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.

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

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