Bangor 1 v 2 Instonians

Bangor returned to league action last Saturday, and to the ground with a bump, as they lost 2-1 to Instonians at Ballykillare.

After almost two months unbeaten the Seasiders good run ended with a whimper rather than a bang as a failure to take their chances when they were the better team cost them dear.

At no stage were Instonians poor on Saturday but Bangor bossed them so much in the first half it was surprising that they did not go into the interval more than one goal to the good.

As is so often the case in sport, letting their opponents off the hook came back to haunt Bangor and in the end Instonians could have mustered more than two goals as the home side chased a point in the closing stages.

But let's not take away from Bangor's superb first half display. They may have not finished the job off but they showed, once again, that if they apply themselves they can deal with anyone. Interestingly, Instonians may well be Bangor's opponents in the Anderson Cup semi-finals later this month and they will not take them lightly.

That game is to be played at Instonians superb new facilities at Shaw's Bridge on February 25, as part of a double-header, and not in Banbridge as your correspondent wrongly suggested last week. Apologies for the mistake and hopefully no one has already booked bus tickets to Banbridge.

In the first half the Bangor rearguard was watertight with goalkeeper John Tormey rarely troubled. Defenders Stewart Kirk, Adam Reading and the newly crowned club player of the month Gareth Kidd were all on top form and Instonians never really looked like scoring.

But Bangor did. Throughout the half chances were created and Chris Campbell, David McClune and Mark Lappin all went extremely close to breaking the deadlock. However, as has happened with increasingly regularity, it was left to Reading and a set-piece. From Bangor's first such award he strode from the back and found the bottom corner with ease to make it 1-0 to the home side.

After a rousing half-time team talk Instonians came out determined in the second period and their Irish internationals, in particular, upped their games. It was hardly a surprise when Mark Irwin won a penalty corner and after a prolonged scramble Chris Kirk was able to fire home at the back post.

At this stage the fight, determination and intelligence which Bangor had shown in spades throughout the first half seemed to evaporate and Instonians began to dominate. Midway through the half they took the lead when Ulster's leading penalty corner exponent, Chris Barnes, rattled an unstoppable effort in off the crossbar.

Bangor now had little option but to go for it but try as they might they couldn't get through a defence well organised by Irish captain Patrick Brown. As they threw more and more men forward, with even Michael Harte leading the line in the latter stages, the defence became exposed and it was through no fault of theirs that Instonians were finding bigger and bigger spaces.

Barnes twice went close, once being thwarted by Tormey and once, again, hitting the wookwork, but this time it bounced to safety.

Alas, Bangor could not find a way into the game and lost valuable ground on their rivals in a league race for All-Ireland places that will go all the way to the final weekend of the season. This week Bangor travel to Kilkeel in the league and will need to return home with three points if they are to keep dreams of competing in the All-Ireland stage of the season alive.