22 matches of the 2022/23 Premier Intermediate League’s pre-split have come and gone for Bangor, and it ended on exactly the type of note they would have envisioned. A fairly stress-free Easter Tuesday victory over Moyola Park in Tobermore ensures the division leaders enjoy a 12-point lead at the third-tier summit going into the final five fixtures this term.
Torrential rain did not hinder the Seasiders’ ability to play smooth, clockwork football the way manager Lee Feeney likes it to be – indeed, it may even have facilitated it – and it was the visitors who enjoyed the bulk of the chances in weather where serious slip-ups can happen. In the first of a double-header against the Castledawson club, though, no such lapses were to occur, and the travelling faithful were to head home in bright spirits despite such a flurry of spray on the roads back.
The sudden wet conditions came following a dry afternoon at The Dub three days earlier, where the Yellow criminals escaped the PSNI thanks to first-half strikes by Adam Neale and Ben Arthurs.
Feeney rung the changes as part of his squad management plan in south Belfast, and there were more in the pipeline at Fortwilliam Park.
Much of it was a reversion to type. Regular wing-back duo Reece Neale and Seanna Foster were reintroduced for Jamie Glover and Gareth Beattie, while David Hume replaced Ryley D’Sena in defence and Aaron Harris checked in for Dylan O’Kane in the centre of midfield.
The fifth and final alteration saw Jordan Hughes filter in behind that troublesome pair of Arthurs and the elder Neale. Taking Scott McArthur’s place in the team, it was the former Dundela ace’s first start since, funnily enough, Bangor’s last trip to Fortwilliam Park, which ended up in the north Down pride’s solitary league loss to date versus Tobermore United.
Similar omens were not hoped for by a vast travelling contingent who braved the downpour to will the boys in yellow and blue on.
Moyola, meanwhile, named a strong side that comprised one-time Coleraine hero Ian Parkhill, whose nine goals – including the winner against Lisburn Distillery immediately previous to this clash – has set the benchmark in a season of significant improvement.
Referee Jason Gillespie led the players literally from the calm of the dressing room to the storm outdoors, a raucous reception greeting that line of Bangor charges led by skipper Lewis Harrison.
The Park won the toss and set the ball rolling, causing their visitors one or two problems early-doors.
On three minutes, reliable goalkeeper James Taylor was grateful to gather as an inswinging cross fell just out of Parkhill’s reach; the man Oran Kearney trusted in over 250 matches in Bannsider blue and white, he protruded his foot out but could grasp only at air as Taylor held firmly.
Thereafter, action turned to the other end. Hughes fired over on four minutes before Arthurs guided Foster’s delightful delivery tamely into the gloves of Taylor’s opposite number, the 20-year-old Jamie Logan.
It was only a short reprieve, though, as the Seasider faithful were given something to cheer with 10 minutes on the clock.
Foster was again the architect, as a give-and-go with Harris following his own quickly taken throw-in from the right flank allowed the 26-year-old to shape an arrowed supply from a wide position.
Arthurs flicked on from the Cliftonville loanee’s devilish ball, with Adam Neale hungry at the back post to pounce in full. The Ballynahinch marksman received on his chest, created space with his touch and then fired across goal to give the travelling team a desired advantage.
His low strike had Logan well-beaten and the ball nestled in the bottom right corner, with a chorus of cheer erupting from the side to serenade their battlers. Propping Adam up to 16 for the league campaign, this debut season of dreams for the new-ish favourite continued in the vein he has made a norm; retaining amid a crowd, he made sure to stand out among it.
With the deadlock broken, Bangor stayed front-footed in their bid to extend their cushion.
Logan saved from Hughes on 14 minutes after Reece Neale threw ahead of him, while Neale himself almost emulated his brother’s scoring feat in freakish fashion shortly before the half-hour when the young ‘keeper stopped his curling cross from sneaking in.
But Bangor did double their lead with 32 minutes gone. Again, it was a thought-out move, and again, the composure to finish did not err.
Player spotlight:
Playing behind the strikers rather than as a line-leader himself, the role did not diminish Jordan Hughes‘ threat given he made a vast array of dangerous runs behind. His link-up with Adam Neale and penchant for give-and-gos caused the Moyola defence difficulty on several occasions, and he was ultimately unlucky not to score more than once. Image from Sarah Harkness.
Harris supplied a sensational defence-splitting path that either Hughes or Adam Neale could have latched onto.
Ultimately, the trajectory suited former Lisburn Distillery team-mate Hughes, and the industrious front-man slid under an onrushing Logan to convert the second.
It may have been somewhat “stop-start” for Hughes this term – that being by the 32-year-old’s own admission after first marking the scoresheet in league play back in January when Banbridge Town visited – but his work-rate and technique are no less sharp, and explains why he is held in such high regard by Feeney.
Chants of “one Jordan Hughes, there’s only one Jordan Hughes” from the fans highlighted a similar degree of appreciation from those hoping to see the ex-Glentoran man blot opposition copybooks.
Darting down the left channel and contributing an efficient finish reminiscent of a player who scored in bucketloads at the Duns, on 36 minutes it was only a goal-line intervention that denied the marksman his second. Aaron Harris – as in Moyola captain Aaron Harris – raced back to deny him after a slick one-two with Neale had the ace back bearing down.
The club from neighbouring Castledawson concluded the first-half chance tally with a distance free kick; winger Tom Patchett’s drive from 25 yards was palmed down by Taylor six minutes from the interval.
But by the stanza’s close, even if Moyola had good possession in spells, Bangor’s threat during counters was perhaps unfortunate not to yield more goals. Arthurs found the offside flag in his way on more than one occasion, while Foster’s service was once more a key creative influence down the right wing.
The intent would, in any case, have pleased Kilkeel supremo Feeney – and it did not show signs of waning post the restart either.
Hughes kicked off the second half, and within three minutes of the restart, the travellers already had a couple of shots on the board.
Reece Neale surged into the box on 47 minutes, finding Logan low by his feet to claim when he pulled the trigger, while 60 seconds later Arthurs will have been disappointed to muster a weak attempt straight at the goalkeeper when he had penetrated the Moyola defensive line.
Stat attack:
- He may be best known for his goal-getting, but Ben Arthurs has registered assists in consecutive games for the first time since August – and first in successive league games this season. He has nine in all competitions now.
The Kircubbin star – in a rich goalscoring run having hit 28 in all competitions to date – was later played in by an over-top pass by vice-captain Neale, but shot high of the crossbar after out-muscling the challenge posed by a back-tracking defender.
While not with his signature clinical edge, his movement was at least on-point – though Feeney did opt to switch him and Hughes out in favour of the dangerous east Belfast duo Jamie Glover and Michael Halliday midway through the half.
Opportunities at goal were dry at this point of the tie, but they started to flood back when on 70 minutes, Harris let fly from outside the box and drew an alert save from Logan.
With 73 minutes gone, those two substitutes – each with distinctive Glentoran connections – linked up to good effect. Halliday, the focal point that he is, took Glover’s ball to feet and duly gave it back, with the 22-year-old former Ards prospect slipping in Adam Neale who won a corner off the homesters’ backline.
That delivery was recycled after the initial ball by Reece Neale was headed clear, although Ryan Arthur definitively headed wide when Foster finally fashioned the goal-bound look.
Player spotlight:
The exceptional recent form of Seanna Foster was illustrated completely in Bangor’s victory against Moyola Park. While he won’t be credited with the first assist, it would not have come about without a top-rate cross by the Cliftonville loanee, and there were other instances where his deliveries were so tantalising that they outfoxed opposition defenders. Image from Sarah Harkness.
Glover was again involved on 76 minutes, when his acute cross was flicked wide. Although his younger sibling was rushing in to help at the back post, taking shots from Adam Neale is like snatching candy from a baby, although he only just glanced his header past the post.
An inroad was almost made by Moyola a couple of minutes later when Adam Gray’s driven effort had to be smothered by Taylor, while five minutes from time the blows were traded when the Neale brothers combined to open up Halliday.
Still going strong at 43, the legendary striker could not catch his break here. His first try was blocked, his second turned over the bar by the legs of Logan and his third – from the ensuing corner – was an aerial attempt over the crossbar.
Would Bangor have merited a third goal for the quality of chances created in the second period? Probably.
Did it really matter to the supporters in the wider scheme when the final whistle blew? You wouldn’t say so.
The three that really counted was three points. Three points confirmed when Gillespie called time after three additional minutes.
The goal-cam perspective from Bangor’s victory over Moyola Park on Easter Tuesday. Video from Darran Gilpin.
The pre-split has finished and the Seasiders lose out on only seven from a possible 66 points.
A double-digit margin to the teams surrounding means the title could be signed, sealed and delivered this Saturday, when Moyola traverse to Clandeboye for the first post-split duel.
But, as David Hume affirmed after this Easter Tuesday bash, the focus is purely on securing the maximum victory fruits week in, week out.
“Absolutely (it’s another one ticked off),” he began. “I was pleased by how we played, we’re maybe a little bit disappointed that we couldn’t get one or two more in the second half but I felt we had a control of the game and kept our standards high from the start.”
“I think the rain helped a wee bit, it made the pitch a bit softer during the game and the ball zipped about more”
David Hume on the positive impact the rain had on the playing surface
The Ballygowan centre back added that in his view, the afternoon raindrops helped Bangor to impose their game too.
“Compared to when we were here to play Tobermore (in January, on a drier day and a harder pitch), it was a bit of a different challenge,” he said.
“I think the rain helped a wee bit, it made the pitch a bit softer during the game and the ball zipped about more, even when we were doing the warm-up beforehand we were playing the ball along the ground nicely and in the game itself, I thought some of the football (we played) and some of our moves were quite slick.
“We got another clean sheet – that’s big for us, I think we’re all taking pride in that record of clean sheets and getting wins without conceding. Those are the benchmarks we want to set and continue to set.
“We got another clean sheet – that’s big for us, I think we’re all taking pride in that record of clean sheets”
David Hume on the satisfaction of keeping another clean sheet
“We’re enjoying winning games and we want to play good football; we were saying there at half time that we had built ourselves into a strong position and the focus was to make it a little less nervy than on Saturday (against PSNI).
“We knew as we went in command, we wanted to keep the momentum up and I think we did that.”
The return date upcoming could be a significant one. If the Seasiders register back-to-back victories over The Park, and Ballymacash Rangers – who secured second-place for the split with victory later in the day at Banbridge Town – fail to claim the maximum spoils when they entertain Limavady United, then the open-top bus parade can be booked in north Down.
| Premier Intermediate | 11/4/23 | ||
| Banbridge Town | 1 | 3 | Ballymacash Rangers |
| Moyola Park | 0 | 2 | Bangor |
| PSNI | 2 | 2 | Armagh City |
A draw would also be sufficient to seal the deal if the west Lisburn club lose to Paul Owens’ travelling Roesiders and Queen’s University also fail to win on their trip to this venue to tackle Tobermore, but as has tended to be the case this term, the attention will squarely be on sealing victory.
Either way, that date with destiny appears a matter now of when and not if.
Performances like these only reassert such a belief.
Featured image from Sarah Harkness.
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