Comber Rec 1-1 Ards (Comber win 5-4 on penalties)

Comber Rec claimed the Adam Cowdy Tournament trophy with a 5-4 penalty win against Ards, after the teams had played out a one-all draw.

The tournament's host side were good for the draw and no-one could deny them the victory at the end of a well-supported competition that raised £4300 for charity.

Ards enjoyed the best of the first half and a 15th minute chance made by Picking and Doyle for Darren Fitzgerald saw him denied by towering goalkeeper Jason Mooney. On 21 minutes a shot by Picking from the left side of the penalty area beat Mooney but also the Comber Rec crossbar.

The Ards goal wouldn't be far away however and it was a well taken finish by Stephen Doyle. With 28 minutes played Doyle knocked the ball into Aaron McKee and his return pass split the defence to allow Doyle to run through and round the goalkeeper before slotting the ball home.

Under the management of former Ards captain John Bailie, Comber set about bringing the game level, but struggled to put much pressure on the Ards defence. A 36th minute chance from outside the box that ran wide of target was the first real effort to bother Jon Munn in the Ards goal.

The Ards keeper was drawn into action just a minute after though when Comber stole the ball in their own half and a breakaway from the No.16 ended with a shot to near post that Munn had to turn away.

On the other side of the break, Ards were the first to threaten. McKee broke forward on 53 minutes but his attempted lob was covered by Mooney, at the expense of a corner. From that kick, a cross reached Fitzgerald at the back post but his header was blocked by a defender.

On 56 minutes a loose ball in the Ards area caused havoc as again the No.16 was able to get a shot in that this time Munn just finger-tipped onto the crossbar. The Comber equaliser followed on 72 minutes and it was not a good moment for Munn. A cross in the from the right was dropped by the goalkeeper and No.11 was there to take advantage, side-footing into the net, despite the brave efforts of Jamsie Wilson.

With a goal to their name Comber started to exert pressure on Ards, getting men forward in numbers and moments after the equaliser, Munn was called to to save with his feet.

In the 77th minute Ards won a free kick just outside the Comber area for a foul on Picking. Fitzgerald floated a ball over the top of the defensive wall, picking out Wilson, but his header across the box managed to evade Doyle. The game finished with a frantic last ten minutes with chances for both sides and a feeling that there might be another goal in the game.

That turned out not to be the case and so the match was decided on penalties. Top finishing was very much in evidence as the first eight kicks all found the target, with Comber's first kick put away by their goalkeeper Mooney. For Ards' fifth kick Picking rolled his shot wide and when Munn was beaten by the following penalty, the match, and the trophy was Comber's.

Scorer Stephen Doyle 28

Penalty scorers James Wright, Aaron McKee, Sammy Devine, Darren Fitzgerald. Miss: Mark Picking

Ards Team 1 Jon Munn, 2 Darren Nixon, 4 Gary Spence, 5 James Wilson, 18 Matty Neill, 11 Aaron McKee, 7 Jimmy McIlhagga, 16 James Wright, 8 Mark Picking, 9 Stephen Doyle, 10 Darren Fitzgerald

Substitutes 19 Mark McQuillan, 20 Sammy Devine (for Doyle 80), GK Sammy Maxwell

Referee Evan Boyce

24th July 2010