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 |
|
| 9 Darren Stirling | Referee Evan Boyce |
| 12 Johnny Roy | |
| 14 Danny Mulholland | |
| 15 Gary Clifford | |
| 22 Mark Drysdale |
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