18th August 2007

It may not have been a polished performance in the first half, but when your side is 2-0 up within two minutes of the second period starting the term coasting wouldn't be too far out of place.

Fast forward half an hour though and the visiting team is right back in the game at two-two and looking the side in the ascendancy. Thank goodness then for Ricky Billing, whose 83rd minute looping header put Ards back in control and secured another three points.

An unexpected burst of rain an hour before kick-off had this game in doubt for a time and even when things got underway at 2.30pm there was significant surface water for the Ards backline to deal with. That said, neither defence were tested too much in the opening twenty minutes and the game lacked much spark.

Darren Stirling looked easily the sharpest man on the pitch however and he got his name to a couple of the best chances in the first half. On nineteen minutes an Aaron McKee cross found the striker's head five yards out from goal but the ball flew over the top, and then on 26 minutes Stirling fired a low drive just past the left hand post. In between those chances Stirling was also on hand to set up Gary Clifford to thump a 20 yard shot wide of goal.

The best chance to fall Ards' way arrived on 37 minutes when Ricky Billing chipped the ball forward to Stirling, and his neat lay-off set up Justin McBride. The veteran was well placed to the right of the area and with just the keeper to beat, McBride was kicking himself to have only hit the side netting.

The opening goal arrived with a minute to the break and no surprise it went to Ards. Clifford was brought down out on the left wing presenting a free kick opportunity to Aaron McKee. His ball in was just perfect for the head of that man Stirling and with a glancing touch Ards were ahead.

The lead was quickly doubled on 47 minutes when the Lurgan Celtic defence failed to deal with a McBride cross from the left and even though Stirling was denied with his first strike of the ball he calmly followed up to put away his second of the match. All credit to Lurgan, who didn't show any signs of collapse after that but began to contribute even more to the game.

A 54 minute double team on Jamsie Wilson saw Magennis break through and be denied by Andy McDonald in goal, and on the hour the visitors claimed a goal back. A free kick conceded by Billing some 22 yards dead centre out of the Ards goal was taken by Dwyer Hill and he expertly found the bottom left corner just out of McDonald's reach.

Ards now had a game on their hands as Lurgan pushed more men forward and took advantage of Ards' three man midfield any chance they could get. Ards still remained sharp themselves however and a 70th minute break down the left by McBride saw a good ball sent over the far side for Billing, who was denied by the goalkeeper's feet.

Celtic continued to push for their opening and made inroads on 76 minutes when Ards' Gary Spence lost out on a tackle down the right side and the resulting cross found the head of the unmarked Hill, who levelled with his second of the game. No more than the mid-Ulster team deserved certainly but Ards would prove to have one more push left in them.

A Cleary free kick around the 22 yard mark was cleared out to the left from where the same player retrieved the ball. A high and deep cross found the head of Billing in the area and his powerful, looping header evaded the goalkeeper to hit the top corner of the net. 3-2 Ards and a fitting goal to win an entertaining second half. 

Team	Substitutes
1 Andy McDonald (GK)	12 Glen Bowers
2 Darren Nixon	14 Ryan Hyland
3 Johnny Cleary	15 Stephen Johnston
4 Gary Clifford	16 Darren Kincaid
5 James Wilson	17 Johnny Roy
6 Gary Spence
7 Johnny Shaw	Referee Damien Grimley
8 Ricky Billing
9 Darren Stirling 85	Scorers Darren Stirling 44, 47, Ricky Billing 83
10 Aaron McKee
11 Justin McBride

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