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Another week,
another inconsistent display from Bangor in the Premier League. This time
they faced Civil Service at home and managed to scramble a 2-2 draw from a
poor display.
On the back of two good
performances, against North Down and Lisnagarvey, Bangor entered the game
full of confidence and this was perhaps their undoing.
Gaining just one point from a home
game against relegation candidates Civil Service is patently not good
enough for a team with top three aspirations.
The only bright spark that can be
gained from the game was a brief period of dominance in the second half
that yielded two goals and ensure Bangor got something out of the fixture.
Apart from that the home side were ineffectual against one of the weaker
sides in the Premier League.
Despite considerable possession in
the first half Bangor could not produce any clear cut opportunities and
had to make do with a penalty corner effort from Mark Daniel and a pushed
shot from the hard working Gareth Morton.
Too many times the final pass was
inaccurate and although the work of the tenacious Civil Service midfield
was partly responsible for this Bangor must expect to do better. They were
even given an early warning of the problems to come when Aaron Gill was
gifted the ball and shot over on his reverse side.
Civil Service took the lead when
they broke and Peter Johnston was given too much time at the top of the
circle and he took his time to beat John Tormey in the Bangor goal before
shooting past Jervis Fleming on the line.
Just before the break Civil Service
extended their lead, again through Johnston. After winning a free hit
himself he ran on and then unmarked, received a pass from elder brother
Andrew that he deflected into the roof of the net.
Being 2-0 down at the break at home
Bangor expected a rocket from coach Johnny Todd and that's exactly what
they got. it clearly worked because for 10 minutes Bangor turned it on and
pulled level in the game. From the first penalty corner of the half Daniel
fired in a low flick to make it 2-1 and this lifted the home side as they
searched for an equaliser.
After a few chances had gone a
begging in and around the circle the equaliser came from an unlikely
source and in a very peculiar way. Bangor won a free hit at the top of the
circle and Dowie Holley played a quick pass to Nicky Blease and he
deflected the ball towards the goal. Despite Blease clearing playing the
ball in the circle the Civil Service goalkeeper Dale McNeill decided to
leave it and jumped over it, paving the way for a surprised celebration
from Bangor.
Both sides had chances to grab the
three points with Johnston narrowly missing his hat-trick and Hunter
firing wide for Bangor after a good run from Michael Harte. Bangor also
went close again from Daniel and Adam Reading penalty corners but could
not find the winner as they returned to the bad habits of the first half.
It was a disappointing display and
return from a game that would have been targeted for three points at the
outset of the season and this week it gets much more difficult when Bangor
travel to the newly crowned league champions Annadale at Lough Moss,
Carryduff.
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