Ards fight back scuppered by injury

Rugby - Ulster Senior league

Ards 18 : 55 Instonians

Roy Lawton reports

With two heavy games in four days and now a third potentially difficult game three days later against Instonians at Hamilton Park on Saturday, the prospect of an injury riddled under strength Ards were unable to make any meaningful impact on this match.

Instonians ran in seven tries to Ards Mark Banford's two penalties in the first half as the hosts struggled to get out of the blocks.

Ajay Derwin was the talisman on duty for this particular game and showed moments of brilliance with his skilful breaks and kicks, but to no avail as Instonians engulfed everything in a black jersey.

Coach Cois Beukes introduced some fresh legs and positional changes during the second half and all of a sudden it was Ards who were in the ascendancy as they pinned the visitors back deep in their own half before Jonny Dawson crashed over for Ards first try. Minutes later Chris Agnew got his name on the score sheet with another well worked try, converted by Banford, and Ards had 18 points on the board with 25 minutes remaining.

With 20 minutes remaining, disaster struck. A ruck just inside the Ards half saw the game move towards the centre of the park leaving Matthew Weir, with a dislocated ankle and break to his lower left leg. With no prospect of the game re-starting soon, both clubs agreed to abandon the game.