For the final time this season, Ards 3rds took to the field for a short trip to Upritchard Park to face local rivals Bangor 3rds, closing out what has been a memorable and highly successful campaign.

Already crowned league champions, the 3rds arrived full of confidence, having gone unbeaten through the second half of the season and collecting an impressive 29 out of a possible 30 points. With silverware secured, the focus was on finishing strong—and they did just that with a dominant performance.

There were a couple of changes in the Ards pack from the previous encounter with Grosvenor, with Kristian Wallis-McKimm and Peter Scott coming into the starting lineup. Ross Copeland shifted from the centre to the second row, where he also took on the captain’s armband in the absence of David Chivers. In the backline, Mark Banford returned to the centre alongside Alex Hendrickse. Davy Reid, Gary Presho and Adam McKee were named on the ‘bomb squad’ bench, providing experience and impact options for later in the game.

Ards started brightly and quickly imposed themselves on the game, with the forwards laying a solid platform and the backs making full use of the space on offer.

However, a short period of defensive pressure initially was upon Ards, with Ryan Gawley, Paul Hamilton, Hayden Hamilton, Jimmy Gray & even Paul Cox having to put in multiple tackles early on. Key turnovers from Wallis-McKimm & Mike Taylor allowed Ards to exit and build and attack of their own.

Adam Hughes kicked off the scoring of a superb hat-trick, all taken in near-identical fashion. Well-worked backs moves, orchestrated by Paul Cox, created the space out wide and released Hughes at pace on the wing. On each occasion, he needed no second invitation, beating his opposite man on the outside with speed and composure to finish clinically in the corner.

The pressure continued to build, and Ross Copeland’s first try came after a sustained spell of attacking play deep inside the Bangor 22. Quick hands from Joel Clarke, Banford & Cox shifted the ball wide at speed, finding Copeland on the wing, who crossed comfortably to extend the lead to 22–0.

Copeland would later add his second, from a counter attacking starting within the Ards 22. Danger man Hendrickse found a gap in the Bangor defence, leaving a 2 on 1, with Copeland sprinting in from 40m out.

Hendrickse also grabbed a brace of tries for himself, both capitalising on Ards’ ability to stretch the defence and exploit space across the pitch. Hendrickse displayed some elite footwork to step past multiple defenders and display his class, with great hands from Chris McClure and Ethan Barratt also on show. 39-0 HT

At half tim, Ards deployed all 3 subs from the bench, with Reid, Presho and McKee all making big impacts physically. This lead to further second half tries came from Barratt, Cox and Taylor underlined the depth and cohesion within the squad, as Ards consistently found ways to break down the Bangor defence. Cox also contributed with the boot, adding two conversions to round off the scoring.

The final score of the game came from Noah Miskimmin, who went a a rampaging run starting with his own half. Bouncing the initial defender, Miskimmin beat multiple other Bangor defenders and showed a turn of pace to gallop past the fullback and touch down. Gary Presho was handed the ball to attempt the final conversion, however the left footed size 14s did not manage to execute. 59-10

While the result itself was a fitting end to a remarkable season, the occasion carried extra significance. At the final whistle, Ards stalwarts Gary Presho & Gary Dempsey announced their retirement from rugby, bringing the curtain down on an extraordinary 30+ year playing careers in the black jersey. True club legends, Presho & Dempsey’s dedication, leadership, and passion have left a lasting legacy, and both were rightly celebrated by teammates and supporters alike.

The victory not only capped off the day but also served as a perfect reflection of the season as a whole—committed, cohesive, and full of character. As the 3rds look ahead, they do so knowing they have set a high standard, both on and off the pitch.

With the 3rds season complete, all eyes turn to the 1sts promotion bid this Saturday, away to CIYMS (being played at Sullivan).