Bangor added three more points to their season total on Saturday after a fifth straight victory in the Premier Intermediate League, recording a resolute 0-2 success against Banbridge Town and prising the maximum spoils away from Crystal Park to marginally increase their lead at the top of the table to six points.
A professional account was given to mark a five-star beginning to March – that quintet of wins each backed up by clean sheets, where the players also want to finish top of the pile – and boost the kitty to 46 points out of 51 available. With another fortnight before the senior Seasiders are next in action, as a trip to Dollingstown lies next on the agenda, there is time to refocus and readjust as the promotion push enters a vital 10-game home stretch.
A venue the Yellows have not always found to be a happy hunting ground, Lee Feeney made a few tweaks to his starting line-up in a bid to secure a second victory in a row at Crystal Park.
The Bangor manager included Tom Mathieson and Aaron Harris, who were both outstanding from the start against Portstewart the weekend prior but named as substitutes in the midweek duel versus Limavady United, back in the first XI – Dylan O’Kane and Scott McArthur dropping to the bench following the latter – while Seanna Foster returned to the side at right wing-back having nursed some recent ankle trouble.
Gareth Beattie was listed among the subs panel after starting under floodlights against the Roesiders on Tuesday, while Larne loanee Ryley D’Sena also featured in a seven-strong bench after a niggle.
As for the home layout, boss Simon Nicks fielded a strong team that contained experienced midfielders Christopher McMahon and Conor Downey in the centre in addition to McCavitt siblings Stephen and Michael in the frontline.
The injury-enforced absence of first-choice goalkeeper Lewis Hunter, however, called for a rotation in nets. Former Carnlough Swifts man Stephen Hamill was given the nod between the sticks, hoping to put on a show en route to the win.
Referee Jason Gillespie led the two sides out and signalled for kick-off at 2:01pm. Mathieson set the ball rolling, setting the tone for the visitors to apply most of the early pressure.
On two minutes, David Hume’s deep crossfield delivery found Adam Neale in the inside-left channel, and the Ballynahinch front-man almost delivered the perfect start as his first-time drive lifted slightly over the crossbar. The older Neale brother, who had netted in each of the last four, was hungry for a 21st strike in Bangor colours – but on six minutes, he was left agonising again when he fired high from Ben Arthurs’ headed lay-off.
12 minutes had passed when Ryan Arthur attempted to re-shape himself and bundle over the line, Hume having supplied an inviting ball that caused a bit of penalty box chaos, but Hamill inched ahead of the Carrickfergus centre back to clutch with both hands and alleviate the stress.
But on 16 minutes, a deadlock the Seasiders were threatening to break in the game’s burgeoning phases was breached.
A Town free kick was defended ably by those in yellow and blue before Reece Neale launched upfield with a perfectly weighted 60-yard pass into Arthurs’ path, and the Kircubbin line-leader never looked like missing as he rolled beyond Hamill and into the net. It was a simple idea, a route-one ball and a lightning counter, but it proved no less effective.
The exploits of Peninsula favourite Arthurs are no secret by this point, taking the 24-year-old into double-digits for finishes in 2023 already. A catalogue of goals by a man seemingly built for big occasions.
Stat attack:
- Reece Neale has 14 assists for the season to date, of which seven have come in the last eight weeks of play.
Following that opener was a bizarre sequence of successive corner kicks striking the upright as Reece Neale, intentionally or not, firstly clipped the crossbar (18’) and then nicked the outside of the post (20’). Arthurs went one better, placing the ball beyond Hamill for what he thought was his second of the day courtesy of a divine Aaron Harris delivery, but the linesman’s flag cut his celebrations short as it was ruled out for offside.
The rest of the half was largely devoid of clear-cut openings, although Bangor still controlled the ball and tempo for large portions. A Banbridge Town goal-bound look arose on 42 minutes, though, with John Boyle’s loose pass presenting his former Newry City team-mate Stephen McCavitt a chance to let fly, however a deflection took the sting out of the striker’s drive and made it a much more comfortable claim for a grateful James Taylor.
Gillespie sounded his whistle for half time having added a further minute to the regulation 45, with the Seagulls holding a slender lead.
The opportunity from 25-year-old McCavitt, who was quickly closed down by a recovering Boyle and an alert Arthur which quelled the danger, would have fuelled Nicks’ optimism.
Setting out to play on the counter, with the adventurous and bustling five-goal forward the main target of these with his stretching runs, the onlooking faithful of the red and black-striped outfit hoped it wouldn’t be long before there was something to cheer about.
All the same, Kilkeel supremo Feeney would have reminded his troops that their job was still far from done. A finely poised second period it promised to be.
It may have been the home team to restart the action but the first effort fell the way of their opponents. There wasn’t a great deal in it, either, as Reece Neale’s audacious drive edged mere inches over Hamill’s bar – it must have been from all of 40 yards, and drew enough concern from the 27-year-old between the sticks that he dropped back to cover his bases.
On 59 minutes, the younger Neale sibling was off-target with a rising shot from a Boyle switch of play, while his 29-year-old elder was not far out of reach three minutes later as Mathieson clipped a ball for him to chase and Hamill just about beat him to the punch.
A tame distance effort from Adam on 64 minutes was gathered by the ‘keeper again, while with 73 minutes gone one-time Rathfriland ace Neale felt Arthurs’ prior pain of having a goal chalked off for being behind the last man. Captain Lewis Harrison’s low attempt amid a crowd of bodies was parried invitingly for him to tap home, but his offside position was to deny those jubilant emotions.
There were no question marks when the visitors did finally make it two with 10 minutes left to play.
A worked move on the edge of the final third culminated in an incisive lofted play from Harris straight onto the head of Arthurs. It took one shout from the big man, and with a silver-platter supply from the former Lisburn Distillery captain, he rose ahead of Hamill to reward such a quality delivery and guide his aerial effort across the goalline. No flag followed.
23 for the campaign. 98 in the shirt. The one they call ‘Big Ben’ is firmly in touch of a major milestone here.
Indeed, he was not far off a hat-trick either. On 86 minutes, he stood tall and connected for a near-post header, but could not quite generate the power to accompany the placement as he arrowed the ball towards the top right corner.
Stat attack:
- Ben Arthurs’ brace on Saturday marks the first time in eight weeks – also Arthurs, with his hat-trick against Tandragee Rovers in the Irish Cup fifth round – that a Bangor player has scored more than once in the same game.
Player spotlight:
Despite not starting either of the last two matches, the dynamic Seanna Foster (24) turned in a standard of performance like he had never been out of the side. Pressing opponents and hunting lost causes with clever fast-paced movement off the ball also, the 26-year-old Cliftonville loanee looked in fine and typically consistent fettle throughout. Image from Jordan Connolly/Life Through A Lens NI.
The final flickering of the flame as far as this fixture went was in much the same manner as in the first half – with a fright. In the second minute of added time, with the ball bobbling around the six-yard area, it fell to January recruit Jake Gorman to try and make a late inroad but the 21-year-old substitute headed over to draw sighs of relief from the visiting contingent on the pitch and in the stands. The shut-out was safe… but not by much.
Gillespie played four minutes in total before concluding proceedings on the final few peeps of his whistle. It was another week where, from a Bangor viewpoint, there could be no cause for complaint.
In conjunction with Ballymacash Rangers humbling Queen’s University 0-3 at The Dub, a direct clash of the second and third-placed teams in the PIL, the North Down pride’s advantage extends from five to six points with The ‘Cash reassuming the play-off berth behind them.
| Premier Intermediate | 4/3/23 | ||
| Armagh City | 2 | 3 | PSNI |
| Banbridge Town | 0 | 2 | Bangor |
| Dollingstown | 2 | 3 | Tobermore United |
| Lisburn Distillery | 1 | 1 | Limavady United |
| Portstewart | 0 | 0 | Moyola Park |
| Queen’s University | 0 | 3 | Ballymacash Rangers |
Having also played one fewer match than the west Lisburn side, and two fewer than the Students, the Clandeboye clan know it is all within their own hands in the promotion push.
And you would hope to see no signs of complacency creeping in. The winning feeling about the place is insatiable right now.
“Another three points, I guess that’s the main thing,” beamed two-goal Arthurs, giving his post-match reaction following this freshest of wins. “It’s tricky coming to these sorts of places.
“Sometimes you’ve the pitch to deal with as well and it’s important to get points away from home too, because when you’re at home, it’s great when you’re playing on your own pitch but when you’re away, it might not suit your style of play as much, it’s a new challenge.”
“I think Tobermore might’ve been a wee wake-up call, remind us not to take our eyes off the ball”
Ben Arthurs
The attacker, who will have been a Seasider for five years in the summer after joining from Harland and Wolff Welders as a 20-year-old in 2018, added that the 2-0 defeat to Tobermore United may have been a blessing in disguise.
“I think Tobermore might’ve been a wee wake-up call, remind us not to take our eyes off the ball and we’ve got to keep focused on what’s ahead and all that,” he explained.
“We’d a few of those last season where we took our eyes off the ball and it cost us, and this season we’re not making the same mistakes, keeping focused and taking it as it comes.”
“I think the clean sheets are important too for helping keep the momentum”
Ben Arthurs
Ben also felt he held his line for his ruled-out goal in the first stanza, but admitted the drive was still there to perform and secure the points.
He reflected on that moment: “I wasn’t sure I was (offside), I was watching the line and felt I’d stayed in front of the last man, but you just have to take it and move on and I was able to get a second later on.
“The main thing was going out there and getting the points, I think the clean sheets are important too for helping keep the momentum.”
A 13th shut-out in the league and 22nd in all competitions has been a pillar of success to date and a tally all in the fold are taking great pride in.
The objective, of course, will be to keep that vein going at Planters Park in 12 days’ time.
Bangor Reserves, meanwhile, were on cloud nine as they marked an emphatic return to winning ways at Knockbreda’s expense.
The undisputed cherry on top of a brilliant 9-0 success at Clandeboye Park was a five-goal haul from young striker Charley Craig, who was a thorn in ‘Breda’s side from minute one.
“(Charley) was unplayable and worked hard for his goals”
Bangor Reserves boss David Downes after Charley Craig’s five-goal display against Knockbreda
Evergreen Michael Halliday also netted a brace, while Sonny Redford and a Kristian Trainor strike later credited as an own goal equally contributed to the second string booking their heaviest margin of victory of the season so far.
Manager David Downes was thrilled by the outstanding display of Craig against the east Belfast team, and singled out 16-year-old midfielder Ross Ferguson for praise following the match too.
“(Charley) was unplayable and worked hard for his goals,” hailed the Under-20s chief. “Ross Ferguson was unbelievable in central midfield, for someone so young he’s playing well above his years.”
As far as the table is concerned, the Seasiders remain fourth-placed but are now just three points off top spot, now occupied by new leaders Warrenpoint Town who also have a vast number of games in hand. A North Down derby at home to Ards next awaits them on Saturday, where a bigger crowd can be expected in the wake of the senior side having no fixture and in which the home team will harbour aspirations of a third straight derby win.
There was joy for the Under-14s at Blanchflower Park, where they added the SBYFL Premier Supplementary Cup to their Premier Division success the previous weekend. A hat-trick from Zak Magowan and a Zac Miskelly sucker-punch ensured they conquered Ards 4-1 in the decider for a famous double.
The Under-15s added further silverware to the cabinet in the form of the SBYFL Second Division title, completing an undefeated term after a 1-1 draw against Downpatrick to book that honour.
Elsewhere, to round up the rest of the Academy action, Isaac Caldwell’s Under-18s drew 1-1 with Hillsborough Boys, the Under-17s were defeated 1-0 by Shankill United, the Under-13 SBYL side saw off Ards and the Under-13 NL team lost by the odd goal in five against Rosario. The Under-11s beat Albert Foundry 3-2 while the Under-12 Boys drew 1-1 with Cliftonville, and in the Girls Academy there was a slight defeat for the Under-12s against Ballyclare Comrades and for the Under-10s versus Kelvin Youth.
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