|
 Ards
vs Brantwood by
Billy Graham
Ards first met
Brantwood in competitive games during the second world war when both
clubs were in the Intermediate League. Between 1940 and 1947 they
met ten times with Ards winning five, drawing four and losing one.
That one loss was
their last last meeting as Intermediate teams on 2nd June 1947 at
Brantwood; an Intermediate League game that Brantwood won 7-3 with
goals from Smyth (2), Malone, Fulton, Green, Hood and Mahood. Joe
McKeown (2) and Harry O'Prey scored for Ards.
Since those days Ards
as a senior club have only met B Division Brantwood four times. The
first of those meetings was in a 2nd round Irish Cup match at Celtic
Park on 16th February 1952 that Ards won 1-0 with a Davy Lawther
goal. Ards would go on to win the cup that season, beating Glentoran
in the final.
Nine years later they
met in the 1st round of the County Antrim Shield at Castlereagh Park
on 25th March 1961 when Ards won 3-2 thanks to goals from Mick
Lynch, Vince Maguire and John Bell. Woods and Jim Doherty replied
for the visitors and left-winger Doherty was signed for Ards very
quickly after this match.
It was another 34
years before they met again, on 18th February 1995, at Castlereagh
Park in a 6th round Irish Cup game. Ards won the game 4-1 with goals
from Paul Mooney, Paul Cullen, Gary Heaney and David Stranney;
Brantwood's James McDonald replied.
The last competitive
game between the sides was at Castlreagh Park on 9th August 1997 in
the first round of the League Cup when Ards beat the visitors 7-2.
Ards goals came Peter Hinds (2), Ray Morrison (2), Winkie Murphy,
Bobby Sims and Lee Feeney. Hamilton and Clarke were scorers for
Brantwood.
2008 will be only the
third occasion Ards have met Brantwood in the Irish Cup. We went on
to win in in 1952 and lost in the semi-final replay to Linfield in
1995.
Billy Graham
Billy Graham is
Ards' resident historian and statistician. If you have a query
relating to a time in Ards' past or to a former player, then get in
touch via this e-mail
and we'll pass the questions on to Billy.
first
published 11th January 2008
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