The pre-Christmas game traditionally attracts one of the season's poorest crowds, although that was not the case at Clandeboye Park on Saturday as the travelling Ballyclare support boosted numbers and saw their team claim a second win of the season over Ards.

No doubt with one eye on Tuesday's Steel & Sons Cup final, Ballyclare might have fielded a weakened side and been turned over by Ards. As it happens they did, but they weren't! Ards were able to name Johnny Shaw in the side for the first time in three matches, as he returned from his honeymoon, while Justin McBride was recalled to start alongside Darren Stirling up front.

Whatever tactics had gone along with those personnel changes counted for nothing when, after only 90 seconds, Ballyclare took a lead. A short through ball seemed to find Ricky Higgins in a clearly offside position on the edge of the Ards 18, but as the Ards players appealed, Higgins kept his focus and rolled the ball into the home net as the referee kept his arms firmly by his side.

The quickest of turnarounds almost followed directly from the Ards kick-off as skipper Aaron McKee hit a hopeful shot from his own half that cannoned off the Ballyclare crossbar; indeed some Ards fans were adamant that the ball had in fact come back off the stanchion. Ards had a moment of pressure on 29 minutes when Gary Spence got on the end of McKee's corner ball and there were claims that his shot had caught a defender's arm. A couple of follow-up chances were also blocked, from McMillen and McBride.

Ards keeper Andy McDonald made a worthy save on 42 minutes to keep the score down as he stopped a low shot from Andy Simms on the goal-line. One-nil to the Comrades at the break but by the 52nd minute Ards had the game level. Right-winger Johnny Roy got the better of his marker on the edge of the Ballyclare box and sent a cross over that was just missed by Stirling. McMillen, following up at the back post, did get a shot in but saw that headed of the line; fortunately the ball rebounded again and young McMilllen did find the net with his second attempt.

A opportunist shot from Conor Mulholland on 59 minutes, who spotted McDonald off his line, came to nothing with the final ball delivered at a comfortable height for the keeper. A couple of Ards chances then followed from successive corners as the game entered the final quarter of an hour. Both dead balls were delivered by substitute Johnny Cleary who first found the head of David Wright, whose shot was pushed over by Ian Mannus, and then set up Stirling for a similar chance that the goalkeeper held firmly.

Ards' David Cully seemed to be harshly booked a moment or two after coming on and then, despite all of Ards' second half efforts, Ballyclare grabbed a winner three minutes from time.

A terrific goal it was too as a quick break-away from a corner ball caught by keeper Ian Mannus sent the Comrades down the field. A smart one-two on the left side then culminated with a pin-point Smith cross that flew over Darren Nixon and allowed Darren McKay to hammer in at the back post. A great goal and a fair three points for Ballyclare, with Ards having much room for improvement.

Match Sponsors Drew & Ronnie Burgess

Team	Substitutes
1 Andy McDonald (GK)	8 Ryan Newberry
2 Darren Nixon	14 David Wright (for McBride 73)
3 Kris Pike	18 David Cully 84 (for Pike 79)
4 Gary Spence	19 Johnny Cleary (for Shaw 60)
5 James Wilson	21 Gary Sharratt
6 Johnny Shaw
7 Craig McMillen	Referee Simon Creaney
9 Darren Stirling
10 Aaron McKee
12 Johnny Roy
20 Justin McBride

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