Ards… 0 Dergview... 2
SPEARHEAD Aaron Patterson netted twice as the first team boosted their survival hopes by completing a league double over league leaders Ards at the Bangor Fuels Arena on Saturday.Patterson registered his splendid brace in the final quarter as the north Tyrone side continued their recent resurgence to move out of the bottom four.
Saturday's impressive victory means Richard Clarke's outfit have now taken seven points from a possible nine on the road following a similar win at Loughgall United and scoreless draw at Institute.With five of their final six games at home the Castlederg side is well placed to avoid the drop and climb the table.
Clarke though won't be counting his chickens just yet, despite his side's eye-catching performance against the champions elect. “We still have a job to do but things are looking up,” acknowledged the former Portadown player.
“Doing the double over the champions shows me that this group of players shouldn't have any inferiority complex about playing any team in this league. “The boys proved that today (Saturday), they put in the work-rate and they had that bit of quality going forward. “It was also pleasing to register another clean sheet, that's four on the bounce. “Ards never looked like scoring against us and for a manager its brilliant to be able to say that. At the minute we have found a formation that's working for us.”
The first half at Clandeboye was something of a non-event. With Dee McAllister to the fore, Ards enjoyed the bulk of the possession but they rarely troubled the visiting back four of Gareth Porter, Colin Robinson, Lee Warnock and James McClay, who came into the side for the suspended Jude Ballard.
By the same token the visiting attack offered little until the final moments of the half when Nathan Cashel got in behind the Ards defence on a couple of occasions but his team-mates failed to get on the end of his teasing crosses. That though was a sign of things to come as the visitors cranked things up in the second half.
McClay surged forward to fizz a shot inches past a post before Cashel pulled the ball back for Patterson to fire agonisingly wide. On 74 minutes Dergview forced a deserved breakthrough. Substitute John Edgar scampered away on the right to find Blaine Burns, whose first time ball sent Patterson racing down the channel.
The former Ballinamallard United striker brushed past Cully only to be taken down by the defender. Cully was duly dismissed and Patterson stepped up to score to put his team firmly in the driving seat. Dergview then went for the jugular and moments later Patterson doubled his money. A promising attack instigated by fullback Porter on the right ended up with Duwayne McManus carving apart the home defence and Patterson timed his run to perfection to gallop clear from the halfway line, round the keeper and score.
There was no way back for the hosts as the north Tyrone men looked to add to their tally with Cashel threatening to get in on the scoring act.
Cashel, too, released Patterson who went it alone when the better option would have been to pick out McManus who was standing unmarked with the goal at his mercy.
Next up for the Derg men a home game against second placed HW Welders on Saturday 9th April.
Dergview: Wilson; Porter; Robinson; Warnock; McClay; Burns; Buchanan; McManus; Arkinson (Edgar 70); Cashel; Patterson. Subs not used: Forbes; Lynch; Wallace.
Ards: Brown, Hall, Convery, Cully, Buckley, McMillen (McAllister 42), Browne (Dorrian 72), McCullough, D McAllister (Warwick 46), Arthurs, McComb. Subs not used: Lambe, Gage.
Aaron Patterson grabbed both goals for Dergview (Picture: Freddie Parkinson/PressEye.com)