Nights like these, huh. After taking down Ards for the first time in 12 long years a fortnight ago, it had been more than twice that span since Bangor had got the better of Portadown – but records are there to be broken, and as it proved, the Seasiders produced the best version of themselves to record a first victory over the Co Armagh club this millennium.
While the visitors were cast as firm underdogs against a Ports team stacked with Premiership-calibre talent, the newly promoted side from the PIL were greater than the sum of their parts and turned out a magnificent display that was good enough to record three more points for the season tally. Lee Feeney’s first away triumph in the second-tier left a sweet taste in the mouths of the players, fans and coaches alike on the road home, especially in the warm knowledge that new history had been made and created as hoped.
All smiles for Seasider camp after titanic shift prises the points from Shamrock
Entering this third straight Friday kick-off, Bangor’s intention would have been to swing the pendulum in their favour – in more ways than one.
Their record in the previous quartet of fixtures on the fifth day of the week was a rather even picture. Two wins, two defeats.
Victory versus Ballymacash and Ards. Defeat to Crusaders and Dundela.
But, in a priority context from manager Lee Feeney’s point of view, it was about returning to winning ways after the Duns rained on the Seasiders’ parade seven days prior.
The task to put that right could hardly have been bigger.
Facing Niall Currie and his fighting Portadown soldiers on their home Shamrock Park turf, this match pitted this season’s new boys of the Playr-Fit Championship against the consensus league favourites. And having brought a host of top-flight talent to Mid Ulster for this campaign, the Ports did not enter the second-tier with a plan to remain there.
In what was the first league meeting of these two clubs since 1996, the Yellows had not tasted the fruits of three points against their red-shirted opponents in almost 30 years.
A huge effort would be required to turn the tables. There was, at least, the bonus of slightly more favourable conditions – against Dundela, the result offered no feelings of calm after the storm named Betty.
Starting line-up
Manager Lee Feeney opted to make a couple of alterations to his line-up, with striker Ben Cushnie coming into the fold up top while Gareth Beattie returned at right wing-back having not started since the opening day encounter with Ballyclare Comrades. Image from myself.
Feeney made a handful of alterations to the team that were beaten 2-1 by the Wilgar Park men. Gareth Beattie returned to the starting line-up having pulled through a hamstring strain, while the set-up for Ben Arthurs’ deficit-cutter in the second half was enough to reward Ben Cushnie with his first competitive start of his season-long loan.
The Glentoran product, who is on his third temporary spell away from the east Belfast giants this term, featured alongside Arthurs as a two-pronged line – to the surprise of some, Adam Neale was dropped to the bench – while Beattie entered in place of Tom Mathieson at right wing-back and was tasked with offering forward momentum.
Substitutes:
Among the available resources in reserve were Adam Neale, who was named among the substitutes for this duel with Portadown having started the first three, as well as Michael Halliday, who remains a skilful focal point at the age of 44. Image from myself.
If not anything torrential, it was still a rather miserly evening but, backed by a loud and proud contingent of around 100 travelling supporters behind the goal the players were shooting towards in the first half, Bangor had no shortage of hope.
The players fed off that in the burgeoning stages.
Stat attack:
If you recognise Gareth Buchanan’s name, you are not mistaken. He was in goal for Dollingstown on the day Ben Arthurs became Bangor’s third goal centurion, which he sealed with a hat-trick at Planters Park in March of this year.
Feeney had clearly instructed his players to seize the initiative because, during the opening minutes, it was his team that started on the front foot.
Just five minutes in, a tester in earnest by Arthurs almost caught Portadown stopper Gareth Buchanan off-guard.
The Kircubbin line-leader let fly from 25 yards out, and called Buchanan to tip around his right-hand post; from the subsequent corner, Arthurs again caught it on his head from Jack Henderson’s delivery, but merely a glancing connection could be applied as the opportunity evaporated.
The visitors’ early threat wasn’t to wane thereafter, though – and on 12 minutes, Buchanan was beaten.
McArthur is taking the second-tier like a duck to water, carrying an enhanced ruthless edge having entered with a direct involvement in three goals to date.
But he hasn’t scored a goal better than this one.
After Caolin Coyle was dispossessed around the halfway line under the pressure of Arthurs and Cushnie, McArthur emerged with possession and seared into the Portadown half.
He just went on, and on, and on. Skipping by the challenge of Ports skipper Paddy McNally, the 24-year-old cut in and let fly from 20 yards without breaking stride.
And although defensive duo Ross Redman and Chris Rodgers were in recovery, McArthur pierced the ball like a needle through both and picked out the bottom left with natural aplomb, racing to the away stand and taking in the celebrations of the Seasider following.
The 12th-minute dagger came from the man with No.12 on his back. How the Bangor native was the toast of his team-mates now; there was no stopping the scenes of jubilation as a player with four trophies in his haul now had a trophy goal to go with it.
Well, that we know after 78 more minutes had elapsed.
Seizing the moment:
It was an incredible moment for Bangor’s Scott McArthur, who delivered a sublime finish 12 minutes into the Seasiders’ trip to Portadown that ultimately yielded the club all three points against their illustrious hosts. The 24-year-old has been in exceptional form in recent weeks. Image from Gary Carson.
The giant awoke in Portadown almost instantly.
Only three minutes later, Lee Chapman cut inside from the left in pursuit of swift parity, though his right-footed shot sailed up and over the bar; with 21 minutes gone, Paul McElroy twisted and turned but again fired above the top upright after swivelling by Ben Walker.
There were six new arrivals in the Portadown starting line-up on Friday
- Gareth Buchanan (Dollingstown), Caolin Coyle (Dungannon Swifts), Ross Redman (Ballymena United), Kenny Kane (Ballymena United), Eamon Fyfe (Coleraine, on loan), Gary Thompson (Crusaders)
In between those chances, Mathieson – whose break from wing-back duties lasted only 10 minutes when Beattie was forced off with what has since been revealed as a fractured fibula – saw an enterprising effort deflect for a flag-kick to sum up an increasing end-to-end nature.
Injury blow:
There was a sucker punch early on for Bangor, with right wing-back Gareth Beattie sustaining an injury only 10 minutes into proceedings at Shamrock Park. He faces a spell on the sidelines after fractures in his leg were revealed as the cause of the injury, having to be transported to hospital where a diagnosis that will keep him out of action for an extended period was revealed. Speedy recovery Beats! Image from Sarah Harkness.
Eamon Fyfe got in on the act with two testing opportunities before the half-hour. First, he checked onto Redman’s sublime cross from the left only to direct a tame header for James Taylor to collect, while on 28 minutes, the Coleraine loanee similarly used his head but could not keep the ball under Taylor’s crossbar.
End-to-end had been replaced with more sustained Portadown pressure.
Stat attack:
Portadown have tended to offer an attacking threat all across their games so far. Two of their five goals prior to kick-off came in the first half – Caolin Coyle against Dergview and Ryan Mayse six days prior versus Ballyclare Comrades – and three in the second period, with Eamon Fyfe, Paul McElroy and Eoin Bradley contributing.
It didn’t stop. Hearts were in Bangor mouths on 30 minutes at the sight of Taylor – donning his alternate green outfit between the sticks – flinging off his goalline to come out second-best in the race for the ball.
Thankfully, his defence teamed up and stubbornly blocked the ensuing effort to stab home an equaliser.
More sustained Portadown pressure was then replaced with those in changed white trying to go for the jugular.
Within three minutes of the half’s end, three goal-bound looks went begging. On 42 minutes, two were spurned in quick succession when Cushnie was blocked before Arthurs shot over, while Reece Neale’s free-kick (44′) was also to rise a pinch too high in the hunt for a second.
Going for the jugular was followed by Stewart Long’s half-time whistle.
From both ends, a pulsating half had ensued where a full expanse of emotions had been felt.
The pre-match favourites found themselves with a mountain to scale, but you could not discount their willingness to correct the record given that – as it stood at the interval – successive defeats were what they would be destined for.
Having tasted a bitter reversal the previous weekend, when Ryan Mayse’s third-minute finish was cancelled out by Gary Donnelly and Calvin McCurry finishes that completed a comeback success for Ballyclare Comrades at Dixon Park, Portadown would not have been keen to see that loss extend into a streak of more than one.
A double substitution for the start of the second period signalled Currie’s intent to fight back – Mayse was one of those to be introduced, replacing new boy Kenny Kane – but, in truth, it ignited for neither side immediately after Long whistled for play to restart.
On the pitch, that is; it was a different story in the dugout.
Seeing red:
Curiously, while a Bangor player has not been sent off in almost 18 months, there have been two red cards brandished to members of Lee Feeney’s backroom staff. After kitman Bradley Ferguson was dismissed against Albert Foundry last October, assistant boss John Douglas saw red in the Seasiders’ eventual victory over Portadown. Image from Sarah Harkness.
A red card was even brandished 54 minutes into proceedings in the direction of Bangor assistant boss John Douglas, who it seemed had said something out of turn that enticed Long to send the Belfast man for his marching orders.
The Seagulls on grass swooped in and laid down their gauntlet just before the hour, meanwhile, when Cushnie’s low shot was stopped by Buchanan following a clever McArthur lay-off.
Starting point:
After his crafty free-kick delivery set up Ben Arthurs to head home against Dundela, it felt like only a matter of time before Ben Cushnie would have received his first start for Bangor. He duly did just that against Portadown, and his work-rate coupled with run-making off the ball made the Glentoran loanee a constant thorn in the side of the opposition defence. Image from Gary Carson.
What followed, though, was backs-to-the-wall stuff.
With 64 minutes played, Dale Montgomery – the second half-time sub, who was like-for-like in replacing Coyle at right-back – slipped in Fyfe, who again rushed in ahead of Taylor to fire goal-bound.
Alert and back was Sean Brown; the Larne loanee hurried the ball away as it had looked set to trickle over for a Ports equaliser.
A minute later from the subsequent corner kick, Redman curled enterprisingly over the crossbar before another attempt by livewire Fyfe – the 25-year-old’s departure from Dundela to Coleraine in the winter was on the back of such impressive displays under his now-boss at Portadown, Currie – inched wide of the target 20 minutes from time.
If that was the four-time Irish League champions upping the ante, the ensuing 10 minutes were the pressure cooker.
And in their path was a former Glenavon goalie giving them the Blues.
On 72 minutes, Redman swept the ball into the danger zone and found his former Ballymena United comrade McElroy free and within point-blank range.
Once he got a head on it, the home bums were off their seats ready to celebrate and rejoice – yet Taylor truly pulled off the most remarkable of stops, somehow turning the striker’s effort around the post.
There was utter disbelief around the ground as to just how Portadown had not pegged back. Amid all the euphoria, you just had to stand and applaud a remarkable piece of goalkeeping.
Four minutes later, 39-year-old Taylor proved he wasn’t playing around. It was from a left-sided corner that McNally – who achieved promotion from the second-flight with Larne in 2019 – towered above the rest, heading downward only for the man in luminated green to pull off another act of heroism and usher away with his feet.
Player spotlight:
Goalkeepers can so often prove the difference between points gained and points lost in a match, and that was certainly the case against Portadown, where two of the stops pulled off by James Taylor kept Bangor in front during the second half. His double stop from firstly Paul McElroy and then Paddy McNally in the space of just four minutes were two of the finest point-blank saves he will produce all season. Image from Jordan Connolly/Life Through A Lens NI.
Split-second moments so often define matches, and it was no less true here. Taylor was on top form.
It was slightly more routine for him eight minutes from time when he made a double-save from Mayse – the former Dungannon Swifts skipper flashed a well-struck distance drive that was returned to sender by the ‘keeper’s fists, before a tame header was safely clutched by a shot-stopper en route to a 22nd clean sheet in Bangor colours.
The value of a good goalkeeper could scarcely have been better illustrated. So integral to the promotion push, he was proving his worth in the second-flight.
From there, game management was the task. Seeing out the spoils professionally and not letting a historic moment as sweet as what remains of the summer wine slip under their noses.
Thankfully, said management was on-point.
After five minutes of additional time, Long signalled for time. Bangor had won.
But this wasn’t just any win.
The full-time whistle was greeted with a chorus of cheer. Those in white, this affable band of brothers who wear the badge with such pride and distinction, threw punches into the air to commemorate this most famous of victories.
After the hugs and the high fives and the happiness amongst themselves, the full contingent walked over to the away end to share the moment with those who backed them to the hilt.
How far away the misery of half a dozen years ago felt, when regional football was the rueful avenue that would be taken.
This rebuilding job is a work well under way. But such a success as this feels like a timeless one.
McArthur’s winning goal may have came with well over five-sixths of the contest still to play but, as a player who is now in his third different league wearing the Seasider strip, an occasion such as this especially resonates with the former Stirling University star.
He felt the result was no less than Bangor deserved.
“I thought we were excellent from start to finish,” he reflected. “We played really good football, especially in the first half.
“Lee (Feeney) wanted us to play out from the back and be confident on the ball from the start. I believe we could’ve went into half-time two or three goals up.
The quotes section:
“I thought we were excellent from start to finish. We played really good football, especially in the first half. Lee (Feeney) wanted us to play out from the back and be confident on the ball from the start. I believe we could’ve went into half-time two or three goals up” – Bangor’s goal hero Scott McArthur was full of praise for a fine first half. Image from Gary Carson.
“The second half, we had less of the ball and had our back to goal at parts, but we showed desire and togetherness and thoroughly deserved the win.”
“We showed desire and togetherness and thoroughly deserved the win”
Scott McArthur praised the level of belief and resistance Bangor showed in the second half to see out the victory
Many supporters have keenly pointed out that McArthur’s scoring and creative exploits – he has three goals and one assist having started all four matches to date this term – are the result of his successful adaptation to the second rung of the pyramid, and that the climate is a little different to the Premier Intermediate League.
The attacking midfielder, who first joined Bangor on an initial loan deal from rivals Ards back in January 2019, confirms that this is indeed the case.
“I find the league very exciting. Every game is competitive, with teams able to beat anyone on their day”
Scott McArthur has found the Championship to be living up to the hype in the early stages of Bangor’s adventure
“I find the league very exciting,” he admits. “Every game is competitive, with teams able to beat anyone on their day.
“The Championship so far has suited my play. I like the fast-paced environment and, hopefully, I can keep up my form.”
The quotes section:
“I find the league very exciting. Every game is competitive, with teams able to beat anyone on their day. The Championship so far has suited my play. I like the fast-paced environment and, hopefully, I can keep up my form” – Scott McArthur admits he has gained a great sense of enjoyment from playing in the Championship, which has coincided with a hot start to the season. Image from Gary Carson.
McArthur will want to remain on the goal trail this coming Saturday, when Bangor welcome Institute to Clandeboye Park.
’Stute, like the Seasiders, will make the long travel from the north west on a high, having overcome Ballyclare Comrades by a 1-0 scoreline at the Brandywell thanks to Shaun Leppard’s winner on the hour.
Next fixture:
- Bangor vs Institute – Clandeboye Park, September 2, 3pm kick-off
That outcome in the Maiden City means the two teams will take to the pitch in north Down tied on six points apiece. The visitors, who come back under Kevin Deery’s watchful eye from the sideline following Brian Donaghey’s departure at the end of last term, have enjoyed two wins – over Ballyclare and Knockbreda – alongside defeats to Portadown and Newington.
| Playr-Fit Championship | Matchday Four (25-26/8/23) | ||
| Ards | 1 | 1 | Harland and Wolff Welders |
| Dergview | 0 | 1 | Annagh United |
| Dundela | 2 | 1 | Ballinamallard United |
| Institute | 1 | 0 | Ballyclare Comrades |
| Newington | 2 | 0 | Knockbreda |
| Portadown | 0 | 1 | Bangor |
In Feeney’s mind, the best way to mark a victory is by following it up with another one, and his troops will bid to do just that back home in north Down.
But as we reflect on Friday night, you would not find a team short on confidence.
Featured image from Sarah Harkness.
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