WKD Intermediate Cup R4: Lurgan Celtic 1-3 Ards
2nd February 2008

Ards put on their best performance in over a month and booked a place in the quarter-finals of the WKD Intermediate Cup thanks in no small part to a first half brace from Gary Clifford.

Successive injuries has meant that Clifford has played only a handful of games this season, but his inclusion in the Ards starting line-up on Saturday for the first time since September proved dividends. Truth was, Ards manager Tommy Kincaid had little choice. As Craig McMillen's one match suspension kicked in, he was added to a missing list that read McKee, Stirling, Billing, Cleary, Hyland, Walsh, McBride and Johnston. Little wonder, Ards could name only four substitutes, all of whom are youth team regulars.

Conditions at Knockcramer Park were certainly blustery but there was no doubt of the suitability of the pitch to host the tie. Lurgan Celtic, despite propping up the First Division table, have enjoyed a rich run in this competition so far this season and with ex-Ards player Sean Collins on their coaching staff, they were keen to remain in the cup.

An early chance for Ards saw a second minute corner from Ryan Newberry met in the centre by James Wilson, drafted in at centre-forward, and his strong header was tipped over the crossbar by the goalkeeper. A couple of minutes after and it was Newberry himself testing the keeper but Ciaran Fox did well to block the teenager's drive and then also saved the follow up from Danny Mulholland.

Lurgan Celtic were given a free kick around 25 yards out on 13 minutes and Ards defenders Darren Nixon and David Cully combined to thwart the advance with Cully putting in an excellent blocking tackle. Against the run of play Celtic took the lead on 20 minutes and it was in odd circumstances too. A back pass for Ards keeper Andy McDonald put him into slightly more trouble that he would have liked and with forward Donal McCourt chasing the ball down the unfortunate goalkeeper struck his attempted clearance off the back of McCourt and the deflection rolled neatly into the net.

Gary Clifford

Ards showed little panic though and were level again within a minute. Kris Pike did the legwork on the Lurgan Celtic right and his whipped ball in met the head of Gary Clifford who dove to knock past the goalkeeper for the first of his Ards career. Ards then created an excellent move on 29 minutes with some midfield passing involving Pike and Newberry setting up Clifford to draw a decent save from Fox.

On the half hour McDonald needed to be alert to repel Donal McCourt's shot onto the crossbar and then on thirty-seven Ards' James Wilson side-footed an excellent opening off the crossbar at the near post. In the 42nd minute Ards found the second goal that would send them in one-up at the break. A short pass inside the box from Mulholland found Wilson and his shot was kicked back of the line. The ball ran out only as far as Clifford who drilled it back in through a crowded box to find the net.

Ards had the result secured 13 minutes into the second half. A short corner taken by Johnny Roy found Ryan Newberry to the right of the Lurgan area and he struck a low, well hit shot through a ruck of players and found the far bottom corner of the goal to finish the game at 3-1.

A number of excellent chances followed for Ards in the next twelve minutes. Firstly, Roy was put through on the right flank from where he cut in and chipped a cross-shot wide of the far upright. The miss of the game came next on 61 minutes when Mulholland crossed for Wilson but he missed the goal completely from five yards with what should have been an easy tap-in. Finally on 69 minutes what would have been a screamer of a debut goal for 17 year-old Thomas Gorman was denied by Fox, who got across well to block Gorman's 25 yard half-volley on the turn.

Things then turned sour for the young forward as he was harshly red-carded in the 75 minute, just eight minutes after coming on, for what the referee deemed to be a studs-showing tackle. Few in the ground could believe it.

Ex-Ards forward Donal McCourt remained the only thorn in Andy McDonald's side throughout the second half and on 83 minutes his header had the keeper beaten, but unfortunately not the crossbar. On 84 minutes the Ards lead could have been extended further when substitute Gary Sharratt did some dogged work to take on two Celtic defenders and open up a shooting chance for himself. But with the hard stuff seemingly out of the way, the forward just couldn't get a clear yard on the defender to line up his shot properly and missed the goal by some distance.

The best Ards performance in some time takes them into the last eight of the cup, all the more impressive given the raft of missing first teamers. What then, might Tommy Kincaid change for next week's league match?

Team	Substitutes
1 Andy McDonald (capt.) (GK)	16 Gary Sharratt (for Wilson 82)
2 Darren Nixon 21	21 Mark Drysdale (for Cully 67)
3 Kris Pike	22 Tony Tumelty
4 Gary Spence	23 Thomas Gorman 75 (for Parker 67)
5 James Wilson
8 Ryan Newberry	Referee Tim Marshall
9 Mark Parker
12 Johnny Roy	Scorers Gary Clifford 21, 42, Ryan
14 Danny Mulholland	Newberry 57
15 Gary Clifford
18 David Cully 45

ardsfc.co.uk