A RESOUNDING home win followed by a valuable point on the road has Ards Rangers FC Women well placed in the NIWFA Division 5 table as the season nears its halfway point.
Last Wednesday at Londonderry Park, the locals started like a house on fire as they opened the scoring against Rathfriland FC Ladies inside 21 seconds of the kick-off. Allie Hamilton did well to turn her marker before bursting into the box and firing past the Rathfriland ’keeper for the opener.
Shannon McCullough soon added a quickfire double to make it 3-0, a powerful effort from inside the box and then another very composed finish from a Hamilton cross.
The Rangers had to wait until the 22nd minute to grab their fourth on the night, Clare Johnston arriving in the box to get on the end of a Hamilton free-kick, and just before half-time Billie Jest scored her first of the season with a calm finish at the back post to make it 5-0 to the home side.
McCullough would wrap up her hat-trick on the hour mark with a brilliant first-time finish into the top corner, played smartly through by Danielle Cash to score the hosts’ sixth of the night.
Rangers then travelled to Kilkeel on Monday for their biggest challenge to date when they took on in-form side Valley Rangers at Bignian Park.
Touted as underdogs, it was the away side that got the opening goal just nine minutes into the first half. Becky Taylor’s lofted pass set Shannon McCullough on her way, as she cut inside on her right foot and smashed the ball past the Valley ’keeper.
Twenty minutes in, Valley were awarded a penalty after a foul in the box from Rangers defender Linda Mitchell, but Caitlin Rae stepped up and was denied not once, but twice by Rangers’ Macy Taylor.
And the visitors made the home side pay just minutes later when they doubled their lead from a corner kick, with Danielle Cash heading into the roof of the net.
Valley stepped up a gear in the second half and respectfully got their reward. With 15 minutes to go, Neve Taylor was caught out of position to let two Valley players link up well to poke home their first goal of the night. Three minutes later they got their equaliser after Rae was given time to turn and unleash a half volley into the bottom corner.
Ards Rangers Women sit third in the division with just the single defeat from their opening six games. Next up is a trip to Oxford Sunnyside Ladies in the first round of the Division 5 League Cup on June 2.
