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Carnegie
First Division: Ards 0-1 HW Welders
9th February 2008
 The
jubilation that last weekend's Intermediate Cup win over Lurgan Celtic
had brought to the Ards camp proved short-lived as Saturday's defeat to
Harland & Wolff Welders left Ards perilously perched just two points
off the league's bottom spot.
A single goal settled the
game - a scrappy one at that - and Ards struggled to pressure their
opponents at any point during the ninety minutes. Returning players
Aaron McKee and Craig McMillen were left on the bench, but even their
half-time introduction did nothing to inject life into an unmotivated
looking Ards side.
Changes in the line-up
included Mark Drysdale coming in at right-back for David Cully and
Darren Stirling returning to the side after injury to play up front
alongside James Wilson. Gary Clifford and Ryan Newberry continued their
partnership in midfield that had been so successful in the previous
outing.
Ards were at their
brightest early in the first half and troubled stand-in Welders
goalkeeper Sammy Wallace most during this period. A move by Johnny Roy
in the eighth minute saw him cut a cross back from the left side for
Danny Mulholland, who fired along the ground and straight at the keeper.
On 16 minutes James Wilson
attempted to put strike partner Stirling through on goal but an
excellent intercepting tackle cut the move short. A minute after that
the Welders had their first chance on goal when a shot from ex-Ards
Colts player Aaron Johnston flew past the right-hand upright.
Worryingly Ards' best
chance of the match came on 22 minutes. Ryan Newberry received the ball
just outside the visitor's penalty box and thumped a low left-footed
drive through the box that Wallace managed to kick away with both feet.
On 25 minutes the Welders weren't far from taking the lead when a short
cross-field pass from Johnston set up Colin Magill only for his chipped
shot to dip just over the crossbar.
Four minutes into the
second half and Magill did put his side in front. A free kick from
around the edge of the box wasn't dealt with and when Nixon's attempted
clearance spun awkwardly up into the air, ex-Crusaders man Magill
was first to the ball to head over the advancing Andy McDonald.
Ards chances gradually got
fewer and fewer as the game wore on and the goalkeeper was never really
tested again. A Kris Pike free kick from the left with half an hour to
go met the head of Gary Clifford but he failed to call Wallace into
action by nodding wide.
Ryan Hyland's replacement
of James Wilson on 63 minutes saw Ards make their third change and just
five minutes later Tommy Kincaid must have been wishing they hadn't as
Darren Nixon went to ground unchallenged and Ards were down to ten men
as he was stretchered off.
A couple of openings for
the Welders followed closely after that. First Andy McDonald was quick
out of the blocks to steal the ball off the feet of Mark Craig and then
a 20 yard free kick from Upton just skimmed the keeper's right-hand
post. The final rare chance for Ards just about summed the day up as
full-back Drysdale hopelessly miscued the rebound of a Stirling shot to
put the ball clear of the far touchline.
| Team |
Substitutes |
| 1 Andy McDonald (capt.)
(GK) |
7 Craig McMillen (for
Mulholland (h/t) |
| 2 Darren Nixon |
10 Aaron McKee (for
Newberry (h/t) |
| 3 Kris Pike |
17 Ryan Hyland (for
Wilson 63) |
| 4 Gary Spence |
18 David Cully |
| 5 James Wilson |
23 Mark Parker |
8 Ryan Newberry  39 |
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| 9 Darren Stirling |
Referee
Evan Boyce |
| 12 Johnny Roy |
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| 14 Danny Mulholland |
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| 15 Gary Clifford |
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| 22 Mark Drysdale |
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