Ards vs Crusaders match preview

Competition: Northern Ireland Premiership
Date: Sat 23.March
Match begins: 15:00 (UTC)
Venue: Bangor Fuels Arena

Struggling Ards will be hoping to pull off an upset when they welcome high-flying Crusaders in the upcoming league round. It’s 11th vs 3rd and the home crowd will have moderate expectations.

Crusaders could be less fresh than the hosts in this fixture, as they played a Premiership game only three sleeps ago. That game was also an away game, at Warrenpoint Town. It will be interesting to see if they are fully ready and rested for this match, and/or if some changes in the lineup is necessary. That match was played in the comfort of their own home stadium, hosting Warrenpoint Town. There's been little rest and some travel, but Crusaders will do their best.

L D W L L

Ards form and stats

The home fans haven’t been spoiled with victories so far this season, with Ards only managing 3 wins, 3 draws and 10 losses so far from their games here at Bangor Fuels Arena.

The Ards fans got no joy from their last match, a Premiership game also here at Bangor Fuels Arena: A 0-1 defeat against Warrenpoint Town (placed 10th). Preceding that game was the away draw at Glentoran that finished 1-1.

The goals haven't exactly been flowing for Ards here at Bangor Fuels Arena, with less than one goal per game on average (15 from 16 games). Ards have conceded 24 in these home matches. Ards have conceded 24 from these games.

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Crusaders form and stats

The story so far for the visiting team on their travels is 9 wins, 1 draw and 6 defeats.

It's the second away game in a row for Crusaders, but there's smiles all around after the 3-1 victory versus Warrenpoint Town (placed 10th) in the Premiership last time out. Before that, Crusaders secured a home win against Cliftonville with the score 2-0.

Crusaders has displayed an ability to score goals in away matches this season, 30 goals from 16 games. As opposed to that, Crusaders have seen the ball go into their own net 22 times on the road.

Head 2 Head

Ards and Crusaders have met before this season: Ards - Crusaders 0-1. As for the last ten games between these two teams, there's 0 Ards victories, 1 draw and 9 Crusaders wins.

Top Goalscorers

P. Heatley
14 goals
R. Patterson
9 goals
D. Cushley
8 goals

Ards missing players

Crusaders missing players

Ards Crusaders
Total Home Statistic Away Total
32 16 Played 16 32
91% 94% Over 0.5 100% 100%
72% 75% Over 1.5 81% 75%
47% 50% Over 2.5 62% 66%
31% 25% Over 3.5 44% 47%
9% 0% Over 4.5 31% 31%
41% 44% Both teams to score 50% 53%
16% 12% Clean Sheet 31% 28%
53% 50% Failed To Score 19% 19%

  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A D P
1 Linfield 32 23 5 4 65 21 16 12 3 1 39 12 16 11 2 3 26 9 44 74
2 Ballymena United 32 21 5 6 73 40 15 11 3 1 37 16 17 10 2 5 36 24 33 68
3 Crusaders 32 20 3 9 63 42 16 11 2 3 33 20 16 9 1 6 30 22 21 63
4 Glenavon 32 16 9 7 59 40 17 9 4 4 32 20 15 7 5 3 27 20 19 57
5 Cliftonville 32 16 3 13 60 53 16 11 2 3 35 20 16 5 1 10 25 33 7 51
6 Coleraine 32 14 9 9 51 45 16 6 5 5 22 21 16 8 4 4 29 24 6 51
7 Glentoran 32 10 8 14 48 47 16 6 3 7 27 23 16 4 5 7 21 24 1 38
8 Dungannon Swifts 32 9 9 14 37 51 16 7 4 5 20 22 16 2 5 9 17 29 -14 36
9 Institute 32 10 5 17 44 65 15 5 2 8 22 30 17 5 3 9 22 35 -21 35
10 Warrenpoint Town 32 8 7 17 38 66 17 4 3 10 20 39 15 4 4 7 18 27 -28 31
11 Newry City 28 4 5 19 20 50 14 3 3 8 11 20 14 1 2 11 9 30 -30 17
11 Ards 32 4 6 22 25 56 16 3 3 10 15 24 16 1 3 12 10 32 -31 18
12 Newry City AFC 32 4 5 23 23 60 16 3 3 10 12 25 16 1 2 13 11 35 -37 17

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