Saturday 8
August 3.00pm Kick off at Riada Stadium
Ballymoney United 0 v Ards 0
A gallant display by a Ballymoney team ravaged by injuries and suspensions but at the same time proves the success of the Ballymoney United Soccer Academy with six young local lads on first team duty on Saturday.
A hard fought match played at a sunny Riada Stadium Ards were first to come close when a Wright cross was intercepted by David Gage on 5 mins with McMillen closing in.
Ballymoney settled into their pattern of play and came close from a McLaughlin free kick to the back post that found Hill who headed just wide getting the slightest of touch.
Wright for Ards was masterminding most of Ards attacks and nearly caught the home defence napping on 20 mins with a well taken free kick straight across goal begging for a touch.
At this stage of the game it was a case of attack and counterattack with neither team creating that elusive chance. Ballymoney came close when on the half hour a McLaughlin pass found Nicholl who let fly with a speculative long range shot tipped just over by McDonald From the counterattack Wright picked out McKnight with a pin point pass putting him in one on one with Smyth in the home goal but Smyth kept his cool and brought off a fantastic save to keep the scores all square. Ards piled on the pressure approaching half time and Pike came close with a back post header well pushed over by Smyth.
Ards continued the second half as they had finished the first straight into the attack and a front post ball by Pike had Smyth scrambling to save from McKnight.
On the hour a shot by McKnight ricocheted of Hill to Smyth in the home goal and the referee adjudged that it was a back pass and gave Arts a free kick 10 yards from goal, the free was blocked by Smyth at the front of the wall and was somehow scrambled clear to McMillen whose snap shot was pushed on to the crossbar by Smyth an eventually cleared by the Ballymoney defence.
The game resorted back to attack and counterattack until the 75th minute when a Wright pass found its way across Smyth to Doyle to poke goal wards and raise his arm for a goal when Smyth miraculously dived back across goals to make an unbelievable save, I would rate this as one of the best saves I have personally ever seen live.
With 10 minutes left on the clock Ards again pressed and came close when Javine tried to catch Smyth with a long range effort.
Ballymoney had a shout for a penalty denied after McLaughlin was fouled after rounding Spence.
A long range shot from Dickson was again well saved by Smyth who immediately started a Ballymoney attack with a long throw to Kearney who slipped a pass into the path of McLaughlin who rounded Spence and unleashed a fierce drive goalwards, well saved McDonald.
With time running out Ards had the final attacks of the game A Wright corner was headed over by Pike and then on the next sorte Wright crashed a fierce drive against the underside of the crossbar and cleared much to the relief of the home defence and the home fans to give Ballymoney a well earned point.
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