There is a midweek game under the lights for Bangor to get their teeth into this Tuesday, as the Seasiders roll out the red carpet for Limavady United ahead of a clash that is expected to have notable permutations in the plight for promotion. Following a professional and polished victory against Portstewart at the weekend, more opposition from the Northern Irish northwest awaits who are expected to provide a stern challenge.
A re-scheduled fixture initially set to take place at the start of February, instead this duel’s billing comes at the end of the second month, presenting the home team with the chance to round off a perfect four-game stint of league outings. That said, they face a side in a rich vein of form, and who will fancy their chances of translating their recent winning momentum into a three-point effort here.
This is the third meeting of the two third-tier rivals this season, with one prior league joust and another in the Irish Cup.
The former came in August, when an early Ben Arthurs penalty was all that was required to book the full fruits at the Rathmore Road Showgrounds, while the latter – at the same venue – was marked by goals either side of half time by Michael Halliday and David Hume that ensured progression from the esteemed competition’s fourth stage.
Now, for the latest rematch, the action takes place against a familiar backdrop to the crowd of Clandeboye Park. Bangor have taken pride in a hitherto impenetrable Premier Intermediate home record this term, not so much as conceding a goal prior to this Tuesday night bash, but the players are well aware that hard work must go in to preserve it.
“These games under lights, it’d probably help get these bigger crowds and atmospheres”
Ryan Arthur, after Bangor’s 1-2 loss to Crusaders in the Irish Cup sixth round on the 3rd February
Kilkeel chief Lee Feeney would have liked watching the fluid display three days beforehand, where his boys rather routinely downed the Seahawks with two goals either side of the interval.
That 4-0 success propped the North Down institution to the top of the third-flight, a position they will be desperate to retain.
But it is not a vantage point that will go uncontested – and Limavady can be counted among those in the hunt.
Perched 12 points behind the league leaders with the same number of games played, Paul Owens’ panel will look at this as an opportunity to make a direct inroad and mount a late surge for the promotion places.
However, the pressure rides on them knowing that a 15-point deficit may prove a much more difficult margin to compensate.
| Premier Intermediate | 28/2/23 | |
| Armagh City | vs | Dollingstown |
| Bangor | vs | Limavady United |
| Queen’s University | vs | Banbridge Town |
A game both teams are expected to push for all three points in, it will come down to who can seize the initiative at the right moment and take their chances as and when they fall.
Bangor have done that ruthlessly of late. Early finishes in their three most recent victories against Portstewart, Ballymacash Rangers and Armagh City this month have helped lay down an early marker. Indeed, their record against their next opponent is quite something – the opening blow has been launched by the Seasiders in each of the last five meetings.
History lesson:
Out of two meetings this season as the away team in both, Bangor claimed slender one-goal victories over Limavady United. Last term, the teams met three times – Bangor (0-1) and Limavady (4-2) each earned a win apiece in the two contests at The Showgrounds, while the Clandeboye Park clash ended in a 1-1 draw. Of the five games listed, the Seasiders scored the first goal in every single one. Image from Sarah Harkness.
But that is history. Every game is a chance to start afresh, and Feeney knows his team must be at it from the get-go.
Limavady enter having picked up 19 points of the last 21 available. Home-and-away defeats of Armagh City and Dollingstown supplement wins on their favoured Showgrounds turf over PSNI and Lisburn Distillery – a 1-1 draw with Ballymacash Rangers a little over a fortnight ago is the only time in that span dating back to the 20th December where they failed to prise the maximum spoils.
They can also count on exploits of line-leader Alex Pomeroy, who – alongside Arthurs – became one of six players to enter double-digits for third-tier goals over the weekend.
A brace against the Dollybirds brings the 26-year-old up to 10 goals this season, having been one of the division’s leading strikers in 2021/22 also. A bustling target man and a figurehead for the team, not mentioning a penalty specialist with another conversion from 12 yards at the weekend, means he must be paid close attention to.
Player to watch:
A familiar foe to Bangor over the past couple of seasons, Limavady’s instrumental striker Alex Pomeroy has once again proved a thorn in the side of Premier Intermediate League defences. Netting against Bangor from the penalty spot in the Irish Cup, as well as two in a comeback 4-2 victory over the Seasiders in last season’s post-split – a game in which he was also sent off – he is now 10 up in this season’s PIL and hungry for more. Image from Sarah Harkness.
Of course, the Lims are no one-man band. Besides the former Knockbreda and Institute ace, they possess the six-goal Ryan Doherty (26) and the often tricky Dean Brown (24) – although a red card in their Intermediate Cup last-16 defeat against East Belfast the weekend before last means the latter must watch from the sideline through suspension.
And as one of the league’s youngest teams, with teenage Coleraine loanee Lewis Tosh (18), Boorman twins Tiarnan and Ruairi (21), midfielder Caiolan Brennan (21) and defenders Aaron McLaughlin (19) and Jack Mullan (22) all among their most regular starters, there is a great exuberance of youth about their fold right now.
- Position – fourth-place
- Points – 28 (15 matches played)
- Goals scored – 26
- Goals conceded – 16
- Top scorer – Alex Pomeroy (10 goals)
- Clean sheets – three (Paul Wells two, Richard Purcell one)
Defensively, with 16 goals conceded, they also only trail Bangor and The ‘Cash from that perspective, therefore it will take an incisive clinical edge for the hosts akin to what was seen on Saturday to penetrate the backline.
New additions in the winter include a figure with a Championship Player of the Month award to his name in former Ballyclare Comrades goalkeeper Richard Purcell, as well as one-time Dungannon Swifts and Ards forward Luke McKendry, which follows familiar trends while, from Owens’ viewpoint, enhancing quality.
And what of the man in charge? Well, you can’t exactly say he is someone with no established pedigree.
A trusted assistant coach of Oran Kearney in the Bannsiders setup, 40-year-old Owens took the chance to return to another ground named The Showgrounds in November following predecessor Andrew Law’s departure.
Previously claiming a treble of third-tier promotion and the Craig Memorial and Intermediate Cups as player-manager in 2017, he returned with stated aims of forging the Lims into the top half for the post-split and at least making their say in the promotion conversation.
Both objectives remain on the table going into Tuesday night, and could yet be strengthened.
But all the same, Bangor have displayed the mental steel to overcome banana skins as and when they arrive – which Feeney is sure to take confidence in going into this rumble.
Having made three tinkers to his line-up on Saturday, it will have heartened the former Linfield and Rangers hero to see each of the freshly-introduced trio into Saturday’s side – Aaron Harris, Gareth Beattie and Tom Mathieson – rank among the top performers on the pitch.
Add that to a link-up of substitutes Jordan Hughes and Scott McArthur for the fourth goal of yet another shut-out victory, and the strength in depth is inspiring belief that the Seasiders can keep their flame flickering until the end.
The knowledge that nothing is certain in football has also been a message carried into each game with aplomb. Supporters watching from the side have enjoyed the consistency of performances so far this term, and the expectation from them, naturally, is to keep the momentum flowing.
Where that can burden some, this squad appears to have taken it in its stride.
“Aye, this time last year we were six points clear with games in hand so we’re not getting ahead of ourselves,” pointed out midfielder Dylan O’Kane following the weekend’s match.
“But we’ve just got to keep doing what we’ve been doing and in the end we’ll get what we want.”
The prospect of floodlights seems to fire this group up too. The idea of increased crowds coming out to lend their backing and provide an extra spring in the players’ step when they take to the pitch.
“Listen, it’s all about experience, isn’t it?” explained defender Ryan Arthur after Bangor’s sixth-round duel with holders Crusaders in the Irish Cup.
“Playing in these sorts of games, the high level. We should have more of these Friday night games too, these games under lights, it’d probably help get these bigger crowds and atmospheres.”
Can it do so again in what could be a crunch outing in both these teams’ seasons?
With Arthurs and Adam Neale on respective hot streaks – they are each setting out to score for the fourth consecutive PIL match, with 40 between them as two months of the season still remain – they will each hope to keep themselves and their club riding on the crest of a wave.
On the face of it, a tantalising, open and attack-minded contest looks sure-fire.
Featured image from Sarah Harkness.
- 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