Ards 2nds travelled to The Fort at Glynn last Saturday for a league match against their Larne counterparts. With Larne 1sts having no game there were some noticeable faces on the touchline from the previous week when both clubs 1st XV’s played each other.

Ards saw the welcome return of Jonny Dawson in the pack; 3rd XV captain Davy Thompson along with 3rd XV front row players Ian McCarrison and Davy Reid stepped up to assist the 2nds with the unavailability of a number of players.

Larne kicked off with the wind and sun on their back and the slope in their favour, they soon took an early lead with a converted try following a back row move from a scrum. Larne 7 v Ards 0

Both teams then exchanged penalties for not staying on their feet with full back Adam Carroll converting for Ards. Larne 10 v Ards 3
In the 21st minute Larne caught the Ards defence out with a quickly taken penalty on the halfway line, when they went through almost unopposed under the Ards posts. Larne 17 v awards 3

Ards reacted positively with the Ards back row of Max Harrison, Thompson and Dawson dominant taking play deep into the Larne half. Larne absorbed this Ards pressure then seized on a loose Ards ball taking play all the way to the Ards 22, an attacking Larne scrum saw them drive over for a converted try. Larne 24 v Ards 3

Again Ards took the game to Larne, but then lost the influential Thompson due to a hand injury, he was replaced by Matt Patton.
On the stroke of halftime Ards’ efforts were rewarded with an unconverted try by veteran second row Gary Presho following a series of Ards lineouts and scrums.

Halftime: Larne 24 v Ards 8

The second half saw Ards with long periods of possession but again they were unable to convert possession into points.
In the 61st minute Larne again scored a breakaway try, kicking through a loose ball and chasing well to score out wide. Larne 29 v Ards 8

In the closing minutes Larne were penalised for not staying on their feet, Ards centre Taylor Nutt tapped quickly to himself and spotting space out wide moved the ball to Mike Taylor, now playing at full back, who hit the line and scored a well deserved Ards try, the conversion was missed.

Final score: Larne 29 v Ards 15