Ards 1st XV travelled to Roughfort Playing Fields to face Academy RFC on Saturday to play the opening round of the Towns Cup. With the intense playing schedule, the selection panel rested all bar three of the previous week's starting team and gave the opportunity for those in the wider squad to stake their own claims for a regular spot. This saw debuts for some and a complete reshuffle, particularly in the backline.

The opening minutes of the game were well contested, until spilled ball in midfield saw Academy capitalise and kick through. Taking possession deep in the Ards 22, a good defensive set was eventually undone with an overlap wide to the right and a try for a 5-0 lead to the home side.

Academy started to employ their strong kicking game from the restart and built some good attacking phases. Winning a penalty from 30 metres, they opted to kick and goaled it for a score of 8-0.

With the second quarter underway, Ards were firmly camped in the opposition half, with strong work from Trevor Devlin, Matthew Bell and Matthew Hamilton and the line out working well with Ben Goldthorpe and Blake Lilburn. A midfield break by Hamilton at fly half brought Ards deep into the home 22, but they managed to clear their lines. Ards pressed again through Ross Torney and Aaron Bittles, but play broke down and Academy kicked deep into the Ards half. Carries from Torney and Adam Barnes saw Ards exit the danger zone, but territorial advantage was continuously exchanged with kicking from both sides. Some crunching defensive work by Bell and Danny McCullough negated the Academy attack. With the half hour mark well passed, the early sunshine turned to heavy rain and Academy advanced well into the Ards half. Slow to reload their defence at a ruck, Ards were caught out as the Academy scrum half took the gap offered to run through for a score. With the conversion, the score moved on to 15-0.

Academy continued their kicking game and although the Ards defence held well in midfield, a cross field kick saw their wing touch down on the stroke of half time for a lead of 20-0.

Ards started the second half well and kept the ball in hand to work up the pitch, with Bell and Hamilton creating momentum. Picking up the pace through Devlin and Torney, the forwards pierced the home defensive line and McCullough picked from a ruck to plough over for Ards' opening try. Scrum half Jack Sharpe added the extras and the deficit was reduced to 20-7.

Play then centralised until the final quarter, when a good run to the left by the Academy wing produced a chance that was well taken for a try. With the conversion added, the score moved to 27-7. Playing into the wind and periods of rain, Ards attack was limited to a short carrying game, where multiple phases were undone by the kick and chase game of Academy. Earning a penalty from 30 metres, Academy took the kick to extend their lead to 30-7 with less than 10 minutes to play.

Ards kept to their short handling game and led by Bell, Devlin and Torney they were again camped deep in the Academy 22. The hard work paid off with substitute Robbie Grant finishing a multi phase move for a try. Hamilton's conversion narrowed the scoreline to 30-14 and the final whistle came shortly after.

Whilst the first defeat for Ards this season, there were many performances that will add to the selection panel's deliberations this week as Ards return immediately to Academy for their scheduled league fixture.