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Youth end of league matches
Come support your youth teams in their last league matches of the season
Ards under 15s, and under 17s are playing their last league matches of the season agaist local rivals Inst.
Whats on offer you might say ?
Well the Under 15s under the keen eye of Rickie Saddler and Rickie Aston, can finish unbeaten in their section of the league. This is a great boost for the young players many of which are new to rugby and a warning to the other teams in the league section of the cup that they are no push over just because there new.
The Under 17 have a grudge match beaten in the away leg, with their biggest league loss so far, many players have a thing to prove. The under 17s can finish 3rd if other teams around them lose and they win.
The end of the league fixtures is not a time to sit back and relax as the league section of the cup comes round on the 2nd of March with games against Lurgan, Enniskillen, and Coleraine.
These young men have shown that they have pride in the shirt they wear on a Saturday and they will not give up or let the other team win without a fight. So join them at 11am this Saturday morning at Ards RFC support them as they hold high the honour of their club.
CLICK HERE for I XV shots v City Of Armagh RFC I XV
BALLYMENA 36 vs 20 ARDS 3rd XV
FORSTER CUP RD1
3rds lose out to experienced Ballymena team in Forster Cup
Ards travelled to Ballymena last Saturday for the first round of the Forster Cup. They encountered a home team bristling with experience and from the outset were put under pressure in the forward exchanges.
The scrums were evenly contested throughout the game and the Ards front row deserve much credit for this. The visitors put Ards on the back foot, working the ball through their big pack only to be turned away on the line by a stern defence.
This good work could not be capitalised on as Ards failed to get out of their own half and struggled to retain possession of the ball. Eventually the home side bundled over to take a 5 point lead.
From the kickoff Ards put in some good work and looked like getting back into the game before some loose defence saw them back on their own line and soon after a converted try was added to the home sides tally. Ards dug in once more and pressure paid off in the form of a penalty, converted by Mulholland.
Just before half time another penalty was put into the corner and from the line out , which was strong all day, the ball was recycled and ben smith barrelled over for a trademark finish, converted by Mulholland.
At 12 -10 at the break the young Ards side were in optimistic mood feeling that momentum was finally with them. This was short-lived as they failed to get out of the 22m area before Ballymena added another converted try to the score board.
Ards managed to keep in touch with another Mulholland penalty, but from the kickoff were once again pinned back into their own half before conceding another try. Ards put further pressure on the home defence and good carries by Chivers and Robinson combined with good lineout work gained Ards excellent field position.
It was then down to the vision of Cole to pick out McKee with a clinical pass, allowing him to score below the posts. Mulholland added the simple conversion to bring Ards within 4 points of Ballymena.
Again it was the Ards sides inability to get out of their own half from the kickoff that cost them dear, with the home side sneaking another converted try. Ards fate was sealed minutes later as they pushed hard to get back within touching distance Ballymena made a break and scored in the corner.
It was good to see the return of STEPHEN COLE to competitive rugby and LUKE McCARTNEY put in another sterling performance at scrum half.
Although disappointed with the result, the Ards side put up tough opposition against a team of vast experience. With hard work and determination this is a side capable of finishing the season well.
HARLEQUINS 59 vs 7 ARDS 2nd XV LEAGUE
Players answer the call!!
Quins 2s 55-7 Ards 2s
Due to injuries, call-ups and man flu Ards only had four players from the two previous wins over Quins this season in a makeshift squad. With 3 senior teams and the u19s all on duty player resources were exhausted.
Some of Ards finest answered their clubs call to fulfil the fixture. Gareth Paden and Stevie Nutt smothered 18 year old Adam Cowie in the frontrow; Adam who had just finished reffing a youth match at Malone could not have felt any safer at hooker with all that muscle. Ards leg-end Gary Presho started at number 8 with 18 year old Andy Bates and the Black Knight’s water boy paul white in the back row. Ards 2nds coach Tim McCandless put the boots back on at fly half to the mercy of his team mates. Matty McMullan and ANDY WRIGHT came onto the wings for their first start at this level.
Ards competed well and made the home team work hard for the win; the match was played in good spirits by both teams and was enhanced by an excellent referee in Shane Toolan. The home team got off to the best possible start when their winger blasted in for a try after just two minutes. Quins extended their lead with another break down the wing. Missed tackles were costing Ards as the opposition exposed weaknesses out wide.
Ards fought back and were very competitive at the breakdown where the home team gave away a number of penalties one in kickable range that came back of the posts. Ards kept the pressure on the Quins defence with strong drives from Batesy and Nutty but a turn over lead to a Quins breakaway try.
Ards won the ball from the restart and worked the phases into the Quins 22 quick ball from scrumhalf CHARLIE STEWART at the ruck was finished by ADAM McKEE for a converted try.
Ards kept the game tight in the forwards and were working the fringes well with Croan and Presho combining well to force Quins to concede two yellow cards at the breakdown. Ards failed to take advantage as the pace of the game began to tell.
Ards rallied at the start of the second half and kept play deep in the Quins half Pete Croan began to make the hard yards and get Ards on the front foot. Croan took a crash ball of Stewart but was just held up short of the line, unfortunately Pete damaged his knee and had to come off, this was a bitter blow as Pete has just come back from injury and was having a great season on the seconds.
A mix up at an Ards penalty 5mtrs from the Quins line, led to a breakaway try for the home team. The pace of the game at this level in the last quarter along with lack of match fitness caught up with some of the Ards players as Quins ran out convincing winners.
There was a mass exit from the Ards changing room as some of the younger players raced off to start work and the older contingent legged it to the bar. It is rumoured that some will be at training this week.
With no match planned for the next two weeks the 2nds will hope to have all their regular players available to get back on track and finish the season on a high.
TEAM. RICKY ASTON, ANDY WRIGHT, Neal ARMSTRONG, Trevor Devlin, MATT McMULLAN, Tim McCandless, CHARLIE STEWART, Gary PRESHO, Andy BATES, paul white, ADAM McKEE, Pete CROAN,Gareth Paden, Adam Cowie, Stevie NUTT
Ards 14 vs 19 Armagh Ulster Senior League
Injury blow dampens solid performance
Last Saturday Ards welcomed Armagh to Hamilton Park for an Ulster Bank Senior League match, which was well contested between two fairly even sides but the result was secondary to a serious injury sustained by the Ards inside centre, graeme taylor, in the dying moments of the game. Graham had transferred to Ards from Malone this season but due to his work commitments had not featured much for the 1st XV prior to Saturday. However with him being able to train regularly in the new year the squad were boosted by his appearance against Armagh. It was ironic, to say the least, that he had produced an outstanding performance at inside centre in his first full game for some time, only to dislocate his ankle and fracture his fibula in the last minute of the match. Graeme’s many friends and admirers at the Club wish him a speedy recovery.
The match itself was played in good spirits on a heavy pitch and it was Ards who took the lead after 4 minutes when Paul Cox (who scored all the Ards points on the day), converted a penalty from thirty metres out. Ards had the better of the opening quarter both in terms of possession and field position. The backrow of Minis, Creighton and Calvert were all prominent behind a strong front five and with SCOTT YOUNG directing operations Ards were perhaps a little unlucky not to extend their lead. Somewhat against the run of play, Armagh struck back in the 23rd minute with a rolling maul from a five metre lineout to score a try wide out on the left. Their overseas out half added the conversion with a superb kick from the touchline to give them a 3-7 lead.
Ards then had to defend their line as Armagh came more into the game, but some excellent running out of defence from MARK BANFORD on two occasions relieved the pressure. The visitors showed why they have had a good season to date however when they made good use of possession from a lineout and a series of rucks in the 38th minute to score an unconverted try to extend their lead to 3-12 as half time approached. Ards lost lock forward John Dowey to a yellow card in the 40th minute and had a penalty in front of the posts reversed by the Referree. Playing into the breeze, Ards knew they could not afford to concede during the time they were reduced to 14 men in the second half. Not only did they achieve this but proceeded to score one of the best tries seen at home for some time. A strong surge from graeme taylor through the middle set the platform and the forwards then retained possession through nine phases, steadily working their way towards the Armagh 22 metre line. With the visitors stretched in defence, quick ball and good handling saw Cox receive a pass 15 metres out, but in some space. Despite a good tackle from the fullback, the young man kept his head was able to squeeze over in the corner for a fine unconverted try.
At 8-12 and with 30 minutes left the game was in the balance. Colin McClure, DAVID GRAHAM and JONNY DAWSON replaced Millar, Quinn and Minis as Ards pressed for a breakthrough. However it was Armagh who got the crucial score when some missed tackles cost them dearly to allow Armagh in for a converted try after 68 minutes to make it 8-19 with 12 minutes remaining. MICHAEL CREIGHTON and DAVID CALVERT were to the fore with some great ball carries in the last few minutes. graeme taylor almost made the try line but in the process picked up a nasty injury. From the resulting penalty for offside at the ruck Cox converted to leave the final score at 14-19 to the visitors.
The Ards squad for the match was, Jonny Millar, Gareth Quinn, JONNY WYLIE, ROB McCAUSLAND, John Dowey, Steven Minis, MICHAEL CREIGHTON, DAVID CALVERT, KYLE AGNEW, SCOTT YOUNG, Paul Cox, graeme taylor, Nathan Burns, David Parkhill, MARK BANFORD, Colin McClure, DAVID GRAHAM, JONNY DAWSON.
