IFA Championship 1
Ards 0-2 Limavady United

Limavady inflicted defeat on Ards for the first time in seven games and Ards' failure to pick up any points allowed Newry City to extend their lead at the top of Championship 1 to six points.

Ards however remain Newry's nearest challengers and Justin McBride will be hoping that Saturday's below par display was simply 'one of those days'. McBride had opted to make changes to his line-up, recalling Jimmy McIlhagga to partner James Cully in the centre of the park. Rab Young was back in the side too as David Cully and Ryan Berry dropped to the bench where they were joined by Gareth Corey, named in the side for the first time since the opening day of the season.

It was as early as the third minute that we had the game's first opening as a long kick out from goalkeeper Graeme McKibbin found Nathan McConnell and he swiftly moved the ball on to Ross Arthurs. The Ards striker opted for an early take which Limavady keeper Laurence McCormack parried to safety.

Ciaran Boyd in action Picture: Gareth McCluskey

From there, there wasn't another opportunity to speak of until the 18th minute, an indication of the type of game that was about to unfold. As Limavady attacked wide on the left side of the field Mark Picking went into the challenge too enthusiastically to earn a booking. That handed United a free kick which Gareth McConaghie surprisingly opted to drill in at the near post and the shot had McKibbin scrambling across his goal to cover.

Mark Picking breaks away from an opponent Picture: Gareth McCluskey

On 23 minutes Ards left back Ciaran Boyd took the ball to the opposition byeline and cut a high cross back into the area. The cross found Ards' top scorer McConnell in the centre but he could only direct a header over the bar. Neither side's midfield players were seeing much of the play as both teams preferred to knock long balls up to their front men. That led to a serious lack of any football on the deck and ultimately did nothing to help either Ards or Limavady create clear chances.

The final five minutes of the half did eventually produce a chance of note for both sides, beginning with a free kick for Ards on 40 minutes that Boyd thumped at goal from 30 yards and McCormack did well to push over the top. Then on 45 minutes there was a really good chance for Limavady. A low ball flighted in from the left caused problems as it crossed the Ards area just in front of goal and McKibbin made the right call to dive and palm the ball away to the right. Just as quickly the ball was returned to the Ards area where it found Kevin Roddy, but he could only direct a header wide of the gaping goal.

Ards brought on midfielder Sammy Devine at the break in place of James Cully who had suffered a shoulder injury in the final few minutes of the first half, but as the game restarted, still there seemed no-one in the centre of the park for Ards who take control of the play. Despite that an early chance did open up for Ards less than a minute after the restart. A ball up the right hand side from Picking had Arthurs quickly released and though he did well to draw the goalkeeper off his line, the ensuing shot trundled well wide of the target.

Jimmy McIlhagga picked up Ards' second booking of the game for a foul on Lee Patrick, minutes before Patrick got on the end of a cross ball to give Limavady the lead. A 62nd minute corner delivered in from Cathair Friel picked out the veteran Patrick who had a free chance to head the ball down low and into the goal through keeper McKibbin's legs.

Ards' response to that goal was to replace McIlhagga with Ryan Berry, on for his home debut. On 73 minutes Mark Picking brought the ball in from the right side of the field and laid it off to Berry who pushed it forward for McConnell. The Ards striker, who had found the net in each of the previous seven games, opened up space for himself to get off a low shot that in the end ran wide and added up to a blank scoresheet for the league's top marksman.

A sodden Gary Spence brings the ball out of defence Picture: Gareth McCluskey

Just a minute after that Limavady found the Ards net for the second time and with the goal, any feint hopes the home side might have had of getting something from the game evaporated. The goal came from the right side, where Limavady were attacking high up the field and when the ball reached Cathair Friel on the edge of the penalty area, he struck early and sent the ball into the net, just clipping McKibbin on its way past.

Deep inside injury time Ards had one of their better chances of the half when Sammy Devine cut in from the left hand side and drilled a shot across the box but the sight of the ball skipping wide of the far post summed up Ards' off day.

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Ards Team 1 Graeme McKibbin (GK), 2 Rab Young, 5 Darren Nixon (capt.), 4 Gary Spence, 16 Ciaran Boyd, 19 Mark Picking, 17 Jimmy McIlhagga, 14 James Cully, 11 Aaron McKee, 9 Nathan McConnell, 10 Ross Arthurs

Substitutes 6 Ryan Berry (for McIlhagga 66), 8 Sammy Devine (for J.Cully h/t), 12 David Cully, 15 Gareth Corey (for Picking 74), 21 Adam Arthurs

Referee Iain Hall

17th September 2011

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