Last weekend’s Championship action saw a curious results slate – and even by the typically atypical nature of the second-flight that has become its unique selling point, it made for even more intriguing reading than normal.
For the first time this campaign, not a single home win was recorded from the standard six-game Saturday itinerary.
There were five away victories and a goalless draw; Institute were the sole outfit to fail to claim three points on the road, while Annagh United were the only team to avoid defeat at home.
Victories for Bangor, Portadown and Ballyclare Comrades – third, fourth and fifth-placed in the table respectively – mean just a point splits the trio after all three moved into 40-point territory.
Dundela recovered from a three-game losing slump to take the maximum spoils at bottom side Knockbreda, with Willie Faulkner’s solitary finish 10 minutes from time doing the trick for Stephen Gourley’s men, while Ballinamallard United – in ninth – also left it late to see off Ards and inch north of 30 points.
The middle ground has stayed congested all season, and just 10 points separate the Mallards from Bangor, who themselves only trail Institute in the play-off berth by three points having played a match fewer.
Significantly, the league-leading Duns, who were beaten at home by ‘Stute in that midweek dust-up for a third straight 2-1 reversal, travel to Clandeboye Park to take on Lee Feeney’s Seasiders for a battle that will ask serious questions of both teams’ title credentials.
The visitors will hope that a positive omen comes in the form of one point out of a possible 24 being picked up by home teams in the second-tier in 2024 – somehow a stat that feels less shocking than it is – but they also know that they are facing an opponent that stayed right in tune with their formidable recent run at the weekend.
Dating back to the mid-November, the league’s newly promoted club in 2023/24 have played nine games across all competitions; they have won seven, drawn two and lost none that makes them the Championship’s form team.
Newington were the most recent opponents to take three points against the north Down panel – a 2-1 success at Inver Park on November 11, when Zach Barr and Neil Cummings hit the target in the second half before Ben Arthurs slotted home a late consolation – but on their return to Larne, it proved Bangor’s day; Arthurs bulleting home a header in between two Scott McArthur strikes before Fra Rice bagged one for the hosts in a 3-1 away triumph.
The match also saw three high-pedigree winter arrivals debut in full for the Yellows wearing changed white.
Centre-back Howard Beverland and midfielder Tiarnan Mulvenna, as well as esteemed right wing-back Conor McDermott, slotted in seamlessly; the latter, Coleraine’s Player of the Season last year, notched up an assist with not even three minutes gone in east Antrim when he astutely teed up McArthur’s deadlock-breaker.
The margin for error has been at a premium, but 26 goals scored in those nine outings would imply last term’s PIL winners are as rich in creativity and scoring panache as ever presently.
It’s a threat Dundela, who have held the whip hand in the title race for some time, will back themselves to subdue.
In his first season as a manager at a club where he was highly regarded as a player, Gourley’s Duns have scooped up 15 wins from their 22 league outings to date but hit the buffers with defeats to ‘Stute and local rivals Harland and Wolff Welders prior to their slender success in Breda Park on Saturday.
They also suffered elimination from the Irish Cup at the hands of Newington, meaning their focus is exclusively on the Championship henceforth.
Leading by two points having also played a couple of matches fewer than Institute, they had the chance to tighten their charge even more but, despite the lightning quick and fleet-footed Jordan Jenkins powering them into the lead, Mikhail Kennedy and Kirk McLaughlin sparked a stunning turnaround at Wilgar Park that shot the north-west squad to success and ensured Kevin Deery’s automatic promotion hopefuls kept their fire burning bright.
The Hen Run institution enter another top-of-the-table stand-off here, and though they’ve already beaten Bangor once thanks to Lee Rea’s double in August, they know well that the division takes no prisoners.
Quality in their ranks comes in the form of Jenkins – who has 11 league goals this campaign – Faulkner, Andy Hall, Charlie Dornan, Dee McMaster, Jaimie McGovern, Jake Corbett, Anto Burns and Jay Magee, as a club ostensibly preparing for Premiership football hopes to fulfil that ambition sooner rather than later.
With Ballyclare and Portadown breathing down Bangor’s necks too, the pressure isn’t limited to the pacesetters.
Unexpectedly thrust into the title conversation on the back of picking up 20 points from the last 24 on offer – and it could’ve been a full complement; they ceded two-goal leads against both Portadown and Ards to settle for 2-2 draws – the Friday night lights have largely shone favourably on the Seasiders and a bumper support will hope for more of the same here.
Arthurs, like Jenkins, is on 11 league goals and 17 across all competitions, pitting a very obvious striker battle at play, while Championship Player of the Month Lewis Francis received the honour for December on the back of four goals in the 12th month alone from centre-back. Factor in the new arrivals and those who have hit stride, such as McArthur, and you have a well-built squad that still feels like it is on an upward trajectory.
The teams do battle on a Tuesday night at Wilgar Park next month as well, but Friday’s clash carries huge significance. Rea’s brace was the deciding factor in August, but new heroes can step up as we enter part three of the pre-split.
Those in the vicinity, the ‘Stutes, the Ballyclares, the Portadowns, will watch closely and know the score as they aim to pounce when their moment falls. This could be a real day of decision… and not one for firing blanks.
Featured image from Gary Carson/Bangor FC Media.
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