We welcome Ards to Dixon Park tomorrow evening in our next Lough 41 Championship fixture.
Match Info
When: Friday 15th April – Kick-Off 7:45pm
Where: Dixon Park
What: Lough 41 Championship
Entry: Pay at the gate – £8 (Adult) / £5 (Concession)
Match Sponsor: McConnell’s Bar Doagh
Ball Sponsor: After Schools Club
The Opponents
Last week, Ards battled to an equal share of the spoils with Dundela in an entertaining four-goal clash at Wilgar Park. The Duns moved in front after a quarter-of-an-hour through Eamon Fyfe when he pounced on the loose ball after his initial effort was kept out by keeper Jack Lemoignan just inside the area. Ards levelled a couple of minutes into the second half. Benny Igiehon did well to keep the ball alive inside the area before it fell kindly to Ross Arthurs who duly tucked it past Marc Matthews. That was how it stayed until the 79th minute when Rhys Annett edged the Duns back in front after bursting through the defence to fire home at the right post. But Ards hit back five minutes after that to earn a point after Daniel Reynolds was on hand to knock home the equaliser at the far post.
The Comrades
The Comrades began their post-split fixtures with defeat as Brendan McLaughlin bagged the stoppage time winner for Institute at the Brandywell. ‘Stute had gone in front after just 12 minutes when Mark McFadden smashed the ball home following a scramble in the box from a corner. The visitors might have levelled midway through the first half but Ian Fletcher was unable to beat keeper John Connolly from the spot. However, Ballyclare did find their equaliser four minutes after the interval courtesy of Andrew Mooney’s composed finish after he had pounced on an underhit back pass. And that was how it stayed until three minutes into stoppage time when McLaughlin popped up with a back post header to secure a crucial three points for ‘Stute.
Last Time Out
The last time these two sides met at the beginning of March, Ards hit five past the managerless Comrades. Matt Tipton’s side opened the scoring after 16 minutes when David McAllister curled a cross onto the edge of the six yard box for Ross Arthurs to control and stab past Jack Ferguson. Daniel Reynolds added a second just after the half-hour mark when he fired into the roof of the net at the back post after a corner had been flicked on from the left. And it got worse for the visitors when they fell further behind just before the break. Reynolds turned provider with a low ball across the face of goal for McAllister to touch home at the left post. That was how it stayed until the 79th minute when McAllister doubled his tally from the left side of the area from Salou Jallow’s cross from wide on the right, albeit via a deflection off Ryan Arthur. Then, with five minutes to go, Eamonn Scannell completed the scoring after sliding in to turn home Benny Igiehon’s ball from the right.
