Bangor struck gold on Saturday, with four goals and three points to perch them up to where they want to be come the season’s conclusion. A commanding win over Portstewart in the Premier Intermediate League ensures they assume pole position, as a couple of goals in each half did the business and defeated the Seahawks in stylish fashion at Clandeboye Park.
With Ballymacash Rangers not in action this weekend passed, only one point was required for those in yellow and blue to lift above the Lisburn club into first-place, but it is never manager Lee Feeney’s instinct to play for anything less than the maximum spoils. A slick display by the Seasiders, capped off by four well-worked finishes, props them up to the 40-point mark – but, being a figure so often synonymous with safety, it has a very different meaning here.
Following victories over Ballymacash and Armagh City that left the North Down pride on the hunt for a third straight victory, Feeney opted to make some minor switches to his line-up in pursuit of that target.
At right wing-back, decorated servant Gareth Beattie entered the starting side in place of the reliable Seanna Foster – the Cliftonville loanee settling for a place on the bench as part of some general rotation – while Karl Devine’s knock sustained against The ‘Cash eight days prior meant Aaron Harris came in to fill the 27-year-old’s void in midfield.
The last of the day’s three changes saw Bangor native Tom Mathieson make his first start since the end of October. Having performed well as a substitute in recent weeks and worked his way back from an extended injury absence, Kilkeel supremo Feeney included him from the first whistle here with Jamie Glover named among the subs.
As for the Portstewart team, Mullaghacall chief Johnny Law made a switch in goal from the first meeting back on the 10th December. Reece Oliver took the place of teen shot-stopper Conor Henry, who started in that 1-2 success for Saturday’s hosts, although regular components of their attacking arsenal such as Ryan Doherty, Ryan Campbell and Joel Bradley were in from the start as expected.
Referee Stewart Long led both outfits out, each with their respective intentions of taking top spot in the standings and bolstering their push for a place among the leading half-dozen clubs in the post-split.
With the visitors winning the toss, action got under way at a slightly early 2:59pm kick-off time.
And Portstewart started with positive intent. They had registered their first shot on target within the first 60 seconds when Doherty cut inside and bore a relatively tame attempt down on James Taylor, who gathered routinely.
On 11 minutes, Doherty – who netted the equaliser at Seahaven when the north coast side took advantage of a defensive mix-up – peeled off and fired just over Taylor’s crossbar, and at the other end a minute later Beattie latched on to a loose ball from a defensive slip before supplying Adam Neale with the ball; his first-time drive well-clutched by Oliver.
13 minutes had been played when Neale made no mistake to seize the initiative for Bangor.
A piercing move saw Beattie whip in a cross from the right wing, finding Harris who had got up to the edge of the 18-yard area and who in turn supplied acutely into the path of the Ballynahinch sharp-shooter.
The 29-year-old knew his spot before striking the ball and picked it out precisely, firing with aplomb into the bottom right and leaving Oliver with little chance of stopping it. He is uncontainable when in the mood, and Bangor’s No.19 showed no reluctance to add his 19th goal for the team he joined in September to his kitty.
From there, the home side set about increasing their control. On 15 minutes, Ben Arthurs guided a header just over the bar from a right-sided corner, while with 26 played the 20-goal Kircubbin ace received in stride from Adam Neale’s feed but dragged wide from an unfavourable angle as he searched for the right corner.
With 27 minutes gone, though, it was two. Former Lisburn Distillery skipper Harris was again the architect – the 32-year-old making his first start this calendar year – and he delicately threaded an eye-of-the-needle ball into the foraging Mathieson.
The one-time Crusaders Academy player received the chipped pass such that it decoyed Oliver to lean to his left.
This meant that when the 23-year-old touched it onto his left foot, he had most of the goal to aim for – and he made the most of it, with a stroked finish from around six yards out.
Mathieson’s first league goal for Bangor, and one that gave a welcome degree of security to proceedings.
Thereafter, all the shots were being fired at the Clandeboye Road end. On 31 minutes, a rasping outside-boot volley by centre back Ryan Arthur edged mere inches wide of a flat-footed Oliver’s goal, while on 41 minutes Arthurs was closed down swiftly by the Seahawks’ 21-year-old goalkeeper when it appeared he had abundant time and space to slide it in.
Mathieson enjoyed shots within a couple of minutes of each other, his first rising over the bar from the second phase of a corner kick and the following one shrewdly palmed away.
And it was on that note with which Long signalled for half time. So far, so good, as far as those of a home disposition were concerned.
Managers Feeney and Law would use the interval to mull over the finer details and bolster their match plans. One would have eyes on consolidation, the other with sights on sparking a spectacular comeback.
The former was to prevail, though, as part of a composed second half account.
Bangor, this time aiming towards Hawthorne Court, restarted play – and six minutes on from Mathieson laying it off, the ball was back in the centre circle.
An intuitive headed delivery from the left by an advanced Arthur fell kindly for his near-namesake Arthurs in the box. Portstewart failed to clear the danger and there lay the 24-year-old to take full advantage, burying with just the ‘keeper to beat as the ball invitingly bobbled in front of him.
Edging closer to a century of strikes since first arriving in 2018, the Peninsula favourite is no stranger to the net. This represents the fourth game in a row the line-leader has scored in.
He almost turned provider of a fourth finish just before the hour mark. Supplying the elder Neale sibling – himself having converted for a third successive match – the ex-Rathfriland sensation pulled the best out of Oliver when the shot-shopper used his full extension to tip over the bar; the striker’s shot deflecting off visiting captain John Watt on its way, no less.
The dream ending to an orchestrated counter-attack just eluded the electric 29-year-old who on 73 minutes, as one who lives and breathes goals, would have also agonised over dragging wide from substitute Scott McArthur’s lay-off.
Player spotlight:
Coming into midfield in place of the injured Karl Devine, Aaron Harris gave an outstanding account which included two brilliant assists. His authority in possession and defence-splitting balls at the right moments were key to Bangor laying down the gauntlet early. Image from Sarah Harkness.
In between those two chances, Portstewart almost made an inroad into Bangor’s lead, with replacement Lewis Nevin firing barely the wrong side of the post with a superb first-time hit.
But the day belonged to the Clandeboye clan. No more so than on 86 minutes when three became four.
In keeping with the clinical way the hosts approached the contest from the start, a concise link-up in a tight situation between Jordan Hughes and homegrown talent McArthur ended with the latter sweeping home without breaking a sweat.
Stat attack:
- Scott McArthur scored his first league goal for Bangor in almost four years, last finding the net in a BPIL victory over Glebe Rangers back in April 2019.
- Both Tom Mathieson’s Bangor goals so far have come in 4-0 victories where McArthur and Ben Arthurs also found the net (the other finish arriving against Strabane Athletic in the Irish Cup second round in September 2022).
- Arthurs is now only four goals away from his 100th in Bangor colours.
“Yeah it was a good goal, good strike, good to get my first for the club and great performance all-round”
Tom Mathieson (September 2022, after netting against Strabane Athletic)
Former PIL Player of the Season Hughes received and retained before driving towards the heart of the Seahawks backline. He kept the ball close and picked just the right moment to play in ex-Stirling University star McArthur, who rammed in past a stranded Oliver to ultimately complete the scoring.
The pair still charging towards goal with the net bustling, they made a rather complex sequence look effortlessly easy.
It marked the 23-year-old’s first league goal since rejoining Bangor after his Scottish sojourn, and again showed the strength of Feeney’s all-round squad that six different players had registered a direct goal involvement on the day.
All that was left to do was to preserve an 11th third-tier clean sheet of the season to the end.
And on the peep of Long’s final whistle after four added minutes, that objective was decisively fulfilled.
A 4-0 victory for the books that takes Bangor on pole, and an authoritative effort that inspires belief that any ideas of complacency are still firmly in the rear-view mirror. The task now is to do everything within the team’s power to stay there.
Indeed, there is little time to dwell. The focus switches straight to this Tuesday night, where the Yellows will entertain high-flying Limavady United – their latest win under fairly fresh face, former Coleraine assistant Paul Owens, coming concurrently at home to Dollingstown – who will be fighting hard to force their way into the promotion reckoning.
Midfielder Dylan O’Kane knows dropping the Bangorian guard is not an option in the quest to remain as pacesetters.
“We’ve just got to keep doing what we’ve been doing”
Dylan O’Kane
“Aye, this time last year we were six points clear with games in hand so we’re not getting ahead of ourselves,” the 25-year-old, introduced as a 62nd-minute substitute, cautioned.
“But we’ve just got to keep doing what we’ve been doing and in the end we’ll get what we want.”
| Premier Intermediate | 25/2/23 | ||
| Banbridge Town | 1 | 3 | Moyola Park |
| Bangor | 4 | 0 | Portstewart |
| Limavady United | 2 | 0 | Dollingstown |
| PSNI | 0 | 3 | Queen’s University |
| Tobermore United | 0 | 1 | Lisburn Distillery |
With key figureheads like Arthurs, Neale brothers Adam and Reece, and Lewis Harrison hauled off well before the 90, Feeney’s in-game management implied the Roesiders are very much in mind.
As one of the division’s form teams, and a fold with a lot of youthful exuberance about them, they are due their full respect.
Mind, a similar level of performance to Saturday under the lights would not hurt Bangor’s chances of a 14th PIL success.
The club would also like to place on record their thanks to Saturday’s match sponsors.
Firstly to Jason Robb, who selected David Hume as the Man of the Match and presented the centre back with a complimentary bottle of Malibu liqueur, plus match and ball sponsor Geoff Spence as well as Taylor Group Ireland Limited.
Congratulations to the Under-13 and Under-14 teams, who each celebrated title successes on Saturday and presented their silverware in front of the stands before the seniors’ match.
The Under-13s were victors of the SBYL Second Division earlier this term, and after securing victory at the weekend finished top of the First Division. The Under-14s, meanwhile, topped the SBYL Premier Division.
Elsewhere, Bangor Reserves picked up a point on their travels earlier on Saturday when they drew 2-2 at Lisburn Distillery.
Twice the Yellows came from behind to claim a share of the spoils at Ballyskeagh, propping their points total up to 29 with Charley Craig and Curtis Kenny registering on the scoresheet.
They remain in fourth-place in Section B of the Championship/PIL Development League, and sit five points behind leaders Ballymacash Rangers who lost a top two clash with Newington on the same day; both sides have played two games more than the Seasiders, although Warrenpoint Town in third still have a lot of fixtures to make up before the season is out.
David Downes’ troops, who are aspiring to end a present four-game winless run, are next in action this Saturday coming when they face Knockbreda Reserves at Clandeboye Park. Kick-off is at 11pm.
Featured image from Jordan Connolly/Life Through A Lens NI.
- It’s unfair to put blame at feet of Linfield and Cliftonville for Irish Cup Final crowd disorder
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 families
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 goal
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 great
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 glory
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
Football Chatters 
Leave a comment