Albert Foundry vs Bangor preview: kick-off of the Intermediate Cup once more

Bangor will be in Intermediate Cup first round action this weekend, attempting to back up a resounding win over Armagh City in the Premier Intermediate League last time out with safe passage to this competition’s second stage. The Seasiders face Albert Foundry of west Belfast, visiting their Paisley Park home venue just off the Springfield Road where they will aspire to put another professional effort in to take the win.

On the back of a ninth clean sheet in 11 competitive matches this season against the Eagles, as well as their fourth successive match unbeaten since a 0-4 home defeat to Annagh United in mid-September, sustaining positive momentum results-wise has always been a key objective of this campaign and that theme will remain unaltered.

The Intermediate Cup is a competition with many years of history and heritage. A 130-year-old tournament, it is eligible for all teams below Northern Ireland’s top two tiers and is an avenue taken seriously with a trophy at the end of it.

First contested in 1892, a wide variety of clubs have had their hands on the prize. That list of winners was expanded last season, when Amateur League champions Rathfriland Rangers sprung an upset on third-tier Armagh City by defeating them 2-0 at Windsor Park. They were the final two of 119 teams taking part in last season’s iteration.

Goals from Ross Black and Ruairi Fitzpatrick in front of an official crowd barely shy of 1,000 brought the white-shirted hilltop team a top-calibre piece of silverware to put the cherry on top of a successful campaign. For the first time, they will be seeking to defend their crown and give every opponent they play a piece of their mind.

Bangor’s tournament ended at the hands of Newington at Clandeboye Park in mid-February, with the north Belfast side going on to achieve promotion at the season’s end. That was at the last-16 stage, with the green-shirted team – who, of course, now hold senior status and will not be in this tournament this season – bowing out to Shea Campbell’s Armagh in the quarter-final.

Last year’s journey started with a 0-4 win at Mossley, followed by narrow 1-0 victories over Larne Tech O.B. and Comber Rec in rounds two and three that set up the fourth-stage tie against the Ton which ended in a 0-3 loss.

It is a competition the Seasiders have had previous joy in – and against the same opposition Rathfriland had to overcome to claim their first, with a 2-0 win over City in Castledawson in 2014. Garth Scates and current club head of the Academy Jeff Montgomery steered the ship to that piece of glory.

That remains the one and only time the Yellows have held the cup aloft. The expectation is to go deep into proceedings once more and be in the hunt for a hitherto elusive second title, and they will be looked at as a favourite from the off, but no obstacle is worth being taken for granted, starting this weekend.

Albert Foundry play in Division 1A (second division) of the Amateur League, and currently sit 12^th-place in a league of 14 – albeit with several games in hand on the teams above them.

They are in the same tier as two of Bangor’s pre-season opponents in Sirocco Works and Lisburn Rangers, as well as near-neighbours Abbey Villa and table-toppers Dromara Village who the Yellows hosted in a friendly match in boiling conditions at the start of last term.

With four points from their first four matches, they opened their season with a 3-1 win over Rangers but have since drawn 1-1 with Millisle club Villa and tasted successive 4-1 defeats to Malachians and Dromara. They were also eliminated from the Border Cup by a 2-4 scoreline against Islandmagee.

However, Foundry have claimed the scalp of one of Bangor’s third-tier rivals as well. They beat Tobermore United in an upset-laden Irish Cup first round, making home advantage count with a sterling 1-0 victory in mid-August.

“It is a competition that we would like to do well in and we will prepare properly for Saturday’s challenge”

Lee Feeney

A long servant to the Amateur League, in 2015 they came within a penalty shoot-out of the greatest achievement in their recent history. They made it to the Steel and Sons Cup final and partook in a Christmas Day capital derby with Harland and Wolff Welders of the city’s east, but after a 1-1 draw after extra time fell 4-1 to their yellow-shirted adversaries on spot-kicks at Seaview.

“Credit to Foundry, they got the ball out wide so quickly, and I thought their fitness levels were tremendous,” reflected a relieved Welders boss Gary Smyth to the Belfast Telegraph.

“I have to hold my hands up and say we were lucky to get to extra time.

“We were in control for 65 minutes, but by the end, the boys looked scared of defeat.”

In happier times across the last decade-and-a-half, they were winners of the Amateur League in 2007, Clarence Cup victors in 2010 and Border Cup champions in 2014. They should be given the respect they deserve on Saturday.

Bangor are set to be without in-form line-leader Adam Neale – who was a starter and threat for Rathfriland in the last showpiece – after he was named as a late call-up to the Northern Ireland Regions Cup squad to cover an injury elsewhere in the camp. Ben Arthurs should be well-rested after being named as an unused substitute last weekend, while Jordan Hughes and Michael Halliday could also be in contention.

Meanwhile, after picking up minor training knocks prior to the 5-0 victory over Armagh last mid-week, Ryan Arthur and James Taylor are candidates to return at the heart of defence and between the sticks respectively. Arthur suffered an ankle injury prior to the match’s kick-off and had his void covered by injury returnee himsely Ryley D’Sena. Seanna Foster is also listed as doubtful after hobbling off on 50 minutes on Saturday.

Even if Taylor is fit, he may still be named to the bench as Marc Orbinson is yet to concede a goal in three appearances. He made one notably exceptional stop against the Holm Park team and kept alert even if he did not have much to do elsewhere, hence it is possible that he makes successive Bangor starts for the first time. Ally Ferguson has also not put much of a foot wrong since his summer return and can ably cover should Cliftonville loanee Foster not be deemed sufficiently match-ready.

A safe pair of hands and a stern defence have been two continual fundamentals of the club’s early-season success, and boss Lee Feeney has no shortage of quality options to choose from in this part of the pitch.

The 44-year-old was keen to hail his captain and midfield maestro Lewis Harrison in his pre-match perspective too.

“He has been excellent all season and Saturday was no different,” he told Neil Watson in this week’s County Down Spectator.

“His work-rate and attitude is outstanding and he leads by example.

“He is fitter this season too, which is helping him get into better positions further up the pitch. I’d love Lewis to start adding some goals and assists to his game because he has got everything else.

“Scoring goals is ultimately the difference between winning and losing games, so the more the boys we have chipping in across the pitch, the better we’ll be for it.”

Harrison is yet to score and has only one assist this season – he laid off Scott McArthur for his delectable curled clincher in the 4-0 Irish Cup second round win over Strabane Athletic in mid-September – but he is in brilliant form in his other contributions.

While more associated as a deep-lyer in midfield, Feeney has been keen to involve him in the high-press more, and this was on display last Saturday. In Harrison, Karl Devine, Dylan O’Kane and Aaron Harris – not to mention Jamie Glover’s forward forays or CJ Sullivan who, for not appearing in the matchday squad much of late, has displayed a strong work ethic in training recently – the Kilkeel chief is spoilt for choice in midfield.

On this Saturday’s game itself, Feeney added: “We’ve no doubt that Saturday will test us and we will have to be on our game to beat Albert Foundry.

“It is a competition that we would like to do well in and we will prepare properly for Saturday’s challenge.

“We’ll look at how we need to set up to deal with Foundry, while I’ll also look right across my squad to pick a team that I think can get the business done.”

He will hope for another high-class effort to see off this latest test of resolve.

Bangor have been monitoring Adam Neale’s progress at the Regions Cup, and all involved at the club are delighted to see him translating his excellent recent run of form to Harry McConkey’s fold. After starting against a Welsh representative team on Tuesday at Inver Park, playing an hour in an eventual 3-2 defeat for the Northern Irish team courtesy of a late free kick winner for the visitors, yesterday (13^th October) he did what he does best and opened the scoring in the 50^th minute to help Northern Ireland beat Swedes Region of Gothenburg 3-0 at the same venue.

Neale is set to be called on again on Sunday, where the focus switches to a face-off against an outfit from the Czech Republic at Cliftonville’s Solitude in north Belfast. The Seasiders continue to wish him and his teammates well as the competition progresses.

Elsewhere, after receiving a first round bye, the Yellows’ Under-18 side learned their foes in the second stage of the Harry Cavan Youth Cup, with Isaac Caldwell’s team facing a long away day to play Fivemiletown United. The match kicks off on the 29^th October at 1:30pm.

Isaac will have been buoyed by the news of his son Reece’s return from a long-term injury absence dating back to 2020 – requiring several ligament reconstructions since – partaking in light training with the Under-18s and all set to return to matchday contention before long.

The Reserves are also in action tomorrow, as they prepare to welcome Carniny Amateur and Youth to Clandeboye Park in the second round of the Junior Cup. After a hefty away win at Kircubbin in the last round, where Scott Atchison struck a hat-trick to spearhead a 1-6 victory, they joust with the Ballymena outfit for their spot in the third stage. Kick-off for that game is at 1:30pm, with a fifth win in six being the potential prize.

Moreover, the fourth and final free taster session of the club’s new Girls Academy kicks off this Sunday 16^th October. It is available to all girls born between 2011 and 2015 and takes place at Clandeboye Park from 11:30am to 12:30pm. You can find out more information and register your interest by emailing girlsacademy@bangorfc.com.

Congratulations to Dave Watson, who took home the tune of £200 in the quadrennial Seasider 200 Club Superdraw. If you would like to take part, you can partake for a £5 monthly fee to be in with a chance of winning £100 in the standard monthly draw. You can find out how to enter via the following link: https://bangorfc.com/seasider200.php

Meanwhile, this week’s edition of ’20 Questions’ has been released, with decorated Irish League hero Michael Halliday the latest subject.

In this fifth edition of a series that has proved a hit with supporters, the east Belfast striker who has stood the test of time answered questions on who he would (and would not) have in his quiz team, the all-time greats he has faced in his long career, who he feels is the biggest moaner (you’ll sense a theme with this one) and a harsh call on the backroom staff member he feels is the worst-dressed at the club.

Finally, Bangor wishes to send heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and wider circle of Ballyclare Comrades director Jackie Galbraith, who sadly passed away earlier this week.

As well as being an ever-dedicated servant to the Dixon Park outfit, Galbraith also had prior connections on the seaside as the Yellows’ team attendant during the 1990s and as a backroom member of the revered Irish Cup-winning side of 1993, representing the team with distinction during some of the side’s greatest days. The thoughts of all at the club are with our friends at Ballyclare and those closest to Jackie at this difficult and sad time.

Featured image from Sarah Harkness.

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