Last time Ards travelled to Holm Park saw George Neill's Ards side humiliated 3-0 at the hands of an impressive City side in a Premier League match. 18 months on and Ards returned now as a First Division side but with a new man in charge and a renewed purpose.

Pre season, however had not gone well for Ards to date with two poor draws against Amateur League sides and a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Crusaders. The first half very much continued in the same vain with Armagh dominating the play and Ards rarely troubling Stuart Addis in the City goal.

Things didn't start well for Ards with Kris Pike, who was unusually playing on the left wing, having to retire from the game after 12 minutes due to a knee injury. Pike was replaced by natural left winger Craig McMillen who played a vital role for Ards in the game.

Armagh had much the better of the first half with winger Stephen Hyndes hitting the Andy McDonald's cross bar in the 17th minute with a stunning long range strike. Armagh could have taken the lead 5 minutes later when Austin McCann intercepted a weak sideways pass from Ards right back Stephen Johnston but McCann's audacious lob floated over the crossbar. Armagh again went close when Connelly forced Andy McDonald to produce a wonderful save from close range just on the brink of half time.

Armagh were to regret their missed chances when Ards hit them on the break deep into first half injury time. Darren Kincaid, son of manager Tommy, played a superb through ball for substitute Craig McMillen to latch on to. McMillen made no mistake firing the ball in from the corner of the six yard box beyond Addis at his near post to give Ards an unlikely half time lead.

Tommy Kincaid was not fooled by the lead and made four changes during the break. Kincaid sacrificed captain Aaron McKee, striker Gary Sharratt, midfielder David Brotherson and Darren Kincaid to make way for Darren Stirling, Gary Clifford, Ryan Hyland and Glen Bowers. This meant that the gaffer had entirely changed his midfield line up from Kincaid, McKee, Brotherson, Pike to Hyland, Clifford, Bowers, McMillen for the second half and in truth Ards were much better for it.

The small band of travelling Ards support were in general agreement that one of the shining lights of the Ards team on the night was left back Johnny Cleary. Cleary almost got himself on the score sheet early in the second half but his 25 yard thunderbolt was turned away by Addis. The strike was reminiscent of the goal Cleary scored for Bangor against Ards in the North Down Cup in 2004.

Unfortunately for Ards it wasn't long before Armagh pegged them back. In the 63rd minute City's Austin McCann took advantage of a stray ball and curled an excellent shot passed the reach of McDonald in the Ards goal from some 15 yards. To the disappointment of the local City fans Armagh never really pushed on from here as Ards stomped their authority on the game over the last 25 minutes.

In the 75th minute Ards put together the move of the game with McMillen feeding Clifford the ball in the box who knocked it wide for full back Cleary to drive across the front of goal but the oncoming Ryan Hyland was unable to hit the target. Not long after Hyland was in the action again with an impressive run down the right wing. Despite seemingly losing control of the ball he managed to get a pass away to Ricky Billing who whipped in an excellent cross for Stirling to head home but Addis was on his toes to make a decent save.

With just over ten minutes remaining McMillen got his second goal of the game to give Ards a deserved 2-1 win. McMillen ran onto the ball at the corner of the box and despite the best attempt of the Armagh right back to pull him down in the area McMillen stayed on his feet to score with a lovely finish low into the net.

Ards continued to dominate for the final few minutes squandering a couple of chances to increase their lead but Armagh never looked like getting back into the game. This will no doubt be a satisfying victory for Kincaid with his Ards team playing wonderful football in the second half and defending well when called upon. If Ards play like this every week they will be a force to be reckoned with in the First Division but Armagh City fans and their manager Gary McKinstry will no doubt be concerned at the level of their performance tonight. It may well be a long old season at Holm Park in the Premier League this season.

Keith Bailie

Scorer Craig McMillen 45+3, 79

Ards Team 1 Andy McDonald (GK), 2 Stephen Johnston, 3 Kris Pike, 4 Gary Spence, 5 James Wilson, 6 Johnny Cleary, 7 Darren Kincaid, 8 David Brothertson, 9 Gary Sharratt, 10 Ricky Billing, 11 Aaron McKee

Substitutes 12 Craig McMillen (for Pike), 14 Glen Bowers (for McKee), 15 Darren Stirling (for Sharratt), 17 David Cully (for Johnston), 23 Gary Clifford (for Brotherston), Johnston (for Billing)

Referee Mervyn Adamson

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