Ards 2nds travelled to Cherryvale to play Malone 3rds, hoping to extend their good start to the season. Conditions were set fair for a good contest.

Coach Simon Hamilton had a strong side selected for the encounter. There were starts for Jonah Mitchell, Davy Reid, Josh Browne and Gareth McBurney up front, with Paddy Preston returning to the fold, Will Shankey and Adam Barnes starting in an exciting backline with young Ethan Barratt directing the team at fly half. The returning Nathan Gibson, Neil Horner and Peter Scott providing impact from the bench this week.

Ards kicked off to Malone to start the game. Malone kept the ball well in the early stages, with the Ards defence showing steely determination, tackling low and hard to stop Malone in their tracks. A penalty to Malone saw them make good distance from the kick. The resulting lineout saw a well constructed maul, not competed by Ards which rumbled over for a Malone try. The referee unmoved by Ards non engagement to the maul and awarded the try to Malone. 5-0.

From the resulting kick off, Malone aimed to stretch the Ards defence on the fringes, with Barnes, Coulter and Paddy Preston showing their metal defensively. From a counter ruck, Ards played the phases, a lack of discipline whilst in the Malone half let Malone off the hook. A Malone penalty saw a kick to the corner and another well constructed maul from the lineout saw Malone go over again. Converted. 12-0.

From the kick off, a good kick return from Callum O’Hanlon set Ards up on the Malone 10 metre. Good offloading from Mitchell put captain Jimmy Gray into open pasture in the Malone half, beating a defender but the Malone full back tackled well in his 22. Follow up phases saw Ards make solid inroads. The referee saw otherwise, calling an Ards player over for a chat and sending him off. To everyone’s bewilderment at the decision after a dominant carry by the Ards player. In the phases that followed, another maul led to a try to Malone. Unconverted. 17-0.
Ards began to play more direct in attack and defence causing Malone some serious questions with only a lack of discipline, and the inability on a few occasions for Ards to find touch hindering their progress. Tempers were beginning to flare by both teams for the remainder of the half, with captains called over for a stern word by the referee. Captain Gray raising concerns to the referee during this time. In the play that followed, Malone scored after a break from their winger. Converted. 24-0. Ards made inroads in the Malone 22 towards the end of the half, with accuracy on the final play on multiple occasions letting Malone off the hook once again.

HT 26-0

Ards started the second half on the front foot, with dominant carries from McBurney, Edgar and Mitchell. From an Ards penalty, and with Ross Hughes and Ethan Barrett directing the team, quick hands saw the ball get to Adam Barnes, who did remarkably well to beat 4 defenders on a postage stamp to score in the corner. Unconverted. 26-5.

With Nathan Gibson making huge indents into the Malone defence, and with good support play from Gray and McBurney kept Ards moving forwards with only a lack of accuracy stopping momentum. Malone had field position for a short time in the Ards half, with good defence work from Gray, Michael Lyttle, Paddy Preston and Peter Scott preventing any further Malone scores.

With Ards managing to find touch via the boot of Keir Edgar, multiple penalties from a dominant Ards lineouts put Ards deep in the Malone 22. From a lineout catch and drive set up by Michael Lyttle. Gareth McBurney bundled over from a rolling maul. Unconverted. 26-10.

Ards were fully in attack mode, with multiple forays into the Malone 22. Good backline moves with Barrett and Coulter directing traffic led to multiple pick and goes from the Ards forwards drew multiple penalties. From a scrum, Nathan Gibson bundled over, leaving multiple defenders in his wake. Converted by Edgar. 26-17.

Unfortunately, Ards ran out of time for a score to gain a losing bonus point.

Hugely positive second half display from Ards, which wasn't enough in the end to get the result. The amount of fight and determination shown shows how far they are willing to go as a team for the right result, which is hugely encouraging going forward.

Next game for the 2s is an away fixture Vs Ballymena 3s on 14th October.