Pre-Match Guide | Ards 26/08/22
We travel to Clandeboye Park tomorrow evening to take on Ards in our next Lough 41 Championship fixture.
Match Info
When: Friday 26th August – Kick-Off 7:45pm
Where: Clandeboye Park
What: Lough 41 Championship
Entry: Pay at the gate – £8 (Adult) / £5 (Concession)
The Opponents
There was late drama at the BMG Arena on Tuesday night where Ards were beaten 2-1 by Annagh United. Scoreless at the break, Ross Arthurs opened the scoring for Ards a couple of minutes into the second half when he rose to meet a Daniel Reynolds cross. The home side levelled with just over an hour on the clock when Stephen Murray lifted the ball over Ards keeper Alex Moore. Then, deep into stoppage time, Conor Mullen met Craig Taylor’s cross to head home the winner at the far post. The result puts Ards in 8th position in the Lough 41 Championship table after 3 games with 1 win and 2 defeats.
The Comrades
A goal in each half helped The Comrades defeat Dundela at Wilgar Park on Tuesday night. Calvin McCurry opened the scoring for the visitors after 20 minutes when Duns keeper Neil Shields failed to clear the ball. That was how it stayed until nine minutes into the second half after Darius Roohi doubled Ballyclare’s advantage despite a good start from the home side. The Comrades, still yet to concede a goal in the 22/23 Lough 41 Championship campaign, currently sit in 3rd position on the table.
Last Time Out
The last time these two sides met, Benny Igiehon grabbed the only goal of the game as Ards defeated Ballyclare Comrades in a Friday night in April fixture at Dixon Park. The visitors might have moved in front midway through the first half when Daniel Reynolds did well to send a cross over from the right but Ryan Arthur was on hand to turn the ball over as Igiehon looked poised to pounce. Ross Arthurs then found himself through on goal a short time later but Comrades keeper Richard Purcell did well to deal with the danger. But the deadlock was broken on 37 minutes when Arthurs knocked the ball on into the area with an overhead kick for Igiehon to touch past Purcell under pressure from Adam McCart. Igiehon might have added a second after the break but he couldn’t bring the ball under control in front of goal after Eamon Scannell had crossed from Christopher Crane’s punt forward. Ards were denied a second later in the game when Purcell was called into action to make a double save to keep out substitute Jay Boyd and then Scannell while Ballyclare applied some pressure in the closing stages but couldn’t do enough to force an equaliser.
