First round of the cup against Albert Foundry and a very wet Loughmoss, it was touch and go where match would be played but after sweeping out the goal mouth the match got under way.
[centre]With our two normal centre backs out through injury and sickness we had to reshuffle the team with Stuart Hannah Starting at right back and Brandon McFerran move inside to centre back alongside Edward Muldrew and the ever present Jordan Mulholland at left back. We started brightly and could have opened the score in the first five minutes but Noah’s shot was goal bound but stuck in the mud on the goal line. Then against the run of play Foundry sent a ball over the top which the defence failed to clear and they went on to score, 1 : 0. Then things got sloppy as Albert Foundry with the downhill and wind put us under pressure, when they put the ball down the right Reece went to control it but because of the conditions the ball slipped under his foot and they went on to score 2 : 0. We picked up our game in the last 10 minutes of the first half and should have been all square at half time. The first fell to Marcus Baron with some nice foot work out on the left got him in on goal only for his shot to be saved by the keeper and then dejavu, when the keeper came racing out of his box Noah Crenshaw hit his shot past him only for it yet again to sick in the mud on the goaline, it just looked as if it wasn’t going to be our day.
HALF TIME: 2 . 0
It was time to go for broke in the second half so a change of formation to 3-5-2 was needed back three was Brandon, Edward & Jordan with Stuart Hannah got from right back to join Noah up front. This would work but not before we gifted Foundry with another goal to go 3 : 0 up but hay we were four down a couple of weeks ago and scored four in the last eight minutes, so could they do it again, you bet they could. The first came in the 52nd minute when a nice 0ne – two between Reece Atkinson and Ryan Hannah saw Ryan clear inside the box but with an acute angle he still got it into the net for his first goal of the season, 3 : 1. Then two minutes later it was the turn of Ryan young brother to get on the score sheet, Edward Muldrew played the ball forward to Stuart and as the keeper came out Stuart chipped him from 25 yards out, 3 : 2. The equaliser came in the 64th minute Reece Atkinson played the ball through to Ryan Hannah on the right wing Ryan skipped past the defender sent over the cross and Noah Crenshaw came in from the back to smash the ball home 3 : 3. Ards were now in total control of the match but there were a few hairy moments but Jai Sykes pulled of some great saves. With five minutes left to play we finally got ourselves in front for the first time in the match when we were on the attack the keeper race out and cleared the ball but it fell to Jordan Mulholland 30 yards out on the left hand side and he calmly launched a shot high and over the keeper in to the back of the net 3 : 4. We had to get back and set up to keep the lead and everyone battled hard in the last five minutes but the goal of the match was yet to come, on the 70th minute Reece Atkinson played a fine pass out to Marcus Baron on the left wing he looked up and from 25 yards out wide on the left he sent a shot firing into the top right hand corner of the net what a goal, game over 3 : 5. The Referee added two extra minutes but Ards were determined to see it out and they did.
FULL TIME: 3 .5
Managers Comments:
Well done boys yet another good come back and some excellent goals from all of you but we need to learn from our mistake as we are still gifting teams goal. I am sure though you will sort it out.
Coaches Comments:
Robbie Mc Garry: Not our best performance but a win is a win and the conditions were not to good but we stuck at it and got the result well done boys
Parents Comments:
Roberta Atkinson: 3 nil down at half time to come back 5.3 well done
