The Steel and Sons Cup is where Bangor’s next venture lies, with the upcoming test this Saturday of Belfast Celtic at Glen Road Heights in the third stage of this esteemed intermediate competition (kick-off 2pm).
Re-scheduled following the postponement of football-related activities in the weekend following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, what initially was to interlude in the September schedule instead kicks off October’s fun. A five-match month that starts and ends with Celtic – after also being drawn against the west Belfast team in the Irish Cup third round – and where the Seasiders will learn what qualities they possess in person.
After being awarded a first round bye, the Yellows started in the competition’s second stage with an away trip to Greenisland. That escapade ended in an emphatic 0-8 win – three to the good by the 10-minute mark with six different goalscorers and a clean sheet – but you can never afford to dwell long on the recent past in knockout football.
Shut-outs have been a cornerstone of the team’s early-season success, with seven in their first nine matches in the lead-up to this game.
A run of six in a row up to the 0-4 home defeat to Annagh United in the League Cup is double the longest streak from last season, when three successive wins to nil were kept against Crewe United, St. James’ Swifts and Lisburn Distillery in late October to early November. The gist is that this defensive resolve has been the primary factor behind a sterling start, but a last-gasp debut goal for Adam Neale against Ballymacash Rangers – preserving an unbeaten start to the Premier Intermediate League campaign – could be a sign that more cutting edge is soon to come in front of goal.
Belfast Celtic will be keen to threaten. An imposing 6-1 win over northwest side Maiden City, including a hat-trick from star line-leader Brendan Glackin, sets up the aforementioned Irish Cup tie at the month’s end, while a 7-1 victory against Chimney Corner in their last league match at September’s start has them in hot form to start the season.
A return of 13 goals in their first three league matches has them front-footed in their hunt to get back into the Irish League for the first time since 2019.
2019 was also the year they adopted their current name. Starting out in life as Sport and Leisure – and then subsequently Sport and Leisure Swifts – in 1978, they had their application to change their title to Belfast Celtic accepted.
Based in the west of the capital just off the Glen Road, the call had a mixed reaction from certain quarters but the club has been keen to stress that they felt it was an important and necessary move that would benefit the local community.
“Our club have not entered this process with opportunism and exploitation in mind, rather we see it as a chance to encourage the growth of senior football in the west of the city and to develop talent and encourage a better view of our area from people who reside outside of west Belfast,” a Celtic statement in 2019 read.
In recent times, the outfit count current Glentoran line-leader Jay Donnelly among their former first-team assets, recruiting the striker in January 2020 and aiding in his return to Premiership football following his release by Cliftonville the previous year.
They were also close to sealing a deal to sign ex-Larne midfielder John Herron after the Inver Reds parted company with the Scot in August, though manager Stephen McAlorum confirmed in an interview with the Belfast Telegraph that the move didn’t quite materialise in the end.
In terms of their Steel and Sons Cup journey, they saw off Colin Valley 3-2 at home to set up a tie with Rosario in the second round. In a Belfast derby, Celtic made the trip south and saw off their opponents 1-2 that, in conjunction with Bangor’s thumping win on Saturday 20th August, has led to this crossing of paths. They will have their hearts set on tasting the sweet taste of victory in this tournament for the first time this year.
The winner of this clash faces either Lisburn Distillery, the fellow losing semi-finalists of last year alongside the Seasiders, or Glentoran II, the 13-time record champions, as the away team in round four of the competition.
A trip either to Ballyskeagh or east Belfast for Bangor if they prevail, therefore.
Manager Lee Feeney has been using the past month to rotate the team across an array of matches in a wide variety of contexts, freshening up the squad as a collective. He made two adjustments to the starting side that drew with the Cash from the panel that saw Strabane Athletic off two Saturdays ago, with Reece Neale and Scott McArthur taking starting roles.
This month features a couple of home league clashes against Armagh City and PSNI, an Intermediate Cup first round trip to nearby Paisley Park to play Albert Foundry and of course the second Celtic tie in the Irish Cup. There will be more chances to change, but with four of this month’s ties five being played on Saturdays – the match against ‘the Police’ is timetabled for a Tuesday – the boss will have licence to pick a well-rested and reinforced panel for each match.
After the elder Neale brother’s energetic curtain-raiser at the Bluebell last week, he will be in contention for a first Bangor start this weekend.
Jordan Hughes’ subsequent entry made it a three-pronged attack, also adding liveliness to the frontline as he continues his return to his best form following his first goal of the season against Strabane a fortnight ago. As he continues to build his mileage up, he may return to the first eleven for this fixture.
In any case, the gaffer has left no doubt in his pre-match standpoint that he will be taking no chances.
“I’ll be putting out the strongest team available to me to go out and win on Saturday,” declared Feeney to Neil Watson in this week’s County Down Spectator.
“There are players who sat on the bench last weekend who will rightly be wanting to be involved this weekend.
“We have a very competitive squad and everyone knows they need to take their chances when they are on the pitch to keep their place.”
Strength in depth has been a key talking point this term, and a well-stocked side across all positions of the field will serve the side well in the business parts of the campaign. Feeney can count on a mostly fully-fit selection again this Saturday – all present absentees are on a count of weeks rather than months – and in order to fulfil his intention to field a first-choice lineup, he will have ample resources.
Despite a dramatic last-ditch point and the feel among supporters that it was a deserving draw, Lee’s assessment of the Seasiders’ account was a critical one, still of the mind that it was two points dropped.
| Other ties (select) | S&S Cup R3 (1st October) | |
| Lisburn Distillery | vs | Glentoran II |
| Albert Foundry | vs | Glebe Rangers |
| Ballymacash Rangers | vs | Derriaghy CC |
| Wellington Rec | vs | Linfield Swifts |
| Comber Rec | vs | Crusaders U20 |
| Lower Maze | vs | Ballymena United Reserves |
“I didn’t celebrate our equaliser because I felt that the way we have been playing recently, we should have gone out and won that match,” he continued.
“We lacked the necessary quality in the final third, particularly in the first half when we were so dominant. Too often the final third pass wasn’t good enough, either underhit or maybe taking the wrong option.
“We got in behind their defence a number of times but we just didn’t capitalise, and when chances did come along we didn’t take them.
“I was disappointed that we didn’t showcase ourselves and show the best version of ourselves on Saturday. But, having got ourselves into a losing position that we shouldn’t have been in, we showed a bit of character and desire to go and get that equaliser.
“Our reaction to going behind was great and we didn’t deserve to lose the match, so I’m glad we came away with something. Too many times last season we weren’t able to turn defeats to draws so from that perspective we can take a positive.”
Feeney is proud to have a demanding and competitive squad in his arsenal – just as well, as you can hardly expect his opposite number McAlorum and his boys to roll over. As said, Celtic – who don the same green and white hooped home strip the all-conquering Grand Old Team of the same name did when they ruled in a bygone era – come in with a bit of form and an upward trajectory under their belt.
They would have competed in the play-off with Ballymacash for a third-tier spot last season were it not for an astonishing 42-point deduction, due to a player eligibility issue.
The problem regarded defender Darren Hyland, and they were dealt a severe penalty with retrospective 3-0 defeats for every game the ex-Cliftonville man featured in. They are hungry to atone and for that Lee is wary of their threat. Look out also for former Seasiders Dylan Snoddon and Paul McLaughlin in the Celtic side come kick-off.
It is just shy of a decade since Bangor’s Steel and Sons triumph over Larne when Frankie Wilson steered the ship to the top honours. For the club to add a fourth edition of this feather to their cap, this task will need to be overcome with authority and professionalism as the hosts are capable enough to pounce on any complacency. Glackin, ex of Carrick Rangers, Portadown and Knockbreda, is a particular threat to be wary of.
This competition always offers a ‘banana skin’ or two. Bangor will need to be sharp to avoid slipping on it.
In other news, it was a positive month for Bangor’s youth teams across the past weekend. The Reserves’ excellent start to the season continued at Knockbreda, with four different goalscorers at Breda Park to defeat the hosts 1-4 in the second league match of the season. They overcame Newington by the same scoreline in their opener at Clandeboye Park.
Scott Atchison added to his hat-trick in the Cup against Kircubbin with another goal last Friday, while Charley Craig, Curtis Kenny and Tim Millar-Wilson further added to the rout and ensure it is six points from six to start off. Across three matches, the Under-20s have scored 14 times.
The Under-18s were in hot form against Hillsborough with a 5-0 win, with an Adam Sandison brace supported by strikes by Craig, Daniel Larmour and Sonny Redford. The Under-17s were 2-0 winners over Celtic Boys Colts and the Under-14s also secured a heavy victory over Carrick Rangers.
The Under-15s were narrowly defeated by Albert Foundry – whose senior side the first-team face in a fortnight – while the Under-13 NL team were just on the wrong side of a 10-goal thriller against Cliftonville, losing 4-6. The Under-13 SBYL side overcame Castle Juniors 2-1 in a local derby match, while the Under-12s lost 0-2 to Glentoran.
Elsewhere, the second session of four taster sessions for Bangor’s new Girls Academy will take place at Clandeboye Park this Sunday 2nd October.
It is open to all girls born from 2011 to 2015, they take place from 11:30am to 12:30pm and are totally free. You can register your interest and find out more information by contacting girlsacademy@bangorfc.com.
Meanwhile, the latest edition of ’20 Questions’ is up on the club’s Facebook and Instagram pages. The third edition of this new series concerns centre back Ryan Arthur – and you’ll notice a common theme across the first trio of a certain east Belfast hero’s dress sense!
Lastly, the quadrennial Seasider 200 superdraw will take place this weekend, where one lucky fan will be £200 richer. Click on https://bangorfc.com/seasider200.php to register your place for this lottery and the monthly £100 draws that take place in the year.
Featured image from Sarah Harkness.
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