Bangor 2-0 PSNI: Ben and Adam lay down the law as downpour doesn’t distract

The Premier Intermediate League was in full flow on Tuesday night, a complete mid-week programme headlined by the livestreamed clash between Ballymacash Rangers and Lisburn Distillery. Bangor took advantage of an opportunistic comeback by the Whites in that tie, with two second-half goals by two familiar goalscorers securing the Seasiders the spoils against PSNI at Clandeboye Park.

In what was the worst weather conditions the Yellows have played in all season, as a deluge of rain made the ball slippery and hard to keep close, Lee Feeney’s boys still saw through to secure a fifth victory from six in the third-tier and a fifth win out of five this October. As a result, after entering the matchday top of the table by virtue of a marginally superior goal-difference to the Cash, they now lead by a clear points cushion.

What was a fairly dry night on entry turned into a downpour, and from the moment the first droplet of rain fell, many millions more followed. It wasn’t the most pleasant of evenings, not by any stretch, but in both literal and metaphorical terms these are storms that must be weathered.

Feeney made three alterations from the win over Glentoran II on Saturday. Jamie Glover’s ankle twinge towards the end of that 0-3 Steel and Sons Cup last-16 success ruled him out of this match-up, while centre back Ryan Arthur dropped to the bench and club captain Lewis Harrison was rested entirely after both starting in that Ashfield encounter.

Replacing them in the line-up on Tuesday were Dylan O’Kane – his first start in six weeks having appeared as a substitute in each of the Seasiders’ last five fixtures – and Tom Mathieson, who joined Karl Devine in an attack-minded midfield trio. Ryley D’Sena, meanwhile, returned to the back-three after not featuring in the Glens bout, as the Australian’s return from a recent knock continues to be managed.

Scott McArthur was fit enough to feature on the bench after his early injury-forced substitution in the Intermediate Cup first-round win at Albert Foundry the Saturday before last, while Gareth Beattie was again in with a shout of his first competitive minutes of the campaign.

Shortly before kick-off, Bangor also learned of their pathway in the Steel and Sons Cup. It is a return to Paisley Park to face Foundry in the quarter-final, where the winner will face either Crewe United – counting recent former Yellows Jack Wasson and Gerard McMullan in their ranks – or fellow high-flyers Ballymacash in the last-four showdown.

Referee Tony Clarke – an experienced official who was man in the middle for the goalless draw between current Premiership top two Larne and Glentoran at Inver Park in mid-August – led the teams out for kick-off at 7:45pm sharp.

The Police set things rolling, and it paved the way for a tenacious first half where control had to be wrestled for.

The first test of the visitors’ defence came on 10 minutes, when Reece Neale received in an advanced left-sided position. He deployed a low ball into the box as Ben Arthurs lay by the back-post, but a decisive defensive intervention saw the ball cleared for a corner to the left.

The resulting flag-kick almost yielded an early goal-of-the-season contender. Dylan O’Kane delivered a dipping delivery towards the back-stick, a fierce inswinger that was cleared off the line by ex-Seasider Louis Blackstock. The young Academy product, who joined PSNI over the summer, was alert to deny his ex-teammate and former employers.

On 19 minutes, Neale – captaining the team in Harrison’s absence – almost turned punisher himself.

The left wing-back has been a threat from dead-balls all season, and the sight of him and Devine scheming over how to unsettle the opponent from these situations has not been uncommon. Here, it was fairly simple, as the ex-Dundela midfielder stepped over the ball to invite the Ballynahinch favourite to shoot at the south Belfast side’s goal.

From 25 yards, Neale’s left-footed effort was on target, and Police goalkeeper Jonah Magill did well to palm the ball away by the right-hand post. It was kept in play by Seanna Foster who re-circulated, and the final follow-up shot from Devine went over the bar for a goal kick.

Foster had a go on his weaker left foot as he had cut inside on 26 minutes, but the Cliftonville loanee’s attempt rose high of the top-left corner and did not trouble Magill in the end.

The right wing-back was then in receipt of a slightly harsh yellow card for an over-stretch on a loose ball a few minutes later, and from then the game entered a lull. As the rainfall strengthened, chances diminished, but this is always a dangerous game-state to be in.

No less that on 43 minutes, the visitors were left wondering how they were not leading the contest. A floated over-top was sent into the box from deep, and a flick-on fell into the path of advanced defender Ryan Woods, yet he was unable to convert from just a few yards out.

Bangor went straight up the other end, with O’Kane’s lofted pass just out of Adam Neale’s reach in the left inside-channel on 44 minutes, before Arthurs struck wide of the left-hand post from the same position 60 seconds later. It was a positive end to the half from a Seasiders standpoint as Clarke called time after playing one additional minute.

PSNI kept well-organised in defence in difficult conditions. Propping regular long-balls into striker Cyrille Bologo Bologo’s path as he tried to peel off the back-three, which alongside Larne loanee D’Sena comprised the authoritative John Boyle and assured David Hume, they were physical on both sides of the ball even if the hosts had the technical advantage.

The Seasiders still had another gear or two to shift up to. There were some solid sequences of ball-retention on display, but a bit more incision in the final-third was needed to break down a stubborn unit.

Feeney made a change during the interval, McArthur in place of Mathieson. It proved a clever call as the action restarted.

The homegrown returnee had developed his skillset while in Scotland playing for Stirling University, testing himself against Rangers and Celtic’s ‘B’ teams, and this has translated in his performances back in a Bangor shirt this season. On 53 minutes, he received a flick-on from Arthurs – a regular ploy of the line-leader – and sent a driven ball in from the left byline, but it was just out of Adam Neale’s reach as Magill gobbled the ball up first.

The shot-stopper was called into action again on 57 minutes when he parried low from Hume’s 35-yard right-footed attempt, with the centre back’s adventurous side on particular show of late, but on the hour PSNI’s resistance was broken.

A nice sequence of interplay saw McArthur lay the ball tidily off to Adam Neale. The striker shimmied on his right foot to set up the shot, putting his boot through the ball and firing a fast-paced effort over Magill’s sprawling dive into the right side of the net for 1-0. As the ball nestled with just enough lift to take it in, Neale kept up his record of scoring in every appearance since joining the club – that’s a joint-season-high five in a row.

The ex-Rathfriland Rangers line-leader has hit the ground running in double-quick time, with six goals in his first month as a Seasider. Drawing level with his partner Arthurs’ tally at the season’s start – six strikes in his first five matches – it is not a strike-force to be sniffed at by any opponent, and perhaps it fuels the friendly competition in the side which Feeney has been keen to promote throughout this term too.

Thereafter, McArthur came close on 64 minutes to doubling the Yellows’ advantage, before Bologo Bologo had an agonising near-miss for PSNI on 68 minutes with a header that was flicked just wide of James Taylor’s left post.

The 76^th minute saw an alteration that all the home faithful could get behind. While Reece Neale’s injury-enforced substitution – the first time he has been replaced this season – was a blow, the sight of Beattie’s return to the fray delighted the support. A decade-long servant to the Seasiders through thick and thin, he donned the captain’s armband on his first competitive appearance of 2022/23. If you thought it was just for show, though, you would be mistaken.

Two minutes after coming on to fill the younger Neale brother’s void on the left, the usual right-footer supplied a dangerous ball into the box, albeit Adam’s back-post take under pressure was high and wide as he aimed to boost his tally. On 81 minutes, McArthur was sent to chase from Devine’s well-weighted ball, receiving in stride on the inside-right before narrowly missing the mark as he aimed for the opposite bottom-left.

Four minutes later, after a desperate push for an advantage-doubler, the second goal finally came to seal the points.

Beattie cut inside to unleash a drive from distance on his right peg, and while Magill got his palms to the ball, he couldn’t hold it. Such a spill would prove costly, with Arthurs’ famous instincts on full display as he hungrily stroked home his 10^th goal of the season.

The Kircubbin ace’s take from five yards makes him the first Seasider to enter double-digits for goals in all competitions, of which five have been delivered in the Premier Intermediate League. He has been handy for pouncing on goalkeeping lapses as they arise this term and did so vitally here to make it 2-0.

It is the third time this month that Arthurs and Neale have scored in the same game, and second occasion in succession.

Adam Neale still had time to try to add a third. On 87 minutes, he drew Magill into a tip around his bottom-left, while in the second minute of stoppage time the marksman struck the post as he extended his boot out to connect by the left-stick from McArthur’s cut-back.

On that note, Clarke gave the final few peeps of his whistle for full time.

As news filtered through in the stands that Distillery had come back from a 2-0 half-time deficit to equalise at the Bluebell, what was a two-point deficit to Ballymacash an hour earlier became a two-point lead at the top of the table.

It added yet more sweetness to an already satisfying gain. A fruitful night that further builds motivation for trials to come.

Adam Neale offered his thoughts in the post-match as he extended his goal return. He hit 40 in all competitions for Rathfriland last season, including 26 league goals in an Amateur League-winning plight for the white-shirted outfit. He’s made his mark already and looks well on course to delivering a high return for his new club after the start he’s made.

“Six goals, five (goalscoring games) in a row?” he says, almost awe-struck by how well he has been playing.

“I was trying to catch the big man (Arthurs, on five-in-a-row), adapting to a new level, new league and obviously I’ve done that.”

Delighted at how he has settled in early doors, he laid out what he hopes to achieve with the club going forward.

“I think I’m cup-tied (for the Irish Cup third round tie against Belfast Celtic this weekend)… aye but sure, it’s not really the main one (Irish Cup) you look at and want to win anyway, is it?” he suggests, albeit added that testing his mettle against Premiership opposition would be appealing.

“The Steel and Intermediate, get those, get the league and push on from there.”

That is a treble you’d be hard-pressed to find any fan who would say no to.

The focus does now turn to that bout at Glen Road Heights in west Belfast on Saturday, which Bangor will want to make a happy hunting ground and secure a perfect sixth win from six in the 10^th month of the year at Celtic in the Irish Cup.

This win, which props Bangor up to 16 points from a possible 18, is just what is needed to fuel the tank of optimism.

• 
  It’s unfair to put blame at feet of Linfield and Cliftonville for Irish Cup Final crowd disorderJune 26, 2024
  A penny for the thoughts of Linfield and Cliftonville this week. This year’s Irish Cup Final was a spectacular in every sense. Nearly 15,000 packed inside Windsor Park for the biggest-attended domestic fixture in Northern Ireland this century and an occasion to… Read more: It’s unfair to put blame at feet of Linfield and Cliftonville for Irish Cup Final crowd disorder
• 
  Irish League chiefs must improve provisions in place to attract younger fans and familiesJune 4, 2024
  Let’s get a basic fact of life out of the way first – no one likes a price hike. No one likes a price hike in the same way that no one likes paying taxes, bills, debts, insurance and other such necessary… Read more: Irish League chiefs must improve provisions in place to attract younger fans and families
• 
  How the Irish FA’s new ‘Conference Layer’ for intermediate football can be big hit or own goalMay 15, 2024
  Changes to the intermediate football sphere in Northern Ireland have long been touted and, going by the Irish FA’s latest update on the topic, closer than ever to coming to fruition. From the 2026-27 campaign, a new ‘Conference Layer’ will be in… Read more: How the Irish FA’s new ‘Conference Layer’ for intermediate football can be big hit or own goal
• 
  Steven McCullough’s crucial goal in relegation play-off seals him as a Ballymena United greatMay 14, 2024
  There’s been a change in priorities for Ballymena United during recent years – albeit not necessarily the type supporters would’ve perhaps wanted. In 2019, the Braidmen were the second best team in the Irish League. Runners-up behind Linfield that year, and just… Read more: Steven McCullough’s crucial goal in relegation play-off seals him as a Ballymena United great
• 
  Ending Cliftonville’s Irish Cup drought proves Jim can fix it… now he must target league gloryMay 7, 2024
  Finally, it’s Cliftonville’s year in the Irish Cup. An agonising waiting game ends at last and a drought that lasted 45 painful years is over in one burst of champagne rain. Since 1979, the Reds have contrived to fail in various ways… Read more: Ending Cliftonville’s Irish Cup drought proves Jim can fix it… now he must target league glory