The second Derby match in two weeks saw us head to West Winds for a 10am kick off and after the scoreless draw in the last match the boys were ready.
They were out to put things right as they knew they should have won the previous encounter.
The boys started very sharply and within 5 minutes we nearly were one up when the ball came over to Edward Muldrew in the box, he brought it down on his chest and turned and hit a half volley towards goal only to see it narrowly go wide. Four minutes later it was the hannah brothers combination that would come close when Ryan sent over across his brother Stuart got on the end of it but put his header over the bar. We kept on pushing and again in the 12th minute we came close again, Edward Muldrew again hit a shot low towards the bottom right corner of the goal only for the Rangers keeper to pull of a great save and push it round the post. The goal was coming and it did in the 16th minute when Matthew Guest sent over a corner to the far post and Edward Muldrew came steaming in at the back post and acrobatically put the ball in the back of the net, 0:1 RABA. But it was short lived when 2 minutes later we conceded a free kick just outside the box on the left, as the ball came inJoel Hill met the ball but it came of his head awkwardly and into his own net 1:1.
HALF TIME: 1.1
The half time team talk was for to get control of the midfield and stop Rangers passing their way through and that's exactly what our midfield did in the second half as they went on a mission to win this match. Five minutes in and there was a tactical change, bringing on Reece Thompson for the hard working Marcus Baron. Reece would go up front and Ryan Hannah would go back to his natural position on the right wing with his brother Stuart moving over to the left wing where he has been playing most of the season. Next chance fell to Noah Crenshaw when the ball came over from Ryan Hannah but Noah's header went just over the crossbar. Another substitution was made in the 60th minute when Caleb Surgenor came on to replace the very impressive Edward Muldrew who had worked his socks of and is still carrying a bit of a calf strain. A minute later Reece Thompson hit a powerful shot on the half volley only for the Rangers keeper to pull of another good save, the rebound fell to Caleb Surgenor but is shot was blocked by the defence. In the 67th minute Stuart Hannah found himself on the ball inside the box but he put his shot just past the left hand post. We were well in control of the match and it was just a matter of time before we would take the lead again and we did a minute later when Brandon McFerran bombed down the right wing and sent over a cross which Reece Thompson met with his head and guided it low into the bottom left hand corner leaving the goalkeeper helpless and get his first goal in Ards colours, 1:2 RABA. The game was over in the 73rd minute when we got a corner, Matthew Guest sent it over and the defender only half cleared it as the ball fell to Noah Crenshaw and he put it in the back of the net, 1:3 RABA. A minute later Caleb Surgenor stole the ball of the Rangers midfield sent the ball out to Ryan Hannah on the right wing, Ryan took a tough looked up and from 25 yards out rattled a shot into the top left hand corner of the net leaving the Rangers keeper helpless, what a goal, 1:4 RABA.
FULL TIME: 1.4
MANAGERS COMMENTS:
An excellent team performance from everyone involved, we were always in control of the match. Well done everyone keep it going.
