Bangor make their return to competitive action this Saturday, a trip to Planters Park presenting the league leaders with a chance to pick up where they left off. Entering this duel against Dollingstown on the back of a five-game winning streak in the Premier Intermediate League – accompanied by a quintet of shut-outs – the Seasiders’ objective speaks for itself as 10 games remain in the plight to consolidate the holy grail that is promotion.
But the Dollybirds, eagerly pushing to secure a top-half finish, don’t make it easy on their home turf. That decisive winning mentality the Yellows have carried into each outing this term must, of course, be reprised in order to bag another three points on the road and build more breathing space at the summit.
It is 14 days since the North Downers last contested in the Northern Irish third-tier, where a win at Banbridge Town propped their points total for this season to 46 out of a possible 51.
A couple of Ben Arthurs finishes either side of the interval booked a 0-2 victory at Crystal Park, ensuring a potentially tricky assignment was navigated smoothly with another clean sheet – a 13th in just 17 matches within league play up to now.
The 24-year-old is within touching distance of entering three figures for goals since he linked up with Bangor back in 2018, but what will especially impress his manager Lee Feeney is that there is nothing tokenistic about his continued feats in front of the net.
Both the Kircubbin favourite and his strike partner from Ballynahinch, Adam Neale, have taken the bull by the horns throughout a faultless Feburary and a fruitful start to March. The duo have notched 43 between them across all competitions and led the line authentically.
“He has taken everything on board that we are asking him to do but I know there is more to come from him”
Lee Feeney on striker Ben Arthurs’ recent excellent form following the striker’s latest brace against Banbridge Town two weeks ago
Kilkeel chief Feeney saluted the Peninsula hero and the standards he has set for himself in the wake of that hearty display at The Town.
“We can rely on our forwards to get us goals and in the last couple of months, Ben Arthurs has stepped up again for us in terms of his performances,” raved the Clandeboye supremo to Neil Watson in last week’s County Down Spectator.
“He has taken everything on board that we are asking him to do but I know there is more to come from him.”
The one they call ‘Big Ben’ showed clinical edge last time out and, while giving immediate reaction following that latest plundering of precious points, pointed out that a recent less positive outcome inspired the side to fight even harder.
“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 reflected, harking back to that bitter 2-0 defeat at Fortwilliam Park on January 28 – then a first 90-minute loss for Bangor in four-and-a-half months.
“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.”
History lesson:
Results against Dollingstown have tended to flip-flop. The Seasiders defeated them 3-0 on September 3, but last season lost at home to an early Mark McCabe penalty after winning 1-4 at Planters Park with goals from Ben Arthurs, Michael Halliday, Mark Cooling and Jack Wasson. A David Hume red card and Matty Anderson penalty save were the tale of the post-split trip, which finished 2-2. Image from Sarah Harkness.
The intent of Arthurs and the rest of the playing panel is surely not to let up the momentum.
He will also hope to repeat his feat from six months ago, when he marked the scoresheet in a 3-0 prevailing over Dollingstown at Clandeboye Park.
His two strikes in early September enveloped Jamie Glover’s tap-in finish, with Bangor’s players making their home stage a fortress in the PIL having won each of their nine fixtures to nil.
But it is often tougher on your travels, and their trips to face Stephen Uprichard’s Dollybirds have not necessarily been routine.
Based in the village of Dollingstown just outside Lurgan, the blue-shirted outfit are hungry for their first win in seven league outings as they bid to rubber-stamp another top-half placing for the split.
Form guide (PIL last five):
- 4/3/23 – Dollingstown 2-3 Tobermore United
- 28/2/23 – Armagh City 1-1 Dollingstown
- 25/2/23 – Limavady United 2-0 Dollingstown
- 11/2/23 – Lisburn Distillery 2-0 Dollingstown
- 7/2/23 – Dollingstown 1-2 Limavady United
Their fire will be fuelled having gone two months without success, last enjoying those particular fruits and spoils on their home soil with a slender victory over Banbridge Town. It came amid a January where young guns Liam Toman and Callum Ferris – both starters in the first meet of these teams – made respective Championship switches to Harland & Wolff Welders and Ballyclare Comrades.
Coming in during the mid-season window, meanwhile, were loanees Jack Ovens and Gledis Cakaj, each swapping the top-flight for the third-tier on half-season loans from Premiership Portadown. Former Ballymacash Rangers youngster Muhammed Alharati also arrived, while Richard Thompson was signed from Banbridge Rangers to boost the midfield.
Familiar faces over the years like Gary Liggett (35), Glenn Hand (39) and Gareth Buchanan (31) have been important assets for boss Uprichard to have alongside a wealth of up-and-coming talents.
And it is young stars who are leading the goal charge. Both joint top scorers are aged just 22, with Jonathan Ewart and Daniel Gordon hitting the mark four times, while the seasoned 32-year-old Dale Malone is not far shy on three.
It appears on the whole that these blends are working. Of course, a true test of its efficiency is if results pick up on the pitch.
Player to watch:
A Steel and Sons Cup finalist with Linfield Swifts in 2021, Gledis Cakaj made the switch to Portadown and has received first-team minutes under both Paul Doolin and Niall Currie this campaign. An attacking midfielder with an eye for goal and an energetic style of play, if the 19-year-old can cause Premiership defences issues then Bangor would be wise to heed his threat. Image from Portadown FC Twitter.
The mid-section of the PIL table is extremely tight, the margin for error so minimal that one failure to collect three points can change the whole outlook.
Dollingstown sit fifth-placed in the table on 23 points. Exactly even on points with Moyola Park, a marginally superior goal difference keeps them just above the Castledawson club in the standings, while Tobermore United and Lisburn Distillery in seventh and eighth are within a solitary win of overtaking them.
Pressure can spur teams on to deliver their best performance. There is pressure on both these sides to achieve their aims.
Bangor used their free weekend to organise a friendly with Distillery. Two-goal displays from Dylan O’Kane and former Whites front-man Jordan Hughes inspired the Seasiders to turn over a one-goal deficit at half time, with Jamie Glover also getting in on the act to see off Barry Johnston’s in-form troops 5-1.
Speaking after the match, 44-year-old Feeney shed further light on the feeling within the camp going into a crunch period of the campaign.
“I was pleased with what I saw on Saturday and it was important that we kept ticking over in terms of playing matches,” the former Linfield and Rangers forward told Neil Watson in this week’s County Down Spectator.
“The form that the boys are in at the minute, they want matches every day. They are hungry to keep going so it was a bit frustrating that we couldn’t get a league match played.
“I know that there were other teams who weren’t able to get any matches played because of the weather so we were fortunate in that regard, but hopefully that will stand us in good stead for what’s ahead.”
Indeed, a sweep of cold chills last week ground some games to a halt, including a planned visit to PSNI for Dollingstown.
Of the Intermediate Cup quarter-finals pencilled to be played last weekend, only one took place with Rosemount Rec thumping Donegal Celtic by five goals to nil, and just that proposed match-up at The Dub and the clash between Uniteds Tobermore and Limavady – the latter cruising to an emphatic 0-5 victory – were timetabled in the league.
Thus, with fewer than half a dozen games to go until the division is effectively divided in two, every team will have to be on peak performance given every point will be considered precious.
The questions are still largely open throughout the third-flight, so there can be no taking for granted between now and the end.
| Premier Intermediate | 18/3/23 (3pm unless stated) | |
| Armagh City | vs | Lisburn Distillery |
| Ballymacash Rangers | vs* | Portstewart |
| Bangor | vs | Dollingstown |
| Limavady United | vs | Queen’s University |
| Tobermore United | vs | Moyola Park |
Feeney also shed light on the fact that Bangor “have nearly everyone back fit again and raring to go” in advance of Saturday.
The major absentee of the last month has been 27-year-old midfield maestro Karl Devine, who has not featured since being subbed off in the 2-0 Friday night win over Ballymacash Rangers on February 17.
The Belfast ace took on board a serious ankle blow which, it was feared, would spell an early curtailment to his season. However, the former Dundela favourite is in line to make his return for the run-in soon despite donning a protective cast in the aftermath, now returning to light training.
O’Kane, who insisted he wanted to score more goals from midfield at the term’s start, had some of that prowess about him against the New Grosvenor institution, while Aaron Harris and Tom Mathieson are building up sharpness that is evidenced by recent strong displays.
Substitute goalkeeper Marc Orbinson featured too, his first matchday squad appearance since the reverse at Tobermore due to an arm-related absence.
Every fresh and fit player available to Feeney will help bolster Bangor’s chances.
“The form that the boys are in at the minute, they want matches every day”
Lee Feeney on the confidence within the playing camp right now
It is an enviable position the Co Down club find themselves in, top of the table with a six-point advantage and game in hand on current play-off occupiers Ballymacash.
But it can, all the same, quickly disappear with a few sloppy results. The focus, as it always is, will be on more wins and more points.
Ahead of last weekend’s derby, Bangor fans were given a derby treat when the Reserves overpowered Ards’ equivalents to improve their standing in the table.
Stealing the show in a 5-0 win was Sonny Redford, whose four-goal haul – two in each half – took the spotlight. With finishes including a brilliantly guided header and a 35-yard piledriver into the roof of the net, the young striker put in a shift and a half to help the Seasiders emerge with the bragging rights.
Adam Ambrose converted against his former side to put the cherry on top of a sublime outing from David Downes’ men, earning a third straight North Down derby victory following recent 3-0 and 9-1 markers.
In addition to that, several youth players were afforded a chance to shine with the first-team later in the day.
Defensive aces Callum Mills and Sam Millar, midfield prodigy Ross Ferguson and sharp-shooter Charley Craig all started for the Under-20s, but stepped into the senior side and caught Feeney’s eye for their efforts against Distillery.
“All the boys did really, really well”
Lee Feeney on the displays of those stepping up from Bangor Reserves to play for the firsts against Lisburn Distillery in last week’s friendly match
“All the boys did really, really well,” beamed the boss, who is closing in on three years holding the Seagulls’ mantle.
“They had all played earlier in the morning as well for Bangor Reserves, so it was a big ask of them to play again for the first-team.
“All the lads have been in training with the first-team the last couple of weeks so I’ve had a good chance to look at them properly and I’ve been impressed.”
Teenage shot-stopper Owen Ross also played against the Whites, with Darren Gibbons on top form for the second string. The veteran saved a spot-kick and spared his blushes after conceding it in the first sense, preserving a clean sheet to play his part in aiding the young side take top spot in the Championship/PIL Development League.
Downes will be eager to inspire his soldiers to a tally of 38 points when they travel to Ballymacash Rangers this Friday.
“We really want to win this one,” admitted Downes. “We got beat the last time we went up, we lost 2-1 with the last kick of the game, we beat them 4-1 here (at Clandeboye Park) so we’re hoping to go over there and pick up a good result.
“(Ballymacash) are a good team, quite a physical team so it’s a challenge out on the pitch, the supporters create a bit of atmosphere too so we’ll have to work hard and be at our best.”
Kick-off at The Bluebell in west Lisburn against The ‘Cash, who are merely a point behind their visitors, is at 8pm.
“(Ballymacash) are a good team, quite a physical team so it’s a challenge out on the pitch”
Reserves boss David Downes on the effort required to handle task at hand against Ballymacash Rangers’ equivalents
Elsewhere, there have been confirmations of a couple of rearranged fixtures.
Bangor’s visit to joust with PSNI will take place on Saturday, April 8, with a 3pm kick-off at The Dub in south Belfast, while the trip to Moyola Park will be played on Easter Tuesday, April 11, at Tobermore’s Fortwilliam Park at 3pm. They will be the final two games of the pre-split.
And speaking of Tobermore, the Co Derry/Londonderry outfit are the visitors to Clandeboye Park next week, where the We Care, You Matter team are arranging a get-together in advance of the match.
Similar to the meet ahead of the ultimately abandoned fixture with Banbridge Town on December 17, the Social Club is the place to be if one would like tea, coffee or buns – and, in its essence, a simple chat with the people surrounding. The first event was a great success, and this one should prove so as well with a starting time set for 1pm next Saturday, March 25.
And stay tuned for the screening of a special documentary in the Social Club on Friday, March 31.
A fascinating account of the Northern Ireland national team’s forays in the 1982 World Cup title ‘Yer men in Spain’ will be shown at 7:30pm. Further information will follow but tickets will be limited, thus you are invited to act fast to book your spot for what seems an interesting watch.
Furthermore, the club made a promotional video to celebrate International Women’s Day last Wednesday, March 8. You can watch the video through the embedded link.
There is also an upcoming quiz night to note. With Bangor FC Ladies bracing for a new season in the Championship, a fundraising quiz will happen in the Social Club on Tuesday, April 11, to support the Ladies on their advancement to a new level after achieving promotion from Division 1.
A maximum of six people per table can help inspire their team to quiz night glory. Admission at £5 per person and the starting time on the day is 7:30pm.
Following up the aforementioned duel with The Park, consider yourself fixed for a Bangor festival on Easter Tuesday.
Finally, a small reminder that Bangor FC have teamed up with Tony Macaroni Italian Restaurant for a special offer during the month of March, where you can cut your food bill by a complete 20% by using the code SEASIDERS20 when booking a table online.
See the link attached to the embedded Tweet for more details on how to sign up.
Featured image from Sarah Harkness.
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