Ards FC mark beginning of pre-season with Neville Phillips Shield success
By Daniel Noble
Ards Rangers 1
Ards FC 1
(Ards FC won 4-2 on penalties)
ARDS FC claimed the Neville Phillips Shield as they got their pre-season campaign up and running with a penalty-shootout victory over Ards Rangers on Friday.
The two sides were locked together at full-time after Dean Annett fired the home side into a shock lead in the first-half and new signing Fiontan O’Boyle levelled for the visitors, who fielded a different team in each half.
That left penalties to decide the outcome, and it was the NIFL Championship side that came out on top.
The first half was typical of an early pre-season game, as a scrappy opening 10 minutes played out and the first shot on target did not arrive until the 13th minute.
Unsurprisingly, that effort came from visiting striker Jack Martindale, who powered his way through the box and brought a save from goalkeeper Mark Orbinson at his near post.
A lengthy period of 21 minutes with little to no action in front of goal ensued after that, before Rangers came within margins of grabbing a surprise opener.
An Orbinson kick-out sailed all the way through to Annett, inside the box, and although he managed to flick over ‘keeper Marc Matthews on the stretch, his shot just had too much elevation.
However, a mere five minutes later, the hosts did claim the breakthrough, when that man Annett received a flick-on from McIlmail and applied the finish from a tight angle.
With a lead in their clutches and half-time fast approaching, Rangers would have to dispel a dangerous free-kick delivery to claim the advantage at the break, and so they did.
A whipped delivery targeted the six-yard box, where Orbinson found himself crowded out, but his skipper, Lewis Roy, got up to head clear and ensure the narrowest of leads at the interval.
That was a vital contribution from Roy, and he continued to offer a real captain’s performance after the restart, acting as a rock at the back and putting his body on the line to produce two goal-denying blocks.
Knowing Ards FC’s second-half team was that bit stronger than their side from the first 45 minutes, the hosts knew the one goal was not going to be enough.
They set about doubling their advantage while the opposition legs were still rusty, and they came agonisingly close on consecutive attacks.
First, long-throw specialist Matthew McAvoy arrowed a ball into the heart of the box, where Daryl Evans sent a backwards header inches over the crossbar.
Maintaining the attacking pressure, delivered an inviting cross, which was headed down by McIlmail and hooked goalward by Evans, only for diving ‘keeper James Taylor to pluck the ball out of the bottom corner.
That save seemed to give the away side the impetus they needed to claim a foothold in the game, and only a further five minutes would pass before they restored parity, with Conor Scannell conjuring a pinpoint cross and O’Boyle rising to nod home at the back post.
Still, Rangers would not be discouraged, and if anything, they looked more likely to double their tally.
After Jay Dalzell was brought down on the edge of the box, McIlmail played a short free-kick to Josh Ferguson, who rattled the bar with a curling effort from range.
Minutes later, McAvoy’s delivery dropped to McIlmail, whose header was pushed out away from the bottom corner by another blinding Taylor stop.
With the pressure failing to pay off, they were almost left stunned when O’Boyle spurned a scoring chance just a minute from time, firing over the bar with a free shot at goal.
There was nothing to separate the two sides at the end of 90 minutes, leaving penalties to crown the 2026 Neville Phillips Shield winners, and it was Ards FC who prevailed, taking advantage of their hosts’ two missed attempts by converting all four of their own.
