Carnegie First Division: Portstewart 0-2 Ards
16th February 2008

A goal each from Ards' two front-men gave Tommy Kincaid's side a very valuable three points at Seahaven today and helped Ards to their first win in three attempts at the Portstewart venue.

Darren Stirling was on target early in the first half and then an opportunist goal from Mark Parker settled the scoring if not the game, as the home side pushed Ards hard in the second period. Kincaid re-installed Aaron McKee, Craig McMillen and David Cully to starting side, while dropping Ryan Newberry to the Colts. Gary Clifford was unavailable because of work, meaning James Wilson partnered McKee in the centre of midfield.

In a game that was short on chances, the best few came early on. On just three minutes a McKee free kick from the left side was only cleared out as far as Johnny Roy and he struck a rising half-volley that eventually flew wide. Two minutes after that and Portstewart would have been ahead but for an excellent save from Andy McDonald. The Portstewart No.9 confidently flicked the ball over the head of Darren Nixon, opening up a straight path to goal and seemed certain to score but for the point blank stop from McDonald.

By the sixth minute Ards were ahead. James Wilson won a header in midfield, knocking the ball onto Darren Stirling. He played it out wide right to Johnny Roy, whose returning shot was only parried by the goalkeeper and poacher Stirling was on hand to tap in his first goal in three months.

Mark Parker

Another Ards chance followed on 12 minutes when the impressive Parker released Roy down the right side of the Portstewart box. A better first touch would have had him in on goal but instead he was able to cross into the box, where Craig McMillen met the ball but skied it over.

Chances after that were at a premium for both sides, with Ards often failing to bring the ball forward from midfield, and Portstewart struggling to break through a hard-working Ards defence. What little work there was in the remainder of the half was reserved for the Portstewart keeper, who comfortably saved McKee's 33rd minute drive along the floor.

Most supporters felt there would be more to come from Portstewart in the second half but despite their hard work, nothing much really materialised. In fact it was Ards who continued to make the better chances. On 62 minutes a long cross in from the right from Stirling found the head of McMillen, whose knock down dropped well for Parker, but his shot from inside the area lacked the power to beat the keeper.

Less than a minute later Parker did have his name on the scoresheet though, with a little help from an opponent. A poorly advised back-pass let in Parker, who hadn't yet re-taken his position following the previous attack and this time he kept his cool, and kept the ball low to roll in number two under the goalkeeper's body.

If this result stood, Ards were set to put five points of daylight between themselves and Portstewart, so it was unsurprising to see the home side make all three available substitutions. On 74 minutes they had their best chance of the second half, when the number 16, not long in the field, turned excellently on the edge of the box and fired a volley at goal, that McDonald need to push over the crossbar.

In the 81st minute Ards scorer Stirling found himself well placed to score again with a little look up and chip towards the far corner of the goal, but this time the ball landed on the wrong side of the upright. So three precious points, just when they are needed, but few getting carried away with this win over one of the league's bottom two.

Team	Substitutes
1 Andy McDonald (capt.) (GK)	14 Danny Mulholland (for McMillen 87)
2 Darren Nixon	16 Stephen Johnston
3 Kris Pike	21 Thomas Gorman (for Parker 88)
4 Gary Spence	22 Mark Drysdale
5 James Wilson
7 Craig McMillen	Referee Colin Burns
9 Darren Stirling
10 Aaron McKee 41	Scorers Darren Stirling 6, Mark Parker 63
11 Mark Parker
12 Johnny Roy
18 David Cully

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