The official transition from spring to summer is almost upon us, as we brace to head into the month of June which is always a busy and warm 30 days for folk to contend with. It is also when men’s off-season action tends to heat up, with new arrivals and contract extensions often announced during this spell – but we are not quite at the dissection stage yet.
In this week’s ‘Seasider Summer Weekly’, the women’s season continues to roll on, with a positive vein once more upheld with progress on both the league and cup fronts this week. Ethan Boylan has done some sterling work since taking over in the hotseat, however he still had time to trade into his playing attire for Darren Gibbons’ Testimonial match on Saturday where fun was had to celebrate the goalkeeper’s 10 years of service to Bangor.
Much of the action this week centred around Bangor FC Ladies, who twice found themselves on their travels in the league and cup this week.
Firstly, on Monday, the Seasiders progressed to the third round of the PwC Super Cup with a victory over Lisburn Ladies Swifts, while a second success was put in the bag in the NIWFA Championship a couple of days later with three points gained away to Foyle Belles.
A cumulative total of 12 goals in those two encounters has helped Ethan Boylan’s panel to upward progress in two separate settings during the early knockings of the campaign, displaying conviction while sealing nothing but the maximum spoils from those battles.
The 32-year-old will have delighted especially in a first clean sheet of the 2023 term on their midweek trip to Foyleside, where shot-stopper Giulia McLaughlin was on her guard and kept a shut-out as the goals flowed up the other direction.
A second-half quartet of strikes for the red-hot Amber Dempster added to doubles by Lydia Clarke and Janine Jess in a comprehensive 0-8 win at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, and made an unenviable near-200-mile-round traverse worth it with the full prize to show.
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It has been quite the glut of goals coming in from Amber Dempster of late, given she has struck 17 of them in her six most recent outings. The former Premiership line-leader was four-strong at the Brandywell on Wednesday night to add to two in Lisburn on Monday, meaning she has walked away with her fourth match ball in that half-dozen span. Image from Beth Sloan.
Propping them up to nine points from a possible 15 – including three wins out of three on the road – the Yellows are perched in third-place and in fine fettle, with an active streak of three victories in succession across all competitions that also includes their exploits at The Bluebell Stadium in Lisburn 48 hours beforehand.
Dempster had scored another two goals in Monday night’s fixture at a venue the senior men travelled to back in September last year, being the home of promoted Premier Intermediate outfit Ballymacash Rangers, and was joined on the brace chart by Olivia Brown as Bangor raced into a four-goal lead before the halfway point had even been reached.
But it was not quite to prove so simple thereafter. A youthful and gifted Lisburn Ladies Swifts outfit were in fighting form after the break and had cut the arrears in half with 20 minutes and more left to contest, but the north Down visitors kept cool heads to leave with a 2-4 win.
The outcome means that the side, equipped in their striking white away strip on Monday night, are into the last-eight of the Super Cup, where St Oliver Plunkett will be their adversaries as they bid to advance in an important cup competition.
A fifth-minute spot-kick by the former Linfield, Cliftonville and Comber Rec ace Dempster set the Seagulls on their way, before two finishes barely 120 seconds apart by Brown left the Lisburn Ladies second string with a mountain to climb at the half-hour mark. Dempster completed the away goal count four minutes from half time in a largely all-conquering first-half show.
The home team had pulled one back almost immediately after striker supreme Dempster had slotted in her second from the 12-yard spot in their attempt at a fightback, and on 67 minutes bagged another to further fuel their tank of hope and optimism, but Bangor did hold out.
Goal-getting exploits are nothing out of the ordinary for this team, but an astonishing 17 finishes in half a dozen outings for the flying Dempster is a particularly outstanding feat notwithstanding the four match balls she has clinched.
Jess, Brown and Clarke having hit a couple each this week highlights the variety of goal sources among the camp.
And that, of course, will have Boylan in buoyant mood in advance of a busy seven days for the Ladies next week.
Premiership institution Crusaders Strikers will be the visitors to Clandeboye Park, posing the biggest test yet for the squad when the Crues travel for a quarter-final showdown in the Co Antrim Cup – Bangor fended off a gallant Rosario in the previous round – on Monday night.
Then, the Championship focus switches over to St James’ Swifts on Wednesday evening, when the west Belfast club will have the red carpet rolled out for them in another potentially tricky tie.
Bangor FC Ladies’ Francesca Costa I Fassunge dribbles away from her Lisburn Ladies Swifts counterpart during Monday evening’s game in the PwC Super Cup. The teenage midfielder has showcased herself as someone with a keen eye for a pass, and her ability to drive the ball up the pitch has proved of great value also. Image from Sarah Harkness.
Nevertheless, after a week of two wins from two, you can safely write off any semblance of fear emerging from within the players going into these fixtures.
The manager has received plaudits for his work following his off-season appointment, and will aspire to keep it to type.
Meanwhile, Darren Gibbons’ Testimonial produced no shortage of laughs, thrills and spills on Saturday afternoon.
Attacker Ethan Boylan and centre-back Paul Dickson were at the centre of celebrations on Saturday, being two players to have contributed to a fruitful recent few years in Bangor colours alongside Darren Gibbons. Image from Mitch Morgan.
Initially facing a current Seasiders selection, albeit with some mild rotation – that is to say, Reece Neale and Michael Halliday in goals and James Taylor and Marc Orbinson receiving run-outs at centre-back – the supporters’ side took to the pitch for the second period as members of the board even joined in the fray.
Disciplinary issues, save for Gibbons staying on the pitch despite a controversial last-man challenge on Ian Todd following the interval, were thankfully kept to a minimum… remarkably despite Steven Hislop and Jack Wasson’s presence!
Ian Todd was subject to one rather dubious incident during the second half in which Darren Gibbons was alleged to have committed a last-man foul, but based on the fact that no sending-off was forthcoming, ‘Todders’ can only be assumed to have been at his usual antics and dived in the futile attempt to get Gibbons sent off. Shameful scenes. Image from Mitch Morgan.
With legends of years gone by, including the likes of Andy Long, Tommy Wray, Paul Dickson, Ben Roy and Chris Getty, featuring in Team Gibbo, a lot of old faces endeared themselves once more to the Clandeboye Park pitch.
And in celebration of 10 years’ service to the club, 31-year-old Gibbons certainly goes down as one of Bangor’s most popular servants.
Former right-back hero Andy Long took the opportunity to chat with supporters by the sideline during Darren Gibbons’ testimonial affair at Clandeboye Park on Saturday afternoon. Image from Mitch Morgan.
Going through hard times and good in yellow and blue, be it the agony of promotion play-off heartbreak at the hands of Warrenpoint in 2015 to the ecstasy of that indomitable romp to the Ballymena League title in 2019, the shot-stopper has earned his flowers and then some between the Bangor sticks.
For the supporters’ line-up, board members Graham Bailie, Neil Watson and Simon Stuart all laced up in their bid to get one over the opposition.
But the most important thing in the end was the opportunity to celebrate the extensive service of one of the most revered favourites on the seaside across the past decade. When Gibbons first joined at the age of 21 back in January 2013, it was the start of a highly regarded association that continues to this day.
Featured image from Mitch Morgan.
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