It proved a frustrating Saturday afternoon for Bangor in the Intermediate Cup, suffering an exit in the second round to Strabane Athletic on spot-kicks. It was a game the Seasiders enjoyed the bulk of possession and chances in, particularly throughout the second half and extra time, but destiny comes down to individuals in a shootout and on this occasion the visitors buried all five of theirs to progress.
From Lee Feeney’s point of view, it is about taking the positives of the display and using that as fuel for a week that sees the Yellows again in cup action against two Premier Intermediate League rivals. It was not much different to the usual high standards expected this season, and even for a lack of cutting edge in front of goal, a repeat of such a show with a more clinical end product would serve the Clandeboye clan well going forward.
On an overcast day by the seaside, Bangor braced for what is their only home game of the month and first cup tie on their own soil since the last time Strabane made the two-hour trek in mid-September.
Feeney significantly rotated his team with that Steel and Sons Cup semi-final date with Ballymacash Rangers to account for. Of the starting panel he selected, only four retained their spot from the victory at Albert Foundry in the Steel quarter-finals the previous week.
Gareth Beattie, John Boyle, Ryan Arthur and hat-trick hero Adam Neale kept their places. A change in goal saw Marc Orbinson enter for his first appearance since the 5-0 drubbing of Armagh City in early October, while there were straight returns to the start from injury for all of Lewis Harrison, Reece Neale, David Hume and Jamie Glover.
Jordan Hughes replaced injury absentee and top scorer Ben Arthurs, who went down early in the Foundry bout and was not fit enough to return in time for this encounter, while Aaron Harris entered for Karl Devine in the seventh and final switch from the Kilkeel chief.
Referee Frankie Shanks kicked the match off shortly after the scheduled 1:30pm kick-off time, with Hughes setting the ball rolling for Bangor.
A first half that was rather sparse in chance creation, both sets of players probably were not helped on lining out in the same colours of blue and white.
Such is one peculiarity of the competition that the home team wears their away strip, which was the case with the Seasiders here, although you must try to make the best of it. The hosts enjoyed the first clear-cut chance of the game on 11 minutes, when Beattie had a low left-footed shot from in the box saved low to his left by visiting shot-stopper Ruairi McElroy.
On 16 minutes, a left-sided corner by Reece Neale was directed to the near-post, although Hume only got a small glance towards the ball which was not enough to take it goal-bound. Two minutes later, Strabane’s first opportunity arose when Cameron Coyle – a substitute last time – connected by the back-post from an inswinging ball to the left, however he could not get it under his control and his aerial attempt was placed wide.
It took until 28 minutes for another opening to present itself, as a delivery from Boyle was whipped in from the inside-right channel. The 36-year-old’s supply found Adam Neale on the left, regularly foraying forward as an overlapping centre back, but the Ballynahinch striker’s header was plucked out by McElroy.
The older Neale brother became the first Seasider to enter Shanks’ book on 37 minutes before Beattie followed him less than 60 seconds later. They were two of a league-high five Seasiders to be sanctioned in the same game this season.
It was star striker Rory Patterson who Strabane looked to as a focal point of their play. The five-capped Northern Ireland international was a lone line-leader tasked to keep the ball under his spell as it was sent towards him, spreading the play when others looked to run beyond him from the outside. His yellow card on 43 minutes for a couple of fouls in quick succession meant he followed teammate Liam McMenamin to have been physically warned.
That was about the extent of the first half. the referee added a minute on before signalling for the half time interval.
The score stood goalless. What followed for the second period was a change to Bangor’s more distinguishable home strip, the team they call the Yellows living more up to their name as the kit clash problem was eradicated. A minor detail, some may believe, but given the fast-paced link-ups Feeney has been trying to teach, it helps if you can see each other!
It may have been a Strabane kick-off, but the hosts would get a shot away within 60 seconds of the play’s restart.
Lining out an unchanged team, Feeney firstly witnessed Adam Neale lob the ball over the bar when the marksman got behind the visiting defensive line. On 49 minutes, former Rathfriland ace Neale, a winner of this competition last term, then turned provider, cutting the ball back by the right byline from Orbinson’s long punt upfield into Glover’s path. The 2001-born ex-Ards attacker was unfortunate to see his rising effort clawed away by McElroy when he had done well to divert the ball towards the top right.
Glover – who by now had allayed fears when he went down at the end of the first half, given he had spent the last four weeks out with ankle discomfort – then tested McElroy from much further out on 54 minutes.
The 21-year-old’s left-footer from 30 yards dipped and curled, but the Strabane goalkeeper got back to claim when it looked for a second that he was about to spill it over his own goalline. Hungry in pursuit of a first goal since finding the net from close in against Armagh on the 8th October, he was not far away.
“I thought I should’ve had one or two”
Jamie Glover
On 58 minutes, the Neale connection worked wonders when Bangor did break the deadlock.
Reece received the ball in the inside-left, curling it in first-time for Adam who got in front of his man to head into the top left corner. An advantage to defend on the hour’s stroke, with McElroy not having much of a chance of stopping the 29-year-old’s well-guided attempt – it is Neale’s seventh successive goalscoring game for the Seasiders, a 10th goal in that span yet the first to be struck with his head.
Four minutes later, there was almost a second. Hughes sent in a cross from a similar area to Neale, with the ball deflecting into the path of Boyle on the right side of the area. The stalwart both of Warrenpoint and Newry City in his career struck on the outside of his right boot, though the sprawling dive of McElroy prevented the ball nestling in the top-right.
The 67th minute saw Harris float an impressive ball for Hughes to chase, but the former Dundela hero could not keep his attempt down. As that effort sailed well over, a couple minutes later substitute Scott McArthur took the one-time third-tier Player of the Season’s lay-off but was quickly faced up to by McElroy who got down low to deny him. Harrison placed the follow-up wide of the left post.
Feeney used all five of his substitutions in a span between the 65th and 71st minutes, when McArthur was joined by Karl Devine, Dylan O’Kane, Michael Halliday and Seanna Foster in coming on. As five players – both Neale brothers, Glover, Harris and Harrison – were taken off, it made sense practically to keep sharpness around the whole squad in preparation for the upcoming Seaview date which was just three sleeps away.
On 79 minutes, the threatening McArthur almost opened a two-goal cushion but fired just wide of the bottom left post.
Such are the fine margins of sport that in the next 60 seconds, it would be back level again.
A sweeping move while the pitch was opened up invited Strabane’s leveller. From Feeney’s point of view, there was too much space left to interplay within, however the fourth-tier opponents took full advantage when Patterson brushed the ball low into the bottom left. The low cross from the right was supplied and the end product was there to match as the tie was brought back to even terms. A rare lapse from a usually steely backline.
It did not deter Bangor going into the final 10 minutes of regulation. O’Kane saw an enticing left-footed shot tipped around by the irrepressible McElroy on 84 minutes, before the ex-Dungannon Swifts midfielder – by now having taken over corner duty – had a straight flag-kick ball placed narrowly wide by Arthur in added time as he hunts for his third goal of the season.
Halliday agonisingly could not get his best connection to a back-post delivery in the final one of five additional minutes, and with that it was cue for another 20 plus penalties if required to decide the fixture’s outcome.
Throughout both 10-minute halves, the Seasiders peppered Strabane’s goal. O’Kane led the charge in the first stanza, seeing two presentable opportunities parried by the indomitable McElroy once more, while in the second segment, both Arthur and Foster had near-misses. An all-important second goal did not come, however, and it would take spot-kicks to determine who would book their place in the third round.
For Bangor, there was no mistake from any of Devine, O’Kane, Halliday or Beattie. On take two, though, Boyle’s rising attempt rebounded off the underside of the bar and away that put the onus on Orbinson to come up strong as required.
But Strabane made no mistake. Five spot-kick conversions from five booked their ticket and completed an upset.
While it was not to be results-wise, and it marks a disappointing end to a seven-game win streak, it is not one the players have dwelled on for long.
It is often perceived as a risk to reintegrate those fresh off the treatment table at this type of short notice, but with a view to the Cash bout this mid-week – who were also defeated on penalties by Chimney Corner, fielding a vastly rotated team with first priority afforded to their first-ever Steel semi-final – it was probably necessary to get minutes under the belt. It was also a plus point in the end that there were no recurrences.
All 16 players used got at least 50 minutes under their belt, including returnee Jamie Glover.
“Yeah, it’s been a long time,” he said on his feelings behind getting back in among the action, having rolled over on his ankle in the Steel and Sons Cup last-16 battle against Glentoran II at Ashfield High School.
“Obviously it’s good to be back, good to get some minutes before Tuesday night, I thought I should’ve had one or two – the keeper did well, to be fair.
“It’s good to return and build up some momentum, (the defeat) gives us something to be fired up about.”
| Intermediate Cup | Second round (19/11/22) | ||
| Armagh City | 1 | 0 | Comber Rec |
| Brantwood | 1 | 2 | Banbridge Town |
| Chimney Corner | 2* | 2 | Ballymacash Rangers |
| Dollingstown | 3 | 1 | Banbridge Rangers |
| Dunmurry Rec | 0 | 2 | Holywood |
| Immaculata | 0 | 3 | Greenisland |
| Limavady United | 9 | 0 | Ballinamallard United Reserves |
| Lisburn Rangers | 1 | 7 | Moyola Park |
| Portstewart | 2 | 1 | Coagh United |
| Wellington Rec | 1 | 4 | Rathfriland Rangers |
Perhaps that is an important point to make. If it takes a loss to fuel the fire ahead of facing a pair of higher-ranked opponents, then you will find few in the camp complaining should we be sat here in seven days’ time with a Steel decider and Irish Cup football in the new year to look forward to.
Feeney has praised the mental fortitude and competitive spirit of his boys. The team has already cast their eyes forward to the trip to north Belfast on Tuesday, representing no more ideal a chance to bounce back and spark jubilant scenes on the Shore Road.
Featured image from Gary Carson.
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