Tommy Kincaid rang the changes in the Ards line-up for Saturday's visit of Portstewart, following the disastrous results of the past two weeks.

The four new faces in the starting eleven certainly seemed to spark something in the side and the Clandeboye Park crowd were served up an exciting second period that saw Ards lay siege to the Portstewart goal having first breached it as early as the 12th minute.

The game's opening goal was number seven of the season for striker Darren Stirling who had latched onto a ball from the recalled Johnny Roy and put just enough venom on the shot for the ball to carry on into the net, despite the goalkeeper's attempt to block.

A hopeful looking effort from Stirling's strike partner Ricky Billing on 26 minutes didn't beat the left hand post by too much and then Billing was involved around goal again on 35 minutes. The impressive Ryan Newberry, making his first start of the season, sent September's player of the month Craig McMillen away down the left side and his accurate cross for Billing was excellently plucked off the the head of the big striker by keeper McGraw.

The re-arranged Ards defence of Cully, Nixon, Spence and Cleary were little troubled in the first half with only Ryan McFadden's 38th minute effort that flew just over the bar giving any cause for concern. The tempo upped a fair bit in final few minutes of the half and both sides had decent chances to score.

A solo move by McMillen saw him carry the ball through the Portstewart midfield and rifle a shot just over the crossbar on 43 and then the visitors went close just into injury time. A momentary lapse of communication in the Ards defence saw Nixon attempt a header back to his goalkeeper, that frankly, Andy McDonald was never going to get. In nipped Ian Todd to get a foot to the ball but, luckily for Ards, steer it just past the near upright.

Darren Stirling - top goal-scorer

One-nil to Ards then as the second half began and a timely tackle from Nixon on 51 minutes as Moffat was dancing through the Ards defence ensured the score-line stayed that way. That would be last Portstewart saw of their opponents' goal as Ards took over the game and provided a thrilling second half, notching up three more goals before the final whistle would sound.

Early chances came before the hour mark from McMillen, who crashed one of several inviting Johnny Cleary crosses off an upright, and then courtesy of Billing and McKee. A short pass played inside the Portstewart area by Stirling on fifty-seven set up Billing for a shot that was well stopped by the keeper. The loose ball then spun up for captain McKee whose diving header was well blocked on the line.

A minute later and Ards had their second as Roy took delivery of a through ball some 25 yards from goal, strongly held off a defender and dispatched a lovely, low, right-footed shot just inside McGraw's left-hand post. By the 61st minute it was three when a long-range shot from Billing looked like running out of play on the right side of the Portstewart goal area. Darren Stirling thought different though and as he chased down the loose ball, the goalkeeper was drawn out and that presented an open goal for the striker to turn and squeeze the ball home from the tightest of angles.

That goal equalled contest over for sure but Ards had a half dozen more chances in them to increase the score. The 67th minute saw Roy miss a real sitter when he latched onto a ball from Cleary over the top to muscle his way through to goal and agonisingly hook the ball over the crossbar from a couple of yards. An 80th minute chance for sub Ryan Hyland also fell into the 'easier to score' category but he was denied first by his own miscue, then a close-range save from the keeper from a second attempt.

Ards' fourth goal on 83 minutes had a touch of class about it with the chance built from defence by the solid-looking David Cully. His ball out wide found Stirling who, with a great first touch traversed the field and found David Wright at the far post. A simple square pass from him found Hyland waiting eight yards out and he scored with what else but a first class finish.

TODAY'S MATCH SPONSORS Hugh Ritchie & Sons Oil Distributors, Newtownards
and Mr Samuel Carleton

Team	Substitutes
1 Andy McDonald (GK)	12 Ryan Hyland (for Roy 77)
2 David Cully 87	14 Gary Clifford
3 Johnny Cleary	15 James Wilson
4 Gary Spence	16 Kris Pike (for McMillen 70)
5 Darren Nixon	17 David Wright (for Billing 62)
6 Ryan Newberry
7 Craig McMillen 60	Referee Keith Furlonger
8 Johnny Roy
9 Darren Stirling	Scorers Darren Stirling 12, 61, Johnny Roy 58,
10 Aaron McKee (capt)	Ryan Hyland 83
11 Ricky Billing

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