The fifth round of the Irish Cup has now passed, and only one side below the top two tiers in the pyramid remains. In the sole all-intermediate tie of the stage, Bangor prevailed over Tandragee Rovers at Clandeboye Park on Saturday afternoon to set themselves up for a blockbuster last-16 duel at the start of February, with Ben Arthurs assuming centre-stage after smashing in the Seasiders’ second hat-trick of the season.
A seventh success on the spin whets the appetite for four further league games this month before a Premiership titan – complete with a few familiar faces from years gone by – traverses east with a place in the quarter-finals of Ireland’s oldest football cup competition on the line. Successive clean sheets for the first time in two months add to the Kircubbin sharp-shooter’s treble on the list of positives behind a barnstorming start to the new year.
There’s just something special about Irish Cup fifth round day. It always brings a bit of excitement and a buzz about the place.
A day often filling supporters with hope and expectation that the unpredictability and theatre of the cup will fall their way.
And in the cases of third-tier Bangor and fourth-flight Tandragee Rovers, you could add the word ‘opportunity’ to the mix.
As two of the eight teams in action who had to fight through four prior knockout fixtures, both would have looked at this match-up as a genuine chance to secure their spot amongst the elites.
Of course, with this year marking the 30th anniversary since the Yellows’ paraded home their one and only Irish Cup, it therefore felt apt that an extended sojourn in this prestigious tournament should be the modern-day way to fill the minds of supporters with happy memories.
Could there yet be a Paul Byrne reincarnate in the current side? Never write anything off when the stakes are up!
Meanwhile, for Tandragee, you would be forgiven for thinking it was their final. Not at any point prior in their 114-year history had they made it to this level. An arguably unprecedented high. A date cemented in the County Armagh club’s history irrespective of what would happen on the day.
The crowd the latter brought with them to North Down was certainly reflective of that fact. A sea of orange and black by the Clandeboye Road end, a swarm of flags, drums and all other apparatuses at their disposal to let their presence be known, their allegiance be heard. All to be contested under a pristine blue sky.
This was what those in yellow and blue would have to brave on the pitch. For this, boss Lee Feeney opted to make several alterations.
In goal, Marc Orbinson sought to boost a proud clean sheet tally when he was switched in for usual first-choice James Taylor. In defence, in stepped Ryley D’Sena in place of Ryan Arthur. In midfield, an extra body adopted as Dylan O’Kane – rewarded in part for his goal at Lisburn Distillery the previous outing – replaced the cup-tied Adam Neale. In attack, Jordan Hughes led with Ben Arthurs in place of Michael Halliday, a line-leader with more than just a bit-part love affair with this grand tournament.
Four changes in all, though still a strong starting panel and several attack-minded options in reserve should they be needed. The expressive Jamie Glover’s illness continued to rule him out, but a fully-fit squad was available to Feeney elsewhere.
A regular face as the man in the middle in the Premiership, Tim Marshall led the teams out onto the artificial turf.
And at this rate, it feels like Bangor matches are rarely complete without Richard White. He was listed as this game’s fourth official, with four of the Seasiders’ last seven matches comprising White in some capacity; the previous three all ending up in victories for the Clandeboye clan, most recently at Seaview for the Steel and Sons Cup final. A good omen?
That we would find out at no short notice. Marshall got the game under way at 3:01pm, Tandragee’s Ethan Copes kicking off.
It took 11 minutes for the hosts to come within inches of taking an early lead. Aiming to score into a net in front of the part of the ground which the travelling faithful had made their auxiliary away end, Hughes showed dancing feet to skip by a few challenges before drilling a low drive against the frame of the goal.
The ex-Dundela ace – who saw his former side crash out at the hands of a Ronan Hale-inspired Cliftonville the night prior – glided into the inside-right channel, but instead of silencing a vocal crowd, it only seemed to intensify their belief as the striker’s shot crackled against the right upright.
On 14 minutes, Rovers conjured up their first scare of the afternoon when Copes contrived to guide a free header over Orbinson’s goal. Four minutes after that, the bar was to be left shaking from a set-piece back up the other direction, as Arthurs’ bullet header from O’Kane’s right-sided corner rebounded away to the relief of shot-stopper Craig Robinson.
In a fairly even first half-hour, the Mid-Ulster Football League Intermediate A squad again gave their fans ample cause for excitement. Neill Allen, who netted a brace against local rivals Oxford Sunnyside in round four, nearly put a cherry on top of a sweeping counter but was to drag his attempt wide of Orbinson’s goal.
On 36 minutes, the higher-tiered home side broke the deadlock. It came with a fair tinge of humour about it.
Chants in jest of “you’re f**king s**t” were to be drowned out in favour of boos from the visiting section when Arthurs pounced on a loose ball in the middle third, took the ball under his spell and slotted into the bottom left without breaking much of a sweat. Robinson committed, but the power and placement from the Peninsula favourite was just too good.
Said boos might have had something to do with the 24-year-old moving to cup his right ear in front of the away fans in his celebration! Nevertheless, it was still only a one-goal game and there was plenty of time yet – but on the third time of the half the woodwork would be left rattling, it felt like Bangor had shifted gear.
A remarkable 30-yard curler from D’Sena on 44 minutes, dipping and swerving towards the top left, was to end with an audible gasp as a diving Robinson was again to find his goal’s foundations had been friendly to him.
It harks back to Clive Tyldesley’s commentary when Giovanni van Bronckhorst banged in a ruthless piledriver as straight as an arrow for the Netherlands against Uruguay during the 2010 World Cup semi-finals in South Africa: “What possessed him to have a go?!”
The 19-year-old Australian on loan from Larne had left mouths agape but, alas, was barely shy of a rasping first strike by the seaside. He was having a fine game that justified his intent to raise the roof.
And following the Inver Reds Academy Player of the Year for last season then firing a header not a great deal wide of goal from Reece Neale’s left-sided corner, Marshall signalled for the interval.
After a tetchy opening 30 minutes, the final third of the first period inspired confidence among home corners that the Seagulls had found their groove.
Such that Feeney had seen fit not to make any changes over the interval, though neither did his opposite number Simon Brown, who had seen enough merit in his Tandragee side’s incisive counter-based play and fluid style of football in the first half to persist as he had started. The key for his troops in order to spring a shock would be to wrestle back some control.
Yet as things would turn out, Bangor were not keen to relinquish, and set about extending their advantage as a priority.
On 49 minutes, that was just what happened. A well-weighted ball by O’Kane picked out the forward run of Neale towards the left byline, with the Ballynahinch left wing-back supplying a low cross along the goal-face where Arthurs lay opportunistically in wait.
As Robinson got to ground, he was not able to claim the vice-captain’s delivery, and booked his ninth assist of the season when the striker slid home for his 15th goal this campaign – ironically set up by the brother of the fellow line-leader he clawed back level with at the club’s scoring summit.
Kick-off had not much sooner restarted than Hughes nearly added a third. Played in behind the Rovers defensive line by Arthurs’ flick-on, the 31-year-old was denied from close range by Robinson before his rebound was then diverted off the goalline by a recovering defender in orange and black.
But after a 30-minute spell mostly deserted of clear-cut chances at either end – Feeney having made four of his five applicable changes, which comprised a first appearance for the best part of 10 weeks for locally-bred attacking midfielder Tom Mathieson as he replaced Hughes – a third goal to settle affairs as afternoon became evening was to arrive.
Another one of those to be switched in, namely the experienced Gareth Beattie, played his part when he received by the left touchline and played a simple pass back to David Hume.
The Ballygowan centre back, with time and space to do his thing, lofted a placed pass over the top of Tandragee’s shape into Arthurs, who won his aerial challenge to project a header over Robinson into the back of the net.
With 79 minutes played, Ben would have the match ball in hand and provisional bragging rights as standalone top scorer on 16 – Adam Neale unavailable in the Irish Cup this season due to his first round involvement with Rathfriland – while Bangor’s place in the last-16 looked all but a certainty now.
And if it wasn’t assured with the score at three-up, table reservations certainly could be booked when it turned to four.
Two more subs were involved on 86 minutes, as the decorated Halliday – a two-time Irish Cup victor with Glentoran in 2001 and 2004 – saw his saved shot fall gratefully into the avenue of Scott McArthur, who couldn’t miss from close range.
The 23-year-old local lad has quite the knack for this stage too, given that, with this being his fourth goal since rejoining Bangor in the summer, three have been in the Irish Cup. A simple first-time blast was all that was needed to chip in his ninth direct goal involvement this term.
That sealed the deal. Marshall added a couple minutes on after the end of the 90, and then signalled for time.
For the first time in eight years, back when Jordan Forsythe was a part of the camp, Bangor had battled their way to be one of the Irish Cup’s last remaining 16 outfits – excluding the heavily-asterisked Covid iteration – and mix it with the best clubs in Northern Ireland.
Why the specific mention of Forsythe? Well, because he will be joining his current employers – led by their former Bangor assistant manager – in travelling to Clandeboye Park in the next stage.
In post between 2000 and 2003 when Lee Doherty steered the ship, Stephen Baxter – Europe’s longest-serving manager at a single club, almost 18 years at the continuous helm – will revisit the seaside, leading Crusaders, the Irish Cup holders and three-time Premiership champions under his watch, in their pursuit of retention against the Seagulls.
| Irish Cup Fifth Round | Results (7/1/23 unless stated) | ||
| Ballinamallard United (2) | 1 | 2 | Glenavon (1) |
| Ballyclare Comrades (2) | 1 | 0 | Dollingstown (3) |
| Bangor (3) | 4 | 0 | Tandragee Rovers (4) |
| Carrick Rangers (1) | 1 | 1* | Ballymena United (1) |
| Coleraine (1) | 3 | 1 | Loughgall (2) |
| Crusaders (1) | 6 | 0 | Dergview (2) |
| Dundela (2) | 0 | 5* | Cliftonville (1) |
| Dungannon Swifts (1) | 3 | 1 | Ards (2) |
| Institute (2) | 4 | 0 | Annagh United (2) |
| Knockbreda (2) | 2 | 0 | St Mary’s YC (4) |
| Larne (1) | 3 | 0 | Crumlin United (4) |
| Linfield (1) | 3 | 0 | Warrenpoint Town (2) |
| Moyola Park (3) | 0 | 2 | Glentoran (1) |
| Newington (2) | 2 | 1 | Ballymoney United (4) |
| Newry City (1) | 1 | 2 | Harland and Wolff Welders (2) |
| Portadown (1) | 2 | 0 | Banbridge Town (3) |
The hospitality suite had the radio on, and not until the last of the eight ties were Bangor picked out as the hosts.
Inevitably, the Crues followed. A match with a bit of history behind it, a bit of past heritage, a bit of intrigue. Saturday 4th February is the date in the diary, a chance for a potential Irish Cup-set for the ages to happen.
Ben Arthurs was asked, match ball in hand, what his last-16 preference would have been.
“We’re the lowest team left, aye? I wouldn’t mind Knockbreda, Newington, anyone in the Championship to be honest,” he explained prior to the ratification of the sixth round draw. “Might want to avoid one of the big fellas!”
The current 4th-placed team in the Irish League, only three points off top spot, it is fair to say qualifies as one of the tougher tests. After all, their obliteration of Dergview (6-0) was the heaviest margin of victory across the last-32, with Dean Ebbe, transfer-listed as crazy as it sounds, joining Arthurs and Hale in the premium access hat-trick club.
| Irish Cup Sixth Round | In full | |
| Ballymena United (1) | v | Newington (2) |
| Bangor (3) | v | Crusaders (1) |
| Cliftonville (1) | v | Coleraine (1) |
| Glenavon (1) | v | Harland and Wolff Welders (2) |
| Institute (2) | v | Ballyclare Comrades (2) |
| Knockbreda (2) | v | Dungannon Swifts (1) |
| Larne (1) | v | Linfield (1) |
| Portadown (1) | v | Glentoran (1) |
In terms of the match itself, Arthurs talked about the pulsating race for the club top scorer accolade, an award he has won on repeat over the past several years albeit with a more than capable competitor in Adam Neale this term.
“Yeah, I’ve been keeping track, I think he’s been keeping track, don’t think he’ll be too happy about Reece setting me up for the second one!” he added, wearing crocs as a substitute for his shooting boots.
“It’s good that I’m scoring, good that he’s scoring, we’re pushing each other along nicely and the team’s winning, it’s a good feeling.”
That’s five goals in the past 14 days for the sharp-shooter, a man with four-and-a-half years of service under his belt at Clandeboye Park, and his fresh form on his return from a six-week injury lay-off with be music to everyone’s ears.
“It’s good that I’m scoring, good that he’s scoring”
Ben Arthurs
This threatened to be a banana skin, no less with a brave Tandragee approach and a gallant travelling support, and to secure an astute cup win when the stakes were up ensures a second seven-game win streak this term rolls on and the upbeat spirit in the camp continues.
| Premier Intermediate | 7/1/23 | ||
| Limavady United | 3 | 0 | Lisburn Distillery |
| Portstewart | 2 | 3 | Queen’s University |
| PSNI | 0 | 8 | Ballymacash Rangers |
| Tobermore United | 3 | 3 | Armagh City |
While it is a four-point gap to the summit with three games in hand, the objective remains as it always was – keeping cool, calm and collected to pick up the wins needed to push on.
The club again wishes to thank the game sponsors from Saturday’s encounter at Clandeboye Park, namely SureSeal NI who sponsored the match and Stephen Dunne MLA who sponsored the ball. SureSeal selected Ben Arthurs as Man of the Match for his hat-trick performance.
In other news over the weekend, the Reserves tasted an agonising defeat in the fourth round of the Junior Cup, as Antrim FC scored the only goal of the game with virtually the last kick of extra-time.
It was a bitter way to taste defeat for the first time this year for Davy Downes’ Under-20s, with the ‘home’ draw contested at the playing pitches of Bangor Aurora while the seniors faced Tandragee.
Elsewhere, the Academy results left a more upbeat feel for Isaac Caldwell and his Under-18 boys, securing a healthy 5-0 victory over Barn United, while the Under-17s were held in a closely-contested game with Holywood Youth which ended on a level pegging at 2-2.
The Under-15s and Under-13 NL teams were 1-0 victors, defeating Portavogie Rangers and Greenisland respectively, while the Under-11s’ match ended with the same scoreline in their 1-0 defeat of 18th Newtownabbey Youth. It tells the story of an unbeaten set of Academy scores.
And among the Under-14s, there was further cause for celebration as six players from that age group were selected to join the South Belfast Youth Football League (SBYFL) Under-14 Select side who travelled last weekend for a trip to St Mirren. Well done to Zak, Jack, Charlie, Saul, Matthew and Ellis on earning consideration to join this endeavour.
Featured image from Sarah Harkness.
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