If Lee Feeney had said he wanted more after the victory over Queen’s, he certainly got more at Glenkeen Avenue against Greenisland. It was a ruthless display on the road for the Seasiders, a goal-glut with a clear cushion created early in the day which continued to be built on.
The Steel and Sons Cup always has the potential to throw up thrills and spills, but they were averted on this occasion. Resultingly, progression to the third round – another away day against Belfast Celtic, who defeated Rosario on the Friday – was confirmed by the end.
Firstly, there was a feel of familiarity about Greenisland’s artificial pitch to the one back at Clandeboye Park. It was a surface free-flowing football could be played on, and hold up if the weather turned for the worse.
The climate threatened to. There were spits of rain and dark clouds on the horizon – if still a fairly warm feel in the air – which could have had an effect on overall play.
It held off in the end however, brightening up as the match endured with blue skies poking through.
Besides, Bangor were suitably covered even if the heavens were to open mid-match. A quick-fire triple within the first 10 minutes set a platform to build on and set a gap between themselves and their hosts.
On six minutes, a short corner was played to Dylan O’Kane under little pressure. The box was camped, expecting a cross, but it didn’t come. On receiving, it felt like O’Kane knew exactly what he wanted to do. He executed it to perfection.
Greenisland stepped out of their block to close, some moving up and some holding back, but by which time the midfielder had already set his shot. His side-footed effort, low and devilish and weighted just right, bypassed the goalkeeper’s dive and nestled in the bottom right.
And no sooner was it one that it became two. Greenisland stepped their defensive line up to pull an offside trap, but it was beaten.
Ally Ferguson picked up the ball in his natural stride as he ran behind that line. It set the maroon-coloured hosts scrambling back to cover their base.
Ferguson has the versatility to play either side as a wingback, both to the left and right. He was on the left when he made this run, took a few touches, looked up to spot Scott McArthur in the centre and played a low ball across the box. McArthur made no mistake with a powerful first-time effort that bustled the back of the net for 0-2. Eight minutes gone.
On 10 minutes, the onslaught continued. Reece Neale added his name to the scoresheet.
In Feeney’s comments to the County Down Spectator, he made known his intent to scout Greenisland and set Bangor up in the best way to attack their weaknesses.
“They have a league match on Tuesday night (16th) against Bangor Swifts, and we will watch them to make sure we are fully prepared,” he said.
The day’s hosts were 0-5 winners as the away team. If Feeney was looking in-depth though, it is fair to say he pinpointed lofted balls behind the backline as a way to target them. As it had worked for the second, it did for the third too.
Ballynahinch fan favourite Neale’s tidy take when he made his run was followed up with a side-footer on his stronger left foot. He rolled it low into the bottom left for 0-3.
Bangor were not content just to settle on a three-goal margin. On 18 minutes, Ben Arthurs’ effort had just the right mix of placement and power, a shot across goal practically underneath the goalkeeper and into the bottom-left for the fourth of the match. Two in two to start the term.
Then, just after the half-hour, what you would wager as the goal of the day arrived.
A special long-distance effort was hit hard and true by Jamie Glover. He picked up the ball, shaped it on his left foot with licence to let one fly about 30 yards from goal, and directed it with exceptional accuracy into the top-right corner via the underside of the bar. On 32 minutes, he added glamour to a five-star half.
Half time arrived with the score at 0-5. Five goals, five different goalscorers.
Feeney even had licence to substitute off Lewis Harrison (35 minutes) and McArthur (37 minutes) in preparation for the Premier Intermediate League curtain-raiser against Distillery on Wednesday. On arrived CJ Sullivan and Ethan Boylan respectively to take their places.
Tactically, Bangor were set up to be quite flexible. While the starting shape was a back-three, it was easily re-adjustable to a four.
Ryley D’Sena could move to a right back position to bring the ball out of defence, showing conviction in his carrying and enterprise in his passing.
Glover scored his goal from further infield, yet his flexibility is well-documented to Bangor supporters by now. He is versatile enough to be effective as a wingback or in more of an attacking midfield position, and he played both at different points in the game. These themes would continue in the second half.
There were chances to extend the lead from Glover and David Hume – albeit the second half did not start with quite the same level of domination as the first had ended on.
Greenisland got shots away, and good ones too. James Taylor had to be on his guard and alert to where their efforts would be placed.
Such was a call from Ryan Arthur, the centre-most centre back of the three, at one point: “don’t let them get the shot off”. Stop them at the source and save Taylor the need to out-stretch.
The hosts had re-entered with intentions of doing themselves and their faithful proud, even if their chances of victory were unrealistic.
They pushed bodies up the pitch and applied pressure, causing Bangor a few issues.
Thankfully, the next goal to come was not placed in the back of Taylor’s net. On 63 minutes, O’Kane’s delectable chip against a goalkeeper some distance off his line doubled his individual tally up and Bangor’s unresponded advantage to six.
Shortly after, fans got a taste of new signing John Boyle for the first time. Substituted on for D’Sena on 67 minutes and taking his like-for-like place on the right side of the back-three, he quickly looked at home. A former Warrenpoint and Newry City stalwart, it was not hard to see how he had earned Darren Mullen’s favour at the latter.
Boyle – who has previous of putting fires out both on the pitch and in his professional career – impressed with his ball-playing ability. He, like Taylor, like Arthur, is also extremely vocal.
On signing a new deal at City in May 2019, long-serving manager Mullen commented: “It’s fair to say Boyler has been one of the best signings we have made over the past six years.
“He is a natural leader and a player that is held in the highest regard by his teammates.”
It is hard to think of many more assertive displays by a debutant new to the club in recent times. Boyle’s command both in the tempo and as a leader, directing players where to be and what to do, makes it easy to understand how he rose to fan favourite status for the Point (who he captained) and in Newry.
On the same side as Ferguson, he proved useful cover, and the two seem to have struck up a chord from the outset. Tactically, it allowed him to stay higher up the pitch for longer.
It was Ferguson who brought Bangor their seventh on 78 minutes, adding to his earlier assist for McArthur.
Up to that point, Feeney had been requesting he be more authoritative on the defensive end. With ‘Boyler’ – the nickname’s stuck – he could focus more on attacking. Here, he received a low cross from the left by Glover along the goal-face, took by the right-hand post and fired high into the roof of the net. 0-7 the score.
Rounding off the rout a couple of minutes later, Neale completed his brace. He took a smooth lay-off from Arthurs in space and finished off the underside of the bar.
80 minutes played, the score read eight and that’s where it remained until the match’s end. Roundly brilliant. Some glorious link-up conducted at different tempos, and a team very much in control of their actions.
A “potential banana skin”, Feeney called it in advance. In periods in the game such as at the start of the second half, when performance-wise it was more level, one could see how the manager had came to this conclusion.
He likely will have signalled this spell in his post-match team talk, such is his desire for the side to be on top of their game. Being an opponent in the same division as Willowbank, who defeated Armagh City 1-4 in the Irish Cup, you can never take games like these for granted.
Healthily pushing each other to hit new heights and raise the bar of expectation – as he had done in the aftermath of the Queen’s victory – is important in order to achieve ultimate aims of promotion and silverware by the season’s end.
O’Kane reflected this collective endeavour as I caught up with him post-match.
“I’ve been practising in training, trying to add goals to my game and it’s good to see it paying off,” he explained when posed on what inspired the top qualities of both his goals.
“Two cups, two wins – it’s great to build momentum ahead of Wednesday.”
Eight goals and six different goalscorers. Linfield manager David Healy made a similar point for the Blues when they had four separate finishers for their four goals against Portadown in their Premiership opener. It is an invaluable asset to have goals all over the team.
Here’s to hoping this spurs on more positivity and potency in the mid-week league opener. That match against Distillery kicks off at 8pm at Clandeboye Park, and your support as ever would be richly appreciated.
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