It turned out last Saturday to be one of the stranger outings Bangor have had in their recent history. As an invisible sea of frost and ice swept across the British Isles leaving bitter cold chills in its wake, when the Seasiders’ battle with Banbridge Town passed a morning pitch inspection, it was one of only five fixtures from a possible 14 on the day across Northern Ireland’s top three tiers that managed to survive the hostile conditions. As it would transpire, though, it would not last the full 90 minutes.
It was a day of uncertainties more off the pitch than on it, as the best attempts were made to keep proceedings rolling on until the game’s finish. The high-level groundwork ensured that it started as hoped, with the first half passing totally free of weather-related incident or slip-ups, but as the temperature dipped and the sun vanished from sight, a premature conclusion as a visiting player lay grounded right as the second period had started seemed a sadly inevitable outcome at Clandeboye Park.
It was a tense wait on the morning of Saturday, 17th December. In truth, it was a wait that would have had one feeling a little apathetic.
A pitch inspection had been called and scheduled for 11:30am to decide whether this match would play out as aspired. Prior checks at Tobermore’s Fortwilliam Park (10:30am) and Moyola Park’s Mill Meadow (11am) both led to postponements of their respective bouts against Dollingstown and Portstewart.
Anxious scans and refreshes of social media feeds to determine whether the players would take to the pitch were in hope rather than expectation.
But the hope prevailed. Three points remained up for grabs. Seasider Saturday was saved. A bit of Christmas cheer.
It had been a tricky week, and battling against the conditions is no simple feat. On the day, there were blue skies above and a bright winter sun that surely helped lift some of Jack Frost’s fingerprints from the surface’s artificial tufts.
Matchday preparations could continue as initially tabled, and with the We Care, You Matter team’s get-together in the Social Club drawing a healthy crowd for buns, tea and coffee pre-match, the game going ahead certainly fuelled supporters’ appetites for their event which stuck true to its word. Folk chatted and conversed about football and allsorts – ultimately what this sport is all about.
Indeed, the feel in the air come kick-off felt relatively mild. It wasn’t spine-tingling, but rather soothing to stand outside in.
In terms of the team that Lee Feeney chose for this most immediate of priorities, the Bangor boss made some moderate adjustments from last week’s win in Portstewart. Three changes in all, in fact, including between the sticks where Marc Orbinson started in place of the seasoned James Taylor. There was also a first senior squad appearance for Darren Gibbons – celebrating 10 years with the side next month – since that opening Irish Cup tie against Queen’s University in mid-August, as he made the bench.
Outfield, commitments elsewhere meant that the in-form Michael Halliday was absent from the fold, with Jordan Hughes entering for his first third-tier start of the season. The ex-Dundela ace joined the imperious Adam Neale up top, while Scott McArthur was chosen to represent just behind them in the third switch. He replaced Jamie Glover from the victory at Mullaghacall, as the 21-year-old was a suspension risk for the final.
There was a return to the panel after a five-match absence for Ben Arthurs. It was feared his 2022 might have been over in mid-November, but his appearance among the substitutes surely represents a boost with big tests to come.
From the Banbridge Town camp, as had became apparent, there was a late switch to their starting line-up – and it was a major one.
Top scorer Stephen McCavitt was named as a starter, but his number 10 shirt was nowhere to be seen once play had started. He had pulled up just beforehand and was replaced in the team by Adam Hamilton, initially listed on the bench.
Thanks to some extensive steaming of one corner – up by the Clandeboye Road end on the side of the dugouts – from about 2:20pm on, an area the day’s match referee Stewart Long insisted on having some extra work done to it in safety’s best interests, the pitch was ready and the players were ready to walk out for the planned 3pm kick-off.
“Yeah, it felt a wee bit hard that side of the pitch, a bit slippery”
John Boyle
Head groundsman Gary Greer was at the centre of the push, aided by the board of directors who rushed out to help.
A particular cheer was reserved from the players for Ally Ferguson, though, as the right wing-back also assisted in these efforts.
Back to the football. Hughes set things rolling for the Seasiders, though it was Banbridge who enjoyed the game’s first opportunity.
On three minutes, a dangerous run was made by Niall Cassidy down the left channel. The Town number nine connected to a supply behind the Bangor line and bore down at goal, although his arrowed left-footed attempt rose over the bar while Orbinson covered the near post.
The back-three of David Hume, Ryan Arthur and John Boyle were probably glad to see the far-side linesman’s flag raise for offside after.
10 minutes had passed by when Bangor had a chance that wouldn’t have been ruled out. A miscued defensive header fell the way of Adam Neale, pursuing his 14th goal in yellow and blue and seeking to add to his latest match-defining double on the north coast, but from a tight angle, his shot on the turn by the left byline drew a near-post denial from the visiting shot-stopper Lewis Hunter.
A first shot on target of the match from the 29-year-old Ballynahinch star would probably have short odds on most betslips by now.
On 16 minutes, midfielder Conor Downey was left disappointed when his shot from 20 yards was dragged wide of Orbinson’s left-hand post. The ball was free in a dangerous area and Downey ensured a member of the red and black outfit was first to pounce, but his end-product from within the hosts’ defensive third failed to trouble the Yellows goalkeeper.
Nine minutes later, probably the best chance of the half emerged from a Dylan O’Kane set-piece from the right. The 24-year-old has set high standards for himself in corner-taking of late, and a scramble in the area almost meant his delivery from the right was converted.
Hunter firstly got his palm to the ex-Dungannon Swifts man’s inswinger before Arthur could latch his head to it, before the elder Neale brother’s responsive side-foot was stopped as the keeper fell back.
Hume saw a third try quickly closed down before the ball was booted away for another corner from the left, which Hunter this time held. It is a plus-point of recent weeks that Bangor’s set-piece threat is growing, which it is hoped will bring fruit in the form of goals.
On 33 minutes, an open-play delivery was the route of creation this time when Reece Neale supplied the advanced Arthur, however the goal-hungry centre back – knowing well he hasn’t found the net in four months, and desperate to put that right – could not quite get the correct connection as the attempt went over.
By the half time whistle, this had proved about the extent of the chances at either end. Long felt no need to add time on and blew straight on 45.
It had hitherto felt like a game that was bubbling, that was picking up steam but not yet at boiling point. The hosts enjoyed more possession and played at a healthy tempo, albeit perhaps with another gear to click into in the final-third. Banbridge aimed to use the break and exploit open spaces in their forays forward, thus it was set up to be a seriously fascinating second period.
Regrettably, the elements were not for it. The sun had set and the winter tinge in the air fought a desperate tug-of-war with those on the ground by that same corner that had attracted such prior concern.
Ultimately, we did get a start to the second half. But not much more than that.
As Banbridge’s Jack Barbour was being treated on the ground by that very area, going down just a few minutes into play post the interval, it felt like the officiating team did not have much other choice than to call it to a halt.
Thus, with just 50 minutes on the clock, Long sounded his whistle for ‘full time’. The score stood goalless, the result not standing.
| Premier Intermediate | 17/12/22 | ||
| Ballymacash Rangers | 2 | 3 | Queen’s University |
| Limavady United | P | P | Lisburn Distillery |
| Moyola Park | P | P | Portstewart |
| PSNI | P | P | Armagh City |
| Tobermore United | P | P | Dollingstown |
A frustrating early end to proceedings, but a necessary one in order to prevent avoidable serious damage. The work that had went in to at least give us a good portion of a game could not be taken for granted, and at least a good bit of football in the players’ tanks before next week’s Steel decider is hardly unwelcome.
Feeney had no injury-related absences to account for and no real qualms to have about the display. It wasn’t sluggish amid the conditions.
“I don’t think too many have won it with two different clubs, it’s a great occasion, a great day out”
Reece Neale
The players largely felt it was a wise decision on the part of the man in the middle as well. Where their next focus lies is not up for debate.
“Frustrating obviously, but all roads lead to next week now isn’t it?” stated John Boyle in the game’s aftermath.
On how the surface felt in that area, the ex-Newry City stalwart explained: “Yeah, it felt a wee bit hard that side of the pitch, a bit slippery, abandoning it was probably the best outcome when player safety is taken into account.
“Good as well that no one got injured either for (the final).”
The long-serving centre back knows the Irish League landscape like the back of his hand, representing both sides of the Mourne Ultimatum having also featured for Warrenpoint Town prior to his nine-year stint in Newry, but it would be his first time winning the Steel and Sons Cup should Bangor emerge victorious against Dunmurry Rec on Saturday.
Reece Neale, meanwhile, has won the competition before, as Linfield Swifts captain in 2016. That hasn’t made him any less excited about the prospect of claiming it again, though. Not at all.
Speaking on Saturday afternoon’s game, the vice-captain felt that it was a good decision to abandon.
“Look, it’s probably for the best, isn’t it?” he said with a smile. “Isn’t it after 65 minutes or something, the score has to stand as a result?”
“0-0, don’t lose anything and we can probably still go out and get the win.”
This weekend’s showpiece allows for the former Carrick Rangers player to add to his trophy cabinet, a prospect he finds tantalising.
“It’s all about next week now,” he grinned.
“I don’t think too many have won it with two different clubs, it’s a great occasion, a great day out.”
One doubts too many siblings have won it as a member of the same team, either. It would be some way to mark the year for Adam too, having tasted Intermediate Cup glory with Rathfriland last season and now finding himself in with a shout of the Steel as well.
The pathway is to Seaview now. On a day where only one Premier Intermediate game saw a finish, it was indeed one that Bangor would have been directly interested in as Ballymacash Rangers lost 2-3 at home to Queen’s University. The Cash remain top of the tree after this weekend, sitting a point ahead of the Seasiders with two extra games played.
It will be a new year by the time the Seasiders are back in third-tier action. It will also be a new year when the club are back at Clandeboye Park. Only one match remains to close the curtain on this calendar year.
A match that needs no introduction by now.
Featured image from myself.
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