Ards 2nd XI and Queen’s University 2nd XI met in the showpiece final, for the McConnell Shield, at Stormont at a cool and wet Stormont Pavilion on Saturday afternoon.

Ards, by virtue of their impressive league campaign, went into this game as clear favourites but a well drilled Queen’s side made them work hard for their win.

Ards were on the front foot fairly quickly, their orange shirts filling my viewfinder fairly regularly as they attacked towards the end I was sitting at throughout the first half.

However, the Queen’s defence was organised and composed and for all their pressure Ards didn’t create many clear cut chances in the first 35 minutes.