We headed to Belfast for our league match against St. Patrick's at Grove United with hope we would continue the good form we showed last week.
This was going to be one of our poorer performances with the ever present Jordan Barkley in central defence missing due to a chest infection we had to make adjustments. We certainly didn't start very well but our back four were having a good first half. Our first real chance came in the 23rd minute when Rory Nelson hit a shot from just inside the box but his shot went just wide of the far post. St. Pats were playing some great football and we were finding it hard to compete with them. So great defending and good goalkeeping kept us in the match. Then in the 32nd minute St. Pats took the lead when a shot from the edge of the box seemed to slip out of Jai's hands and through is legs into the net; 1 : 0 St. Pats. Our next chance fell to Stuart Hannah when Reece Atkinson sent in a free kick and Stuart got on the end of it at the back post but his effort went over the bar.
HALF TIME; 1 : 0
Half time talk was blunt, we were not competitive enough we need to up our game. That just didn't happen, as 8 minutes in and St. Pats doubled their lead; 2 : 0 St. Pats. We were struggling now to contain them and two minutes later they got a third; 3 : 0 St. Pats. Heads were down and it didn't seem that anything would lift them as St. Pats continued to dominate. They got a fourth 9 minutes later and it was looking like the wheels were coming of the Ards team; 4 : 0 St. Pats. There was still twenty minutes to play and Jai was struggling in goals with a sprained wrist but he battled through and the boys did seem to get a lift from his courage as we started to battle a bit better even though the match was out off reach. We created a good chance in the 69th minute when Rory Nelson foundRyan Hannah on the edge of the box Ryan it a strong shot but the keeper saved it. Ryan would eventually retire to defensive duties as he was battling with a chest infection and was finding it hard to breath, So Aaron Graham who has finally got back to getting some match time since last years leg break, would go up front and in the 76th minute would set up Rory Nelson for our consolation goal.
FULL TIME; 4 : 1
Managers Comments:
Our heaviest defeat of the season so far a very poor performance from a team that know the can play a lot better. We need to learn from our mistakes and i have know doubt that this bunch of boys will do that.
