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Friday 26 Aug - 19:45 | Clandeboye Park

Ards

Hunter 1', Scannell 85'

2-1

Ballyclare Comrades

McCurry 53'

Fri 26 Aug - 19:45 | Clandeboye Park

2-1

Ards

Hunter 1', Scannell 85'

Ballyclare Comrades

McCurry 53'

Pre-Match Guide

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.

Teams

Match Report

Despite another largely positive performance Comrades tasted defeat for the first time this season with a late goal winning all three points for Ards at Clandeboye Park.

The game started with a goal given away cheaply by the visitors inside the first minute. Richard Purcell played the ball out to Conall McGrandles who was caught in possession by Hunter who then advanced into the box and fired past the ‘keeper from 10 yards.

Comrades came close to a quick equaliser five minutes later when a perfectly flighted free kick played in by Ian Fletcher was met by a Conall McGrandles header from 7 yards which crashed back off the bar. The ball fell back to Elliot McKim, but under a challenge he couldn’t find the target with his header.

The game flowed from end to end and in the 14th minute Ards had a chance when a ball into the box found Arthurs in space, but he blasted his effort well over the bar from 12 yards.

A minute later a swift Comrades attack ended with Calvin McCurry feeding Harry Adair, who arrived at the right side of the box where he struck a good effort which forced ‘keeper Moore to turn the ball past the far post.

The visitors had much of the attacking possession for the rest of the half but found it hard to penetrate the hosts’ defence. On 44 minutes they did have the ball in the back of the net when Conall McGrandles headed in from a Caomhán McGuinness cross, but it was ruled out for offside.

Eight minutes into the second half Comrades got the equaliser they deserved. Kyle Beggs played a teasing ball into the box where Calvin McCurry got to it just before a defender to lob the ball over the ‘keeper from 16 yards.

From this point on play was evenly balanced, but with chances at a premium. Comrades did however have a half chance in the 68th minute when Kyle Beggs got to the by-line inside the box before playing the ball to Calvin McCurry, but the angle was too tight for the striker who could only hit the side-netting from inside the 6-yard box.

As the game came to its latter stages play became rather disrupted with some niggly fouls and bad-tempered altercations. However, a quality piece of attacking play brought victory to the home side. In the 85th minute a raid forward up the right ended with Reynolds playing a perfect cross to the far post where Scannell was there to head in from 5 yards.

Media

Match Photos

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