Annadale 6 v 1 Bangor

Bangor's run of good form and encouraging results came to a shuddering halt on Saturday as reigning league champions Annadale handed them a lesson in pacy, attacking hockey, winning 6-1.
The Carryduff side were gearing up for their clash with Lisnagarvey in the Irish Senior Cup this weekend and despite Bangor's best efforts they were swept aside.
Bangor were without top scorer Adam Reading, Stewart Kirk and Michael Harte was hindered by a rib injury but still the scoreline was a disappointment.
The only encouragement was another promising display from teenager Patrick McAllister and the way in which Bangor fought to the end scoring an overtime goal with the last touch of the game.
It could have all been so much different when Bangor met Annadale head on in the first half and were only behind because of the excellence of Ian Hamilton from penalty corners. Annadale won two set-pieces, Bangor one but it was the league champions who took a 2-0 lead into the break.
Annadale were more dominant in both possession and territory but Bangor will know that they allowed the home side very few open play chances and they relied solely on the ability of Hamilton from penalty corners.
But the warning signs for the second period were there for all to see with current Irish international Ian Lewers and former international David Smyth running the game from in their own half.
Bangor kept it tight for the opening exchanges of the second half and it wasn't until the 53rd minute that the third goal came. It was Lewers who started it and the younger Hamilton, Neil, was left with a simple tap-in to join his brother on the scoresheet.
Within a minute the score had been increased to 4-0 when Paul Jackson was again the beneficiary of another neat move and left with a straight forward back post finish.
With 10 minutes to go Bangor pushed forward in search of something from the game. This inevitably left the defence exposed at the back and Annadale were savvy enough to exploit the wide open spaces on the Lough Moss pitch. Lewers got the remaining goals that his performance deserved, by getting on the end of sweeping counter attacks that left goalkeeper John Tormey horribly exposed.
As the final whistle sounded Bangor won their second penalty corner of the game and although Mark Lappin's initial shot was saved his persistence got him another chance and the ball squirmed under the goalkeeper and into the goal.
The Seasiders have no game this Saturday because of the Irish Senior Cup but will have to prepare diligently for the following weekend when they face Lisnagarvey in the league and on the Sunday play Instonians in the semi-final of the Anderson Cup.