Ballyclare Comrades 1-1 Ards
Ladbrokes.com Championship 1

The weather was the real winner at Dixon Park on Saturday as neither Ballyclare nor Ards could produce the type of football required to win this Championship 1 match.

Ards did however hold the lead for most of the second half, thanks to a Darren Fitzgerald penalty before Ballyclare leveled the game late on with a hotly disputed goal. It was the home side who had the best of the early openings, like on five minutes when a clearance from Jimmy McIlhagga fell straight to Marc McClelland and he forced a good reaction save from Andy McDonald.

Later, on 20 minutes the same player went close again for Ballyclare, this time getting in a free header from a corner. For Ards, James Wright was the main man in midfield, keeping his play simple and opening up the match for his team. On 31 minutes his good take down in the middle of the park allowed him to spread the ball right for Darren Stirling and when the pass was returned Wright brought a good save from the goalkeeper.

The best of the first half action didn't arrive until the final five minutes and again the weather conditions would have a say. One-time Ards forward Ronnie Burns was the man with good fortune on 42 minutes when his shot/cross took a wicked swerve on route to goal and only a superb piece of re-positioning allowed Andy McDonald to keep the ball out one-handed.

In the final minute a cross from Mark Picking put the ball onto Darren Fitzgerald's head but the Ards forward could only put a tame header into the keeper's arms. Then, with the game into added time, a break through the middle from Kris Pike put Stirling in on goal but his weak shot was a long way from troubling the keeper.

There was just thirty seconds gone in the second half when Ards took the lead. Ref Adrian McCourt spotted a handball as Ards broke into the Ballyclare box and with a spot kick awarded, Darren Fitzgerald duly converted his 13th strike of the season.

Ards had a great chance to double the lead ten minutes later as Paul Dickson picked up a loose ball in the midfield. He slipped a pass out right to Fitzgerald, who crossed for striking partner Stirling and his shot looked on a goal-bound path before being deflected wide by a defender's leg.

Then on 58 minutes, the game saw penalty number two. No doubt about this award as Wilson was penalised for holding, but Ronnie Burns failed to get the better of Andy McDonald as the keeper saved his spot kick. Aaron McKee was introduced to the game for Ards on seventy-two and less than a minute later he had set himself up for a delightful half-volley that crashed against the crossbar.

The Ballyclare equaliser in the 82nd minute wasn't without controversy. A fast-flowing Ballyclare move saw the ball to the bye-line on the left side of goal and from there a cross to the back post was met at close range by Simms, who powered a header into McDonald's arms. There was then surprise all round as the referee's assistant on the near side signalled that the ball had crossed the line, much to the delight of the Ballyclare side and the obvious disagreement of the Ards keeper.

Ards couldn't find a way back from that late blow and the game finished level - a likely fair result given the conditions.

- AMIGO BOX UPDATE

39 goals = £19.50

	4 Gary Spence, 11 Aaron McKee (for Irvine 72), 12 Stephen Doyle (for Picking 76) 14 David Cully, 18 Thomas Gorman
	Adrian McCourt

24th October 2009