Belfast Telegraph Championship 1 Tobermore United 1-4 Ards

A superb second half display, capped with a double strike from Ross Arthurs gave Ards a deserved second win of the season over Tobermore United.

The 2-0 win over United back in October came in Niall Currie's first game in charge and since then his Ards side haven't lost a league game. Currie's men showed good composure and patience at Fortwilliam Park on Saturday, commanding great possession throughout the ninety minutes and finally getting their just rewards after falling behind to Neil Lamont's 9th minute opener.

Tobermore's opener came about from a free kick, awarded to the home side on the right side of the Ards box. The well directed ball in found the head of Lamont some ten yards out and he looped a fine header over the despairing arms of returning goalkeeper Graeme McKibbin. McKibbin had come back into the side as his own emergency replacement Jack Duffin had failed to recover from a knock sustained in the last game.

Also back in the Ards side was Kyle McDowel, recently returned from America, and preferred to Gareth Corey on the left side of midfield. McDowell's industry on 16 minutes provided Ards' first response to that early goal with the midfielder hitting the bye-line to knock a ball back for Aaron McKee, but he was off target.

Kyle McDowell played his first game since September Picture: Gareth McCluskey

The same two players combined for Ards' next chance seven minutes later with McKee this time playing McDowell in behind the Tobermore defence, but the winger sent his low cross-shot wide of the far upright. The Ards equaliser still wasn't long in coming though with the match levelled up by the 27th minute. Mark Picking was the provider of the chance, playing a neat pass, square inside for Sammy Devine who put his foot to a first-time shot, sending the ball curling up and past keeper Sammy Foster into the top corner of the net.

In the final minute of the half, Ards made ferocious claims for the penalty kick as McKee was blatantly dragged off the ball by a defender, but to everyone's amazement the near sided official deemed the foul to be outside the box! The subsequent free kick saw McDowell flight an inviting cross to the back post, where defender Gary Spence flicked just wide of the target.

Despite the surface at Fortwilliam getting increasingly heavier as the new half began, Ards' play just got even slicker. A nice one-two between substitute Rab Young and Jimmy McIlhagga opened up a chance for Ross Arthurs and he shrugged off the attention of a defender before striking a shot that Foster stopped with his legs. Arthurs would have a better return on his next attempt - finding the net to put his side 2-1 up. It was the 66th minute with Picking attacking down the right before playing an pinpoint ball into the area that Arthurs met at the near post to flick a well-directed header over the keeper.

David Cully, who was substituted early, and Mark Picking challenge for the ball Picture: Gareth McCluskey

Tobermore threatened a comeback just two minutes later when Hugo Batista moved the ball up the right flank and delivered a ball for Kris Magill, who was denied an equaliser by an excellent fingertip stop from McKibbin. As it happened it was Ards who would again find the net and once more it was another fine move that led to the goal. McDowell created the chance, as he burst away on the left side of the field, before cutting in from the bye-line out-pacing his marker and letting off a low shot that Foster could only deflect back into play and McKee had the easiest of finishes at the back post.

The job was almost done for Ards, and after dealing with a brief threat from substitute Glasgow on 87 minutes, attention turned quickly to the other end of the field and Ards' fourth strike. Inside the last minute of the game, replacement James Cully latched onto a pass from Corey to stride up the left side and provide a low cross for Arthurs, who stepped in behind a defender to tap-in his ninth of the season.

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17th December 2011

Printable version

Substitutes
2 Rab Young
(for D Cully 38)
14 James Cully
(for McKee 82)
15 Gareth Corey
(for McDowell 73)
16 Ciaran Boyd
21 Adam Arthurs

Referee
Damien Basketfield

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