|
Carnegie
First Division: Ards 2-1 Carrick Rangers
12th April 2008
Ards struck two late
goals to dig out an excellent result at home to Carrick on Saturday, a
result that this Ards side would have struggled to get just a few weeks
ago.
The visitors led until as
late as the 83rd minute, when James Wilson headed Ards level before a
winner followed from Craig McMillen with just a few moments remaining.
Ironically Ards had looked a team not likely to score all day during the
first half. Danny Mulholland had come into the side for his first start
since early February, in place of Ricky Billing, but he looked
ineffective, as did his strike partner Darren Stirling.
|
|
| Andy
McDonald's a spectator as Glen Taggart's opening goal hits the net |
It was Carrick who posed
most of the early danger and they had gone close on a couple of
occasions prior to taking the lead on nine minutes. Ards conceded a free
kick a few yards outside their area with the goal dead centre. Glen
Taggart was the man to step up and his low shot found its way through
the Ards wall and inside Andy McDonald's right hand post, with
the goalkeeper a mere spectator.
 |
| Jonny
Roy is closely watched |
Carrick continued to press
with McDowell proving a handful along the left side and Costello
constantly looking to get onto one of his crosses. Approaching the half
hour mark Ards forced a trio of corners but failed to test keeper Greg
Shannon, before finally a drive from 25 yards from Clifford had to be
pushed over by the goalkeeper.
Shannon stopped an effort
from Jonny Roy with ten minutes of the half remaining before the
match took a turn with the sending off of Carrick's Ricky Higgins.
With 38 minutes played Higgins attempted to go around Clifford on the
half-way line, only to be fouled by the Ards man, who was then the
recipient of a flailing elbow. Despite the Carrick objections ref Keith
Furlonger had no hesitation in reaching for his pocket and Higgins took
the long walk to the dressing room.
Perhaps understandingly
the ten men of Carrick adopted a different strategy in the second half,
that of sitting back to defend their lead. With some stout defending,
the Rangers' backline did well to repel Ards for half an hour or so,
though failed to produce much in the way of attack themselves.
 |
Greg
Shannon rises to claim the ball
ahead of Darren Nixon |
They had keeper Shannon to
thank on a number of occasions as he saved from the head of Stirling and
then tipped a thunderous Aaron McKee shot over the crossbar.
Ards threw on Justin
McBride for an extra man up front and switched to a back three as they
looked for a equaliser. Stirling was again denied on 74 minutes as
Shannon saved another header, while substitute David Cully was unlucky
with a header from a McKee corner.
On 83 minutes Ards were
awarded a free kick 30 yards from goal that McKee delivered into the
box. There, his midfield partner James Wilson got his head to the
ball to knock in the leveller and his own fifth goal of the
season. Barely three minutes later Ards found an unlikely winner as the
Carrick heads dropped. Stirling's low cross ball in found Roy and his
shot from close range was blocked, only for the ball to run wide to Craig
McMillen who turned and fired in to the near corner to grab all
three points for re-juvenated Ards.
Match
Sponsor Charlie Gray Cars, Belfast Tel: 9046 6856
| Team |
Substitutes |
1 Andy McDonald (capt.)
(GK)  |
16 Stephen Johnston |
| 2 Darren Nixon |
18 David Cully (for
Spence) |
| 3 Kris Pike |
20 Justin McBride (for
Clifford) |
| 4 Gary Spence |
23 Mark Parker (for
Mulholland) |
| 5 James Wilson |
|
| 7 Craig McMillen |
Referee
Keith Furlonger |
| 9 Darren Stirling |
|
| 10 Aaron McKee |
Scorers
James Wilson 83, Craig McMillen 86 |
| 12 Jonny Roy |
|
| 14 Danny Mulholland |
|
| 15 Gary Clifford |
|
|
|
| Danny
Mulholland feels the challenge of a defender |
[
Discuss this story on the
TALKards
forum ]
|
