Carnegie First Division: Ards 3-1 Coagh United
1st April 2008

Tommy Kincaid's Ards continued their mini revival with a pleasing 3-1 victory over Coagh United on Tuesday night.

The truth was Ards should have won by a much larger margin but made things difficult for themselves by missing good chances and defending poorly on occasions. Ards, however, played their usual attractive football, attacking their Mid-Ulster counter parts from the outset.

Ards had all the early pressure, taking the game to Coagh who defended valiantly, with full back Stuart Dallas impressing on-lookers. However, it was Ards' man of the match Craig McMillen who unlocked the Hagan Park defence with his mercurial wing play.

It was McMillen who got to the bye line, half way through the first half, to cut the ball back for a delighted Jonny Roy who would have struggled to miss from inside the 6 yard box. At this stage you'd have been forgiven for thinking Ards already had the game in the bag but Coagh United had other ideas.

Coagh United equalised around the half hour from a poorly defended throw in, which was flicked on for defender Stephen Hawe to volley into Andy McDonald's far corner. Ards were undeterred by this, and went back on the attack. Both Craig McMillen and Ricky Billing were left frustrated when they saw their long range efforts bounce back of the woodwork with Johnny Pollock left stranded.

The second goal game as a result of continuous pressure on the Coagh penalty box which eventually saw the ball drop in the penalty box for Ards number 5 James Wilson. Wilson's miss-hit shot found the inside of the post and eventually the back of the net to give Ards the lead again three minutes from the break. Wilson, who has previously struggled to impress Ards fans at centre back and centre forward, seems to have found form in the centre of midfield, where he has been both tackling well and chipping in with crucial goals.

Ards weren't done for the half yet. Two minutes after the second Ards goal Craig McMillen crucified the Coagh defence one again only to be hacked down in the box for as blatant a penalty as you are likely to see all season. Unfortunately Darren Stirling was unable to capitalise as his weak penalty was comfortably stopped by the impressive Johnny Pollock.

The second half could not live up to the excitement of the first. Coagh were allowed to come back into the game, but fortunately for Ards they squandered a number of chances to equalise. Notably McDonald was forced into a wonder save which saw the flamboyant shot stopper pushing the ball past the post when it seemed certain to find the goal.

Ards themselves had a string of second half chances which eventually culminated in the third goal on 65 minutes, which put the result beyond any doubt. Darren Stirling broke down the wing, finding himself in ample space, but his shot/cross missed both the far corner of the net and the incoming McMillen. Tenacious work by Aaron McKee saw him keep the ball in play. The midfield playmaker cut inside and fired a rasping drive at Pollock who parried into the path of Stirling who then volleyed home what was still a difficult chance.

In the last ten minutes Coagh had chances to pull one back but Ards and McDonald worked hard to keep the score at a well deserved 3-1 victory in front of a very small Ards support.

Keith Bailie

ardsfc.co.uk