ardsfc.co.uk - Ards Football Club - Armagh City 0-3 Ards

Ards took time to get going against the league's bottom side but eventually ran out easy winners at Holm Park.

A much changed Ards side were frustrated for around 40 minutes by the home team before a James Wright goal set them on the path to victory. Boss Kincaid rang the changes for this game with McMillen, Irvine, McIlhagga and Stirling all relegated to the bench, while Fitzgerald and Spence returned from injury. There were also starts for Mark Picking and Stephen Doyle as Ards ran a 4-3-3 formation.

The openings in the early part of the game were evenly shared as both goalkeepers saw some action. First on ten minutes, Stephen Doyle cut inside his marker to play the ball for Fitzgerald and his quick turn took him inside the penalty area but Armagh keeper William McFrederick was quickly out at the striker's feet. A minute after and City's Muir latched onto a through ball down the left hand side and got off a decent shot that Andy McDonald was more than equal to.

Not much to speak of then until the 29th minute when fullback Kris Pike brought the ball out of the Ards defence and played in Darren Armour, who took possession of the ball well, beat his man but then hit over the top from around 18 yards. Keeper McDonald received a yellow card shortly after that as he protested about a rough tackle involving Ards' Pike and Ultan Lennon of Armagh. Blame was probably to be equally shared in truth but it was the Armagh man who was unable to continue following the incident.

On 37 minutes Ards had very good opening when Fitzgerald picked out Paul Dickson with a well hit pass across the field. The ensuing cross was met by the head of Armour, but he was well denied by McFredick's save. Then, on 41 miunutes, Ards finally had the lead. The move began with a throw-in from Pike on the left flank that Mark Picking took up the line. His ball into the box ran into the path of James Wright and he fairly rifled the ball home for his second goal of the season.

Darren Stirling came in to replace Fitzgerald at the half-time interval but it was Ards' other two forwards Armour and Doyle who combined on 53 minutes to make the first chance of the half, that in all truth barely troubled McFrederick. Following that, on 68 minutes, a decent hit from Kerr provided an easy claim for McDonald in Ards' goal.

Ards stepped things up a gear for the next quarter of an hour and it paid dividends and they were able to put the score-line out of Armagh's sight. The best of the chances around this period saw a free kick from Wright on 69 minutes find the head of substitute Jimmy McIlhagga, but his effort flashed invitingly across the goal. Then a couple of minutes later, when McMillen got the byeline his cross for Darren Stirling was brilliantly put away for a corner by a defender's interception.

The second goal finally came on 74 minutes. Midfielder Aaron McKee began the move, playing a long cross in from the left that Armour headed on and Stirling was placed perfectly just yards out from goal to tap in.

Three minutes later and it was 3-0 with Armour supplying the assist again. This time the benefactor was McMillen, who ran in bravely from the left to get a touch on the ball as the goalkeeper hesitated, and with the stopper out of the action, McMillen finished off by rolling the ball into the now empty goal.

Job done for sure, but it could easily have been four in the 82nd minute as Armour was persistently held in the box and the referee had no option but to award the spot kick. Cue the debate between Pike and Armour for kicking duties - Armour eventually won the argument, but how he must wish he hadn't as the experienced striker sent the penalty crashing off the Armagh crossbar.

The last incident of the game saw City reduced to ten men with three minutes to play as Alexander clattered into McIlhagga on the right touchline and when the referee produced his second yellow of the day, he was off.

1 Andy McDonald (c)

8 Paul Dickson	2 Darren Nixon		4 Gary Spence		3 Kris Pike

17 Mark Picking		16 James Wright		11 Aaron McKee

12 Stephen Doyle		20 Darren Armour		10 Darren Fitzgerald

James Wright 41, Darren Stirling 74, Craig McMillen 77


	5 Jimmy McIlhagga (for Picking 68), 6 Dee Irvine, 7 Craig McMillen (for Doyle 60), 9 Darren Stirling (for Fitzgerald h/t), 19 James Wilson

	Tim Marshall