Ards played a crucial Ulster Bank All Ireland League game at Hamilton Park on Saturday against Boyne; going into the match Ards where one place ahead of Boyne in AIL 2b and considered this a must win match
Ards played a crucial Ulster Bank All Ireland League game at Hamilton Park on Saturday against Boyne; going into the match Ards where one place ahead of Boyne in AIL 2b and considered this a must win match.
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Ards attacked the Scrabo Tower end in the first half and got off to a great start and in the 6th minute winger Trevor DEVLIN scored a try in the clubhouse corner after the ball was moved from left to right by the backs, winger Paul COX added a superb conversion. Ards 7 v Boyne 0
Boyne responded well and in the 16th minute elected to kick a penalty into the corner for a lineout rather than kick at the posts, Boyne caught and drove over the Ards line from the subsequent lineout for their No8 to score, this try was converted by the Boyne centre. Ards 7 v Boyne 7
In the 30th minute Boyne scored a converted try when, whilst Ards where attacking, the Boyne outhalf intercepted an Ards pass on his own 10metre line to run in uncontested under the Ards posts, the Boyne centre converted. Ards 7 v Boyne 14
Ards replied with a period of sustained pressure inside the Boyne 22, this was rewarded in the 35th minute when Cox converted a penalty after the Boyne centre was sin binned for foul play.
Half time: Ards 10 v Boyne 14….. for the full story follow this link >>>>>> http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/ards/s/match-centre-12990/0-1955132
At half time Ards were confident they had the upper hand in the set piece and the ability to win the game.
In the 42nd minute Ards second row Gareth McBurney scored under the Boyne posts after Ards won a lineout on the Boyne 10 meter line, then moved the ball from the left to the right and then again from the right to left, Ards scrum half Mark BANFORD then fed Ards captain Rob McCAUSLAND who made a great linebreak and fed the supporting McBurney to barge over under the posts, Cox converted. Ards 17 v Boyne 14
Ards flanker Ross SINNAMON was sin binned in the 50th minute for repeat offending at the breakdown, he was followed 2 minutes later by the Boyne No6 who was sin binned for foul play.
In the 69th minute Ards replacement winger Epi Ratu finished off a great Ards move in the far corner which was converted by Cox, this try came about after some great forward pressure by the Ards pack, Ards were awarded penalty after penalty inside the Boyne 22 and elected to scrum on each occasion, winning the scrum and keeping it tight, they then released the ball to the backs who finished well. Ards 24 v Boyne 14
In the 72nd minute Ards scored their fourth try and secured a bonus point through replacement flanker Qiolele Tuweni who hit a great line of outhalf Stuart PAUL to run through unopposed from the Boyne 22, Cox converted. Ards 31 v Boyne 14
Ards then seemed to take their foot of the gas and rather than shut out the game they let Boyne in for an unconverted try in the 75th minute and then on the stroke of full time Boyne scored a converted try giving the a losing bonus point along with a four try bonus point.
final score: Ards 31 v Boyne 26
This was a well deserved win for an Ards team dominant in nearly all aspects of play, the focus is now on the remaining two AIL games of the season away to Armagh this week and home to Nenagh for the last game of the season on Sat 12th April.
Ards squad: J Miller, C Stewart, J Wylie, G McBurney, B Tabaiwalu, M Harrison, R Sinnamon, R McCausland (capt), M Banford, S Paul, T Devlin, S Young, T Ferguson, P Cox, D Parkhill, M Busby, A Peden, Q Tuweni, D Broughall, E Ratu
