Magherafelt's neat Spires Park ground was fit host this third round tie of the WKD Intermediate Cup on a day when a number of other pitches succumbed to the weather.

The side from the NI Intermediate League held Ards level at 1-1 for fifteen minutes at the start of the second half before Ards stepped up their game and won comfortably with a further three goals, including his first in an Ards shirt for Mark Parker. Changes in the Ards side included a start for Gary Sharratt in place of David Wright and a recall for Ryan Newberry, taking over in central midfield from Johnny Shaw who had flu.

An early chance for Ards on a bitterly cold day had left-back Kris Pike shooting wide of goal after three minutes. In the 11th minute the Sky Blues break down the left hand side saw Cully outpaced and fellow defenders Darren Nixon and Gary Spence had to combine to stop the attack. Ryan Newberry was yellow-carded on 21 minutes for a rather rash challenge and a minute after that a fierce drive from the Magherafelt No.7 had to be tipped onto the crossbar by Andy McDonald.

Ards opened the day's scoring on 24 minutes when a pass from Newberry found Justin McBride to the left of the home penalty area and his low cross-shot was pushed out by keeper Mark McGeehan only as far as teenager Gary Sharratt and he fired home his second senior goal.

Justin McBride

A Magherafelt corner on 32 minutes produced danger for Ards as Spence's clearing header found the boot of the Sky Blue's impressive No.9 and he volleyed just past the right-hand upright. Ards went close to doubling their lead four minutes from the break when McBride slipped a short pass through to Johnny Roy and he was well placed to score but didn't connect fully with his shot and saw the ball kicked off the goal-line.

Instead the home side had the game levelled a minute after the restart. A admittedly poor corner from the right-side wasn't dealt with by Nixon at the far post and that allowed Ray Wilkinson to smash the ball home from close range. The goal would serve as a test of Ards' character and they reacted strongly to it and had a lead restored by the hour mark. What looked a hopeless ball running toward the Magherafelt by-line was salvaged by McBride and his short pull back found Craig McMillen whose shot from 6 yards was deflected away from the goalkeeper into the home net by a defender.

Ards followed that up immediately with another break again involving McBride as he neatly flicked the ball through for Sharratt to run around the goalkeeper but take the ball too wide and eventually only find the side-netting. The 71st minute saw Ards put the result beyond doubt when McBride played a close one-two with the tireless Sharratt before finishing the move off with a neat chip over the goalkeeper from inside the box.

The game was now being staged in the Magherafelt half and a couple of further chances went begging as Sharratt put a header wide when unmarked in the centre and Aaron McKee drove straight at the keeper from the edge of the box. The 88th minute did however see the game's fifth goal as Roy outpaced his marker down the left flank, cut inside and delivered a short pass into the feet of substitute Mark Parker to tap home from a few yards.

The home side forced Andy McDonald into a rare save as the game moved through some five minutes of injury time and at the other end there was almost a debut goal for 17 year-old Tony Tumelty, whose fierce effort was well block by McGeehan. Ards go into the hat for the last sixteen as our terrific hosts Magherafelt bow out.

Team	Substitutes
1 Andy McDonald (GK)	13 Jason Mooney (GK)
2 Darren Nixon	14 David Wright
3 Kris Pike	21 Mark Drysdale
4 Gary Spence	22 Tony Tumelty (for Newberry 85)
7 Craig McMillen	23 Mark Parker (for McBride 77)
8 Ryan Newberry 21
10 Aaron McKee	Referee Gary Curran
11 Gary Sharratt
12 Johnny Roy	Scorers Gary Sharratt 24, own goal 60,
18 David Cully	Justin McBride 71, Mark Parker 88
20 Justin McBride

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