Ards 1-2 Coleraine
Clandeboye Park
Dankse Bank Premiership
18th January 2019
By Jana McCabe
After disappointment at Solitude, Ards looked to bounce back as fifth in the table Coleraine visited the Bangor Fuels Arena.
In the second minute, Jonathan Smith's turn and strike from outside the box was wide of the right hand post before, in the seventeenth minute, a shot from the edge of the box from Coleraine captain Stephen Lowry was well saved by Sam Johnston.
In the twentieth minute Josh Kelly’s shot inside the box made Coleraine keeper Christopher Johns produce a fine save. Then, Joshua Carson’s volley was over the bar as both sides looked for the opening goal. Mark Edgar’s freekick from a dangerous position made 'super Sam' pull off a brilliant save in the twenty eighth minute.
David McAllister’s shot from the far right hand side was saved by Coleraine stopper Johns in the thirtieth minute before, a minute later, a pass from his brother, Eamon, found Kyle Cherry whose strong strike from outside the box flew just over the bar.
Seconds later Coleraine scored their first when Jamie Glackin found Ben Doherty inside the box and his shot found the right hand corner to make it 0-1.
In the thirty fourth minute Mark Edgar’s strike was well saved by Sam Johnston before, in the thirty seventh minute, Ards equalised when Eamon McAllister’s pass found Gareth Tommons whose strong strike from outside the box found the back of the net. 1-1!
Jamie Glackin’s free header was well saved by Johnston as Coleraine looked for a late first-half goal before, in additional time, Kyle Cherry’s low strike was just wide of the right hand post with the half ending 1-1.
In the opening stages of the second half, Darren Henderson’s turn and shot from outside the box was wide of the right hand post, before Lowry’s header was well saved by the alert Johnston.
In the seventy third minute busy Cherry’s strike from outside the box was over the bar before, three minutes later, another shot from Cherry, following a Daryl Evans cross, struck the crossbar and rebounded to safety. Busy Coleraine captain Lowry’s header was then well saved in the seventy ninth minute.
In the eighty first minute, Ards substitute Brendan Bennett was brought down in the box, but the referee didn't award Ards a penalty to the anger of the Red and Blue Army.
A minute later Eoin Bradley’s close range strike was then well saved by Johnston, before substitute Josh Kelly’s pass to Cherry saw his header sail just past the left-hand post in the eighty fifth minute. Edgar’s curling strike from outside the box made Johnston produce another fine save in the last minute of normal time.
However there was heartbreak for Ards in added time with Josh Carson outpacing the Ards defence and his shot finding the bottom left hand corner to make it 1-2. Ards did have one last chance when Tommons' strong strike was saved, with the rebound gathered in by a thankful Coleraine stopper Johns. The game ended 1-2 with Gareth Tommons receiving Man Of The Match.
So, more agony for Ards who deserved points from this game, with attentions now turning to next week's game at the Ballymena Showgrounds.
Starting eleven- Sam Johnston, Michael Kerr, Callum Byers, Kym Nelson, Kyle Cherry, Josh Kelly, Gareth Tommons, David McAllister, Daryl Evans, Jonathan Smith and Darren Henderson.
Substitutes- Eamon McAllister (for Jonathan Smith), Mark Kelly (for Darren Henderson) and Brendan Bennett (for David McAllister), and Matthew Davidson, Michael McLellan, Adam McAleenan & Eoghan McCawl.
Yellow Cards- Gareth Tommons