors drew first blood after nine minutes when Michael Morgan swept home in style following a breakaway.
Ballyclare were finding joy down the left flank and less than 10 minutes later they got their second. Another counter-attack was the undoing of Ards as Marcus Murphy picked out the unmarked Brian Healy – scorer of a hat-trick when the sides met in September – to double the lead.
The deficit was cut in half in the 27th minute when Connor Maxwell’s wide free-kick was helped on by Eamon Scannell and Aidan Steele got the telling touch with his head at the far post.
Only a last ditch block from the impressive Owen McConville to get in the way of Hunter’s shot spared Walker from being called into action again as Ards went in search of an equaliser.
Hunter must have been cursing his luck when his far-post header found the side netting after 36 minutes, and just moments later Ards were punished for the missed opportunity.
The home side twice failed to clear their lines in their own penalty area and Comrades captain Liam Hassin took advantage before teeing up Healy for the simplest of finishes to leave Ards shell shocked.
Maxwell did test the gloves of Walker just before the interval with a well-executed free-kick, but half-time arrived with the visitors two to the good.
The second half produced less by way of clear-cut chances for Ards, who were primarily restricted to set pieces, with Ballyclare threatening to add to their lead on the counter.
After penalty appeals were waved away at one end, the visitors broke again at speed and Ards were let off the hook by a misjudged Caolan Donnelly pass with Healy poised in the area.
When Odhran McCart saw his header come back off the crossbar in the 73rd minute, it was beginning to feel like Ards’ race was run. The hosts struggled to deal with Healy all afternoon and he was only denied a hat-trick with 10 minutes to go by the combined efforts of Michael Ruddy and Marc Matthews.
Connor Maxwell fired over the the top from close range late on and Ballyclare were able to manage the remainder of the game as they leapfrogged Ards into the top half of the table.
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Substitutes: Barr (Carson 62), Simpson (C. Scannell 78), Quinn (Steele 78), Dalzell (Hunter 85), Deane (Ruddy 85). Not used: Moore, Greer.
Booked: Ruddy
Ballyclare Comrades: Walker, Mervyn, McCune, McConville, Hassin (C), Morgan, Murphy, Gilmour, Healy, Tennant, McAleer.
Booked: Helay, Mervyn.
Referee: Michael McKenna
