Typically, much was in the offing last week as Bangor’s prep for the campaign upcoming continue to build a head of steam. There was an occasion supporters could savour after Glaswegian titans Rangers made their way to Clandeboye Park on Tuesday night, their ‘B’ team providing a stern test of Bangorian credentials, while the pre-season itinerary is further bolstered by clashes with Rosario and Brantwood this weekend.
And off the pitch, it remains all-action there, too, bearing in mind the news that last season’s second-top scorer in all competitions, Adam Neale, has agreed to a professional two-year contract. Meanwhile, Jack Henderson’s arrival this week confirms his return to the seaside following his first spell during Covid; it is full steam ahead and momentum flows from all angles at this present moment.
Rangers friendly lives up to the billing while further double-header forecast
Firstly, Bangor took on their hotly anticipated glamour tie against Rangers ‘B’ on Tuesday night, and it proved an encounter that gave manager Lee Feeney plenty of food for thought.
A vibrant visiting side ran out 3-0 victors at Clandeboye Park; a scoreline that reflected their class, but perhaps hides their hosts’ chances to make inroads into their defence.
It was a match that Feeney described as a “different test to what we’re used to”, with regard to facing a ‘Gers outfit backed by a full-time programme and who played with the sense of swagger and verve that we have come to expect closer to home from the fully professional teams currently residing at the very peak of the Irish League.
The Govan travellers, who comprised Northern Irish talent such as Donaghadee shot-stopper Mason Munn and Antrim teen Ross McCausland within their starting selection, turned heads with a fast-paced and brave brand of football. Some in the fold even had first-team matches on the Ibrox turf under their belts – and they displayed just why they are on Light Blues chief Michael Beale’s radar.
Zak Lovelace is a player who arrived in Scotland with five first-team appearances for Millwall to his name – he debuted at The Den aged just 15, the second-youngest senior player in their history – and the England Under-17 international broke the deadlock 19 minutes into proceedings in Co Down.
He timed his run behind to perfection after Josh McPake chipped the ball into his stride, and the young winger, whose Teddy Bears senior bow came in a 3-0 Old Firm triumph over Celtic back in May, controlled before slotting under Yellows ‘keeper James Taylor and into the net.
It was effortlessly done by a star attraction of the Glasgow giants, although Bangor were swift in trying to conjure up a response.
Adam Neale, back from holiday and on the goal trail after a weekend brace versus Queen’s University, saw his first-time shot just before the half-hour deflected away for a corner, from which Jordan Hughes fired only inches over the crossbar. Up the other way, former Linfield youngster McCausland stung Taylor’s palms with a 35th-minute piledriver, before new arrival Jack Henderson was also not far off when he guided over the top upright.
Player spotlight:
In his first match since his return to Bangor was signed and sealed, there was a positive impression from midfield from Jack Henderson. A smooth operator who turned heads during his first stint with the Seasiders amid the pandemic-hit 2020-21 campaign, he was on his guard to track runners and stand his ground. Image from Joe McEwan.
In what had become much more of an end-to-end affair, Taylor’s one-on-one heroics denied McCausland when the 19-year-old seemed odds-on to convert, before Adam Neale’s header from close range was slightly off on the stroke of referee Andrew Davey’s half-time whistle.
A one-goal game at the interval. You would have struggled to be too despondent about that.
Six minutes after the restart, though, the advantage was doubled – and it was quite the hit that did it.
From 25 yards and more, the connection from McPake – he can count successful loans at the likes of Harrogate Town and Queen’s Park among his burgeoning CV – did not fall much short of perfection as he arrowed a stunning right-footed rifle beyond a full-stretch Taylor into the top left corner. It was clean as a nut and, once more, it was a show of what they were about.
It was a more shot-shy second period in truth, although Reece Neale could not quite trap the ball under his spell on the hour when it looked like he was through.
13 minutes from time, it was Trialist A on hand to make a brilliant last-ditch defensive intervention right as Rangers’ Connor Young was set to pull the trigger.
The Bangor rearguard was kept busy indeed on Tuesday night, with Gareth Beattie and Ryan Arthur called to be on high alert to counter the threat of a fast-paced Rangers ‘B’ frontline. Image from Joe McEwan.
The reprieve from that was only to last for two further minutes.
Again, it was quality. This time, substitute James Graham found the sweet spot for James McCallum’s men, with replacement goalkeeper Marc Orbinson not quite able to prevent Graham – a £45,000 recruit from Ross County back in 2020 – from piercing the ball low and in from the edge of the penalty area.
The theatre was to endure right to the last, and it was a case of so near yet so far for Michael Halliday.
The veteran front-man was to be in the right place at the right time as a visiting defender perilously placed the ball back off his own post into the danger zone, but the east Belfast hero, who has committed to a remarkable 24th consecutive campaign of Irish League football, was denied when Kristian Webster popped up seemingly out of nowhere to clear.
Barely a second had passed before respected official Davey sounded his whistle for the conclusion of this affair.
The chances were there for a goal for the hosts, but a shut-out success for the guests from across the Irish Sea was ultimately procured.
Feeney delivered a forthright analysis that reflected the high demands he has of his squad. While acknowledging the skill and ability of Rangers ‘B’, his feelings on where Bangor must look for improvements have only been embellished.
“I thought we were outclassed tonight, if I’m being honest,” he reflected.
“We faced a young, quick, energetic team who were well-drilled, well-organised and knew everything they had to do, they knew all their roles and worked in their roles within the system.
“We faced a young, quick, energetic team who were well-drilled, well-organised and knew everything they had to do, they knew all their roles and worked in their roles within the system”
Bangor manager Lee Feeney was all too keen to praise Rangers ‘B’ for their system and approach to the game
“That’s a different test to what we’re used to, absolutely. The speed they knocked the ball about, the movement off the ball, that was a new level that we had to compete with.
“The level of chances that we created, we just didn’t do enough in front of goal for my liking. They played Crusaders on Saturday, that wasn’t a Crusaders team at full strength but they created more chances than we did. It looked like there was a chance to get at them and, to be fair, we had a few good goal-bound looks at points, but they were few and far between.”
The quotes section:
“We faced a young, quick, energetic team who were well-drilled, well-organised and knew everything they had to do, they knew all their roles and worked in their roles within the system. That’s a different test to what we’re used to, absolutely. The speed they knocked the ball about, the movement off the ball, that was a new level that we had to compete with. The level of chances that we created, we just didn’t do enough in front of goal for my liking. They played Crusaders on Saturday, that wasn’t a Crusaders team at full strength but they created more chances than we did. It looked like there was a chance to get at them and, to be fair, we had a few good goal-bound looks at points, but they were few and far between” – there were plenty of takeaways for Bangor boss Lee Feeney. Image from Jordan Connolly/Life Through A Lens NI.
45-year-old Feeney, who penned a two-year contract extension in June, finds his belief only reaffirmed that the hard work is still there to do in advance of a Playr-Fit Championship campaign that holds much promise in store.
The players have been building up to the club’s first second-tier fixture in over seven years, against Ballyclare Comrades at their Dixon Park home arena on August 5, with the pre-season itinerary often including such tests as these against clubs that are higher-ranked on paper.
The Kilkeel supremo insists the grafting will continue as Bangor further sharpen their blade.
“There will be players coming in, there’s lots of work to do before the new season starts,” Feeney continued.
“Two of the top performers I’d single out were actually two of the trialists we had in the squad tonight, two young lads who featured in the defence – I was impressed by them, the way they matched up to the pace of the game and composed themselves.
“Two of the top performers I’d single out were actually two of the trialists we had in the squad tonight, two young lads who featured in the defence”
Two young talents among the defensive line caught Lee Feeney’s eye during the friendly match against Rangers ‘B’.
“As young players, they’re ones who’ll come out of a game like this and have learnt something new; that’s a positive I’ll take from tonight.
“We’re playing a high calibre of opposition, no doubt about that, but I know we can be better too.”
Having been introduced to the fold as a substitute, popular and versatile Scott McArthur set about making his impression felt on the game against Rangers ‘B’ and delivered a bit of injection through his high work-rate out of possession and dribbling at opposition players. Image from Sarah Harkness.
Meanwhile, Reece Neale feels the challenge of facing a full-time team is one Bangor must face up to in this day and age, much in part due to their existence within the Irish League in the present day.
“Tough, obviously,” the younger of the Neale brothers admitted on the examination that Rangers posed on Tuesday night. “They’re a full-time team we’re playing and they were probably what we’d have expected to face up to tonight, we couldn’t have expected any different in terms of the way they play.
“There was a bit of a learning curve that comes with that, there’s things we can take away and we can take that on board and get better as a collective.
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“They’re a full-time team we’re playing and they were probably what we’d have expected to face up to tonight, we couldn’t have expected any different in terms of the way they play. There was a bit of a learning curve that comes with that, there’s things we can take away and we can take that on board and get better as a collective” – there were takeaways to be had for Reece Neale and Co from their friendly encounter with Rangers ‘B’ on Tuesday night. Image from Sarah Harkness.
“In terms of the movement and speed they (Rangers) pass the ball at, it asked questions of us and how we would react to that. I felt we played some good football at points and we grew into the game.
“But there’s teams in the Irish League that are like this too, full-time football’s been growing here over the past few years and it is a challenge that is closer to home now. You look at Larne and their way of doing things as a full-time club, Linfield as well, so that’s the level we want to build up to, that’s the bar that’s being set and, 100 per cent, we have to work towards reaching that bar.”
“That’s the level we want to build up to, that’s the bar that’s being set and, 100 per cent, we have to work towards reaching that bar”
Reece Neale has his eyes firmly cast on further improvement in the weeks and months to come in order to fulfil long-term targets
25-year-old Reece’s spirits are certainly no less dampened going into the season coming. It is a league he has clinched promotion from once before, achieving the feat via the play-off as a Carrick Rangers player in 2019, and he is aware that thrills and spills are par for the course.
“We’re not quite at full strength yet – we’ve still a few players to come back, hopefully a few more come in and probably a bit of activity can be expected over the next weeks,” he adds.
“The summer’s flew by honestly, we only maybe got a break of three, four weeks and we’re straight back into training and we’re getting ready for next season, which only starts a few weeks from now.
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The summer’s flew by honestly, we only maybe got a break of three, four weeks and we’re straight back into training and we’re getting ready for next season, which only starts a few weeks from now. I think if we’re able to keep 85, 90 per cent of our squad from last season and we bring in a few more who can increase the overall quality of the team, and keep pushing us as a whole, then we have a great shot at a top-six finish as a baseline target” – fans’ favourite Reece Neale retains high hopes regarding where Bangor can finish in the Championship this season. Image from Sarah Harkness.
“I think if we’re able to keep 85, 90 per cent of our squad from last season and we bring in a few more who can increase the overall quality of the team, and keep pushing us as a whole, then we have a great shot at a top-six finish as a baseline target.
“You’ve got to aim high – if you don’t aim high, if you’re not ambitious, then there’s not really much point in us playing this game, is there? So that’s what we’re going to do.”
“If you don’t aim high, if you’re not ambitious, then there’s not really much point in us playing this game, is there?”
A winning mentality is firmly imbued in Reece Neale by this point, and he is ready to produce the goods once more next term
The Rangers match-up came fresh on the back of a double-header the previous Saturday, in which two squads were named to tussle with Queen’s University at Clandeboye Park and Ards Rangers at their Newtownards home of Drome Park.
Player spotlight:
The hotly anticipated return of the sharp-shooting Adam Neale against Queen’s University was not to leave supporters wanting, with the former Rathfriland marksman finding the net twice during Bangor’s 5-0 triumph over Queen’s University in what was a double-header of fixtures last campaign. Image from Sarah Harkness.
While there was disappointment in the latter as that select side succumbed to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of a crafty Amateur League opponent, goals flowed the direction home fans would have liked on their home soil.
Adam Neale hit the mark twice, while further strikes from Dylan O’Kane, Jordan Hughes and Michael Halliday helped solidify the spoils by way of a thumping 5-0 victory. It was against the Students when Bangor confirmed their clinching of the Premier Intermediate title, and they brought their winning count against the educational institution to four out of five in the last 12 months – even if this one was not to come in an official context.
This weekend, it may not be a directly concurrent couplet but there are still two matches that will satisfy your football fix.
This Friday, July 21, Bangor entertain Amateur League side Rosario at Clandeboye Park, with kick-off timetabled for 7:45pm, while the following day (July 22), it is a trip to north Belfast to encounter old Ballymena League foes Brantwood. That clash at Skegoneill takes place at 2pm.
The respective third-to-last and penultimate games on the planning board, the new season is dawning swiftly, and your support in the build-up to a fresh escapade is much appreciated.
The home stretch of Bangor FC Ladies’ campaign can also be looked forward to with optimism.
Following a three-week summer pause, the Yellows are back on the battlefield and at home this Wednesday coming (July 26), when they bid to seal a league double over Belfast Celtic Ladies and bolster their points total with just three Championship outings remaining.
Player spotlight:
With a remarkable 21 goals this campaign – and not more but for a hamstring injury that kept her on the sidelines for a number of weeks – the formidable goal-getting exploits of Amber Dempster have underpinned Bangor FC Ladies’ bid to secure a top-three finish and mark a successful first year in charge for Ethan Boylan. She netted a hat-trick against Belfast Celtic in the first meeting on May 17. Image from Sarah Harkness.
As Ethan Boylan targets a top-three finish with Lisburn Rangers Ladies and Ballyclare Comrades Ladies some distance away in the top two positions, the manager will feel successive home showdowns against Belfast Celtic – a hat-trick by Amber Dempster complemented well-taken strikes by Olivia Brown and Toni Stewart for a 5-1 victory in the first duel in mid-May – and Foyle Belles are great opportunities to get points on the board.
Kick-off at Clandeboye Park this Wednesday is at 7:30pm.
Delight as Adam Neale commits to two-year deal while Jack Henderson returns
In other news this week, you would have been hard-pressed to wipe the smiles off supporters’ faces at the news of Adam Neale’s re-committal to Bangor.
On Wednesday, confirmation of the sharp-shooter’s inking of a two-year deal brought delight among the faithful that the Ballynahinch goal-getter would continue to lead the Seasider line for some time yet.
30-year-old Neale, who returned from holiday last week to bag a couple of goals against Queen’s University in a thumping 5-0 success last Saturday, etched himself into yellow and blue hearts for his rampant scoring exploits, arriving from Rathfriland in autumn 2022 and leaving a blaze in his wake by the season’s end.
The stats that matter (2022/23):
- Age: 30
- Joined Bangor: September 2022
- Previous clubs: Linfield Swifts, Loughgall, Dundela, Killyleagh YC, Rathfriland
- Position: striker
- Appearances (2022/23): 29
- Goals (2022/23): 27 (27 overall)
- Assists (2022/23): five
- Minutes played (2022/23): 2,355 (26.2 full 90s)
The statistics speak for themselves – 27 goals in just 29 appearances, including a joint-league-high 20 alongside his partner-in-crime Ben Arthurs in the Premier Intermediate League, finding the net in a remarkable 23 of those matches. With the headed winner in the Christmas Eve Steel and Sons Cup decider, the penalty box predator was a front-and-centre feature of an all-time great Seagulls campaign, making it a quartet of honours in the space of 12 months that reflects his fear factor.
The former Killyleagh YC frontman, who celebrated turning 30 just last month, averaged one goal involvement every 73.6 minutes across all competitions, and scored against 11 of the 12 sides in the PIL last term ever since opening his account deep into added time as a substitute against Ballymacash Rangers on September 24.
Player spotlight:
With both Ben Arthurs and Adam Neale now tied down to two-year contracts, Bangor have managed to secure their firepower going into next campaign with the strikers having managed 58 goals between them across all competitions throughout 2022-23. Image from Sarah Harkness.
He will undeniably have his settings adjusted for more finishing gluts when he embarks on a brand new Playr-Fit Championship adventure.
And Bangor have also made their first new signing of the summer transfer window – though, all the same, a familiar face from recent times.
Midfielder Jack Henderson (22) featured for the club during the tumultuous Covid campaign that never was throughout 2020 and 2021. Initially arriving as a recommended teenage prodigy from Glentoran’s Academy, he rose to become a starter in the centre of the park during the early knockings of Feeney’s reign.
Now, following a two-year stint with Ballymena United that included a substitute appearance in the 2022 Irish Cup Final – ironically, it was current Sky Blue Johnny McMurray who left him and his team-mates heartbroken with a last-gasp extra-time winner for Crusaders – he is featuring once more for his home town team and newly reunited with Feeney and his staff.
Stat attack:
- An 82nd-minute substitute in the 2022 Irish Cup Final where he could be counted alongside such impressive performers as future Premiership Player of the Season Leroy Millar, Henderson has built up some experience playing on grand levels
He departed Ballymena just before the end of last campaign to conclude his studies in the United States, and, after agreeing on a deal to don the Bangor shirt once more, has made a speedy return to the Irish League stage.
A fresh face for this season but not one who is foreign to these shores, Jack Henderson enjoyed a season-long stint with Bangor back in 2020-21 in which his commanding performances from midfield often caught the eye. He was snapped up as a teenager from Glentoran’s second string and has since had a worthwhile two-year spell at Ballymena United. Image from Gary Carson.
He joins captain Lewis Harrison, Karl Devine, Dylan O’Kane and Aaron Harris as central options ahead of next term.
Featured image from Rangers ‘B’ Social Media.
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