'We didn't defend well enough'

A DISAPPOINTING defeat for Wellington Rec away to current league leaders Ards Rangers at Drome Park, although they could count themselves a little unfortunate in that Ards' second and third goals, on another day, would surely have been ruled out for off-side.

However, as manager Jim Hagan lamented afterwards: "We just didn't defend well enough. We were the better team for the first 15 minutes, but then made a catastrophic mistake at the back – then that left us having to try and come from behind again."

Despite the absence of William Magill, Darren Gabby and striking talisman Andy Bell the Millbrookers had the better of the opening exchanges, only to gift the league leaders the lead when a wayward header opened the door for a forward to nip in and loft the ball over the helpless Steven Mills.

Wellington could have restored parity just before the break; Paul Maguire, sensing the diminishing angle, squaring the ball over, only for the hardworking Gary Montgomery to scoop it over the bar.

Rec rightly felt hard done by as Rangers doubled their lead just after the break; the forward, dummying the ball right in front of Mills' line of vision, surely had to be interfering with play whilst in an offside position.

There was more than a hint of offside about Ards' third; one that Mills nonetheless might have saved had he not been struggling badly with a hamstring injury, which then saw him replaced by Andy McGarel, with Uel O'Neill taking over the custodial duties.

Wellington kept plugging away and Maguire had an effort cleared off the line, before Ards broke away to grab a fourth.

Rec, however, finally got off the mark just before the close, thanks to an effort from Scott Todd which took a deflection on its way past the keeper.

On Saturday, it's back to Brookvale Park for a tasty Clarence Cup tie against Steel and Sons Cup holders Kilmore Rec.

Wellington Rec; Mills (McGarel) – Curneen, O'Neill, Cahoon, S Cowie – C Cowie (McAllister), Todd, Barkley, Kane (Nelson) – Montgomery, Maguire.

'We didn't defend well enough' – Hagan