Youth League Cup Semi-final: Ballymena Thirds 2-2 Ards Colts (after extra time)
(Ards win 5-3 on penalties)
22nd March 2008

A fantastic if not hard fought victory today for Ards Colts in the semi final of the Youth League Cup against Ballymena United IIIs at The Showgrounds. This sets up a mouth-watering final against Cliftonville on Wednesday 2nd April.

Ards were missing several regulars today with Craig McConkey, Craig O'Neill, Nathan McVeigh and Matt McFall all unavailable for duty leaving the Colts light on numbers. Ryan Newberry dropped down from 1st team duty and Thomas Gorman was back after suspension.

Ballymena started the stronger of the two sides playing with a strong wind behind them and found themselves one up as early as the 3rd minute. A long ball played from the United half over the Ards back four found a Ballymena forward who looked in a clear offside position. With no whistle the United number 9 evaded the tackle from Kerri Grant before being denied with a fine save from Mooney only to be on hand to blast the rebound into the roof of the net.

This seemed to spark the Colts into action and twice Gorman showed the Ballymena defence a clean pair of heels only to blast wide twice. On 10 minutes Ards were awarded a free kick about 25 yards from goal after Newberry was brought down. Newberry himself got up and hit a super effort, which the keeper could only parry leaving Gorman on hand to knock in his 10th goal of the season.

Tony Tumelty

Ards by now were in full control and were getting to grips with the strong breeze against them by playing some good stuff on the deck. The Colts eventually went 2-1 up with a fine individual goal from leading goal-scorer Tony Tumelty. Sharratt played the ball into Tumelty on the edge of the box and he turned two United defenders before evading the challenge of another and took the ball on the half volley to rifle it into the bottom corner of the net.

Ards could just not the get the 3rd goal they were wanting and minutes before half time Ballymena were awarded a penalty after United’s very impressive number 9 was took down by Mooney in a challenge that had to be made. United made no mistake from the spot and brought the game 2-2 at the break.

Ballymena were much more impressive in the second period and were well organised knowing that Ards now had the wind advantage behind them. United stood firm at the back and employed a very effective counter attacking system, which Ards' back line had to be on top form to thwart. Chances went begging for Ards and a mix of bad fortune, top goalkeeping and poor finishing let the Colts down. Indeed it was Ballymena themselves who thought they had won the game when a Mooney clearance was played into the feet of Jamie Patterson, the Ards captain couldn't get out of the way quick enough and rebounded it towards the empty Ards goal. Thankfully for Ards full back Mark Drysdale was on hand with the most dramatic of overhead kicks to clear the ball right off the goal line.

Just before the end of normal period Tumelty tee-ed up Newberry who struck an unbelievable shot from all of 30 yards. With the United keeper stranded and the goal begging it was Ards who thought they were sailing into the final only for somehow the ball to skim past the upright. An absolutely unbelievable effort.

With the game going into extra time and with both teams not having had a game in over 3 weeks the quality began to dip as tiredness and nerves set in. It was a much more open game in extra time with it quite literally being end-to-end stuff. Both teams could have scored, no more so than when Ards' Chris Cowden headed wide from all of 6 yards with the goal at his mercy.

Ryan Newberry

With both teams failing to score the winning goal in extra time it was on to the nail biting penalty shootout. Ards took first and it was in fact the Colts goalkeeper Jason Mooney who blasted in the opener before Ballymena replied. Chris Cowden then made no mistake from the spot to put Ards 2-1 up. Next up was United's number 8 who blasted their 2nd penalty high over the bar giving Ards the advantage. Gary Sharratt then made it 3-1 to Ards before the big Ballymena defender got them back into it at 3-2.

Mark Drysdale was on the 4th and although the United keeper got his hands to it there was too much power in the shot and couldn't prevent it going over the line to make it 4-2. The Ballymena 4th penalty taker then held his nerve to make it 4-3, knowing a miss would have handed Ards the tie. So it was all down to Ards last penalty taker Ryan Newberry knowing if he scored he would put his team through to the cup final. There wasn't a cooler person on the pitch as Newberry stroked home the winning penalty, bursting into a summersault in celebration before being mobbed by his jubilant teammates.

A very harsh way for Ballymena to go out after they had played superbly but Ards probably felt as though justice was done as they had dominated the game for long periods. This sets up a final against high flyers Cliftonville, who put out Linfield in the semi finals. With Cliftonville already beating Ards twice this season they will surely go into the game as favourites, however when the Colts are at full strength they are a match for anyone. All roads lead to a very interesting final.

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