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Carnegie
First Division: Banbridge Town 1-3 Ards
22nd April 2008
 Ards
got their revenge on Banbridge Town on Tuesday night as Tommy Kincaid's
side reversed the 3-1 score-line they had lost by at Clandeboye Park on
Saturday.
In a match that will be
remembered more for its mistakes than its endeavors, Ards won with two
goals from stand-in striker Mark Parker, helped along by another from
James Wilson - his third in three matches.
Any fans who were running
late and fearing they might miss kick off needn't have worried; the late
arrival of the Banbridge goalkeeper meant the starting time was pushed
back to 7.10pm. No such problems for the travelling Ards team, with only
Ricky Billing missing out through suspension, replaced up front by
Parker.
The game began with an
early chance for each side. Firstly Town forward Barry Meehan burst past
Darren Nixon inside the opening minute to test Andy McDonald with an
attempted lob. Then at the other end Parker received the ball from
Wilson on the edge of the Banbridge area and with his back to goal,
turned and didn't miss the net by too much.
By the 8th minute Ards had
the lead, in curious circumstances. The home keeper was penalised for
collecting a back-pass, that by most accounts had in fact been played to
him off a defender's knee. A free kick was awarded nonetheless and the
quick thinking Darren Stirling knocked the ball right to Parker
and he lashed home with the Banbridge defence is disarray.
The home side had their
best chance to level things with 27 minutes played when former Portadown
man Aaron Baker carried the ball to the left corner of the Ards goal
area and appeared well in with a chance to score. Alas, from a matter of
yards he missed the target completely with the ball sent scurrying
across the face of goal. The half ended with another Parker effort for
Ards that skidded past the far Banbridge upright.
The second period began in
bizarre fashion as first Banbridge returned with only ten men and then
they levelled the match with a few seconds gone. As the game re-started
some awful confusion in the Ards defence led to a seemingly
harmless punt up the field landing in the back of the net as
defender Nixon and his goalkeeper collided - one-one with over
forty-four minutes to play.
 |
| Mark
Parker |
Ards stepped up well after
that and enjoyed a decent spell of possession that allowed them to
create two or three good chances. On 53 minutes a through ball from
McKee released Stephen Johnston into the penalty area and his shot on
the turn was well pushed away by the goalkeeper. From the resulting
corner Ards midfielder James Wilson rose highest to meet the ball,
heading in from four yards to make 2-1.
There was almost a third
two minutes later as a hopeful shot from Craig McMillen from outside the
area was fumbled onto the crossbar by the keeper, who must have been
glad to see his defender shield the ball away from Stirling who had
raced in for the follow-up. Approaching the hour mark Banbridge made one
of their few second half raids into the Ards area when Barry Tumilty got
his head to a cross at the right post, but he had to watch his
goal-bound shot cleared by Johnston, who was injured in the process.
A better chance followed
five minutes later when a bit of scramble in the Ards area saw a shot
blocked by Pike and then Andy McDonald push a follow up onto the
crossbar. On 79 minutes Ards were awarded a free kick out on the left
touchline for a foul on McMillen. The kick was taken by Roy and
excellently picked out Darren Stirling, who stole in at the back post
only to poke the ball wide.
With 8 minutes left Ards
scored a third goal out of absolutely no danger. A neat one-two
involving McKee and Justin McBride saw the ball pushed onto Mark Parker
and his first time shot from 20 yards somehow trickled between the
goalkeeper's legs to confirm the three points. As the game faded
into almost farcical darkness Ards introduced midfielder Stuart Long for
his long-delayed debut. Meanwhile Ballyclare's one-all draw in Coagh
confirmed Loughgall as First Division champions.
| Team |
Substitutes |
| 1 Andy McDonald (capt.)
(GK) |
6 Stuart Long (for
Wilson 86) |
| 2 Darren Nixon |
20 Justin McBride (for
Pike 71) |
| 3 Kris Pike |
|
| 5 James Wilson |
Referee
|
| 7 Craig McMillen |
|
| 9 Darren Stirling |
Scorers
Mark Parker 8, 82, James Wilson |
| 10 Aaron McKee |
54 |
| 12 Jonny Roy |
|
16 Stephen Johnston  32 |
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| 18 David Cully |
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| 22 Mark Parker |
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