Lough 41 Championship.
Knockbreda vs Ards.
Breda Park.
Monday 26th December at 12.00 noon.
Ards travel to Knockbreda for the second time this season hoping for a repeat of their game in October when a hat-trick from Adam Salley and a goal from Eamon Scannell clinched a 4-1 victory and the three points. That defeat was the second game in a current run of eleven league games without a win for Breda, disappointing for them after winning three of the first five.
That sequence includes good performances against the likes of Loughgall and Annagh but also an 8-1 rout at the hands of Institute, a result which contributes significantly to their total of 41 goals conceded, a total only matched by the Welders who have played a game less. Since that heavy defeat at the Brandywell, Breda have tightened up and have only conceded five in the last four played, possibly down in part to the influence of ex Ards manager John Baillie who is now helping out with coaching duties at Breda Park.
Breda find themselves on eleven points, the same total as bottom of the table Dergview on whom they have two games in hand. Indeed this will be only the second game Breda have played in December as their last two fixtures were postponed due to adverse weather conditions. Those postponements will affect selection as they mean leading scorer Tamer Atrach has been unable to complete the suspension imposed following his red card against Ballinamallard and will consequently miss the game.
It looks likely that Adam Salley, the leading scorer for Ards, will be making his penultimate appearance in Red and Blue before being recalled to parent club Portadown. However, although Salley and Scannell have been prolific so far, others have chipped in so Ards have an impressive goals total with 38 so far in the League, an average of exactly two per game, unfortunately they have conceded 36 which gives an average of 3.98 goals per game, the highest in the division. That almost guarantees the teams will fight out a scoreless draw!
A win for Ards in this early kick-off would move them above Dundela into third place, although at that point the Duns would have two games in hand, one of those being the derby with the Welders the following day.
Match Officials :-
Referee :- Mark Milligan.
1st Assistant :- Neil Gillespie.
2nd Assistant :- Mark O'Brien.