NIFL Championship – 19/11/21
By Phillip Bartlett
“Oh my days” - Ards lose it late as lack of discipline is punished once again
With Bangor playing in the intermediate cup on Saturday afternoon Ards welcomed Dergview to a rearranged 20:00 kick-off under the Friday night lights at Clandeboye park. The visitors came into the game high on confidence with three wins and a draw in their last five games. Dergview will also draw confidence from the return fixture where they held Ards to a 1-1 draw despite playing over 70 minutes with 10 men. The less said about Ards recent run of form the better with goals being in short supply and positive results even rarer.
Changes to the starting line-up saw McGrandles missing out through suspension having picked up a red card after the final whistle in the defeat the Dundela. Kym Nelson was on the bench and there were recalls for McCurry and Arthurs up front.
Ards’ poor recent run of form continued as Dergview grabbed a late winner in an action-packed game, that gave us three goals and three red cards, but once again Ards find themselves on the wrong side of the result. With a more recognised 1-4-4-2 formation the home support was hopeful and the initial stages of the game it seemed the changes would prove fruitful but as we have seen before if you don’t take your chances, you get punished. It was a very even first half and the score line at the break reflecting that at 1-1 with Patrick Loughrey and TJ Murray swapping goals. It was a more contentious second half with three red cards and a later winner deciding the tie.
McCurry was very busy up front giving the Dergview defenders no time on the ball resulting in the first chance on goal with his header going just over the bar. Arthurs showed what we’d been missing recently using his strength to hold the ball up well and bringing others into play. Ards dominated the early chances and on 12’ Dergview were panicking in their backline with a frantic goalmouth scramble. Scannell beat three men with a fantastic run from wide, he cut the ball back to McCurry whose effort was smothered, the second ball fell to O’Hare who struck his shot straight at the Dergview keeper, but he couldn’t hold it and it landed at Scannell, but he hit it just over the bar.
Having narrowly avoided going behind Dergview then went straight up the other end a took the lead on 14’ with a Loughrey goal. A simple cross from the left, missed by two Ards players, found Loughrey in the box, his first-time effort was over Bam in a flash and into the back of the net. Really poor goal to concede. Ards did hit back on 26’ when TJ Murray got on the end of Eamon Scannell’s corner. It wasn’t the cleanest of contacts but with the recent goalscoring drought, it was a very well received equaliser. Ards had the better of the chances in the remaining period of the first half with Scannell trying an outrageous lob from distance. Dergview also had a couple of half chances, and did have the ball in the net again, but it was ruled out for offside; It ended 1-1 at the break.
The second half was very eventful with both sides reduced to 10 men on 50’ following a coming together in the Dergview 18-yard box. O’Hare for Ards and the Dergview goal scorer Loughrey both seeing red for their part in the incident. Ards adjusted well to the red and had the better of the chances in the half but failed to convert. There was a moment to forget for Buchanan in the Dergview goal as he raced out to clear a through ball and completely missed his kick. Salou used all his pace to collect but was pushed wide and the chance was gone. On 62’ Scannell laid off the ball to P Cafolla on the edge of the box, middle of goal and his well hit shot crashed back off the cross bar. The keeper was well, beat but the woodwork to the rescue for Dergview and more frustration for the home support. The best chance for Ards came on 72’ for McCurry. Arthurs and Scannell combined well to steal the ball from the Dergview man, Arthurs through ball found McCurry just inside the box and his first touch was good but he lost his footing at the vital moment and Dergview were able to clear.
The game went away from Ards on 84’ as Scannell received a second yellow for a late tackle, Ards seeing their second red of the game. Down to nine men Ards made some subs to try and see the game out but lost it on 89’ when Niall McGinley scored, taking full advantage of the space in the middle of the park. A simple through ball to Benny up top, he continued his run and received the ball back in the Ards’ 18 and put it through Bams’ legs into the back of the net. A man down and with time running out Ards pressed for an equaliser and saw Ferrin strike the post in the dying seconds, but it didn’t come, the game finished 2-1 to the visitors who I’m sure enjoyed their long trip home west.
It’s now four losses and a draw for Ards in the last five league games, with only two goals scored and eight conceded. Discipline is definitely an issue with seven red cards so far this season, costing us points on several occasions, but finding goals is the bigger challenge. Not sure what the answer is but with four away games in a row now on the cards, they’d better start finding something soon. Institute away next up, with three players suspended there will have to be changes made, hopefully we can find some of the early season form and get the season back on track.
Starting eleven:
Neeson, Crane, McGovern, Ferrin, O’Hare, Jallow, Cafolla, Murray, Scannell, Arthurs, McCurry
Subs used:
Dinu, Nelson, Reynolds, Calderwood
Subs not used:
Carry, E McAllister, DD McAllister