|
Bangor's season got
off to a winning, if a little nervy, start on Saturday as they beat Senior
One side Mossley 3-2 in the Kirk Cup at Ballykillare.
With a new coaching team, several new faces and a lack of pre-season games
Bangor looked a little rusty at times but the side's experience and
ability meant they managed to see off the talented young charges from
north Belfast.
With the first game of three in their Kirk Cup group won and under their
belt, Bangor now face North Down at home this weekend with a good chance
of setting up a winner takes all game away to fellow Premier League side
Banbridge the following Saturday.
But the situation could have been very different if not for a great spell
of hockey at the end of the first half.
Bangor had controlled the early exchanges but with just 12 minutes gone
Mossley got their noses in front when Coulter flicked home from his side's
first penalty corner.
It wasn't long before Bangor were back on level terms as a sweeping move
ended up with Simon Hunter grabbing the team's first goal of the season.
New signing Mark Lappin, who made an impressive debut, played the ball to
James Browne on the byline and his clever first time cross found Hunter at
the back post for a diving tap-in to equalise.
This seemed to lift Bangor as new squad members and a few older faces
began to gel the home side dominated play more and more. With Dowie Holley
dictating from central midfield and Bangor repeatedly broke down the
attacks of Mossley and countered, creating a series of near misses for
Browne and his accomplice up front David McClune.
A penalty corner was the result of one such attack and after Michael
Harte's initial effort was saved Hunter was on hand to bundle the ball
over the line, giving Bangor the lead and continuing the dominance from
the home side.
More chances were created and a series of penalty corners won by Bangor
could not beat a determined Mossley rearguard again until just a few
minutes before the break when they strung together the move of the game. A
long corner switched back to Gareth Kidd was moved to the left through
Harte, then Lappin and from his pass Ryan Whiteside sneaked into the left
hand side of the circle. As the Mossley goalkeeper came charging off his
line the debutante kept his composure and slid the ball under him to make
it 3-1 at the break.
The first goal in the second period was always going to be pivotal. If it
went Bangor's way the young heads of the Mossley side could drop and the
floodgates might open, but if the Belfast side struck first it would mean
a tight 35 minutes with both sides thinking they could get something from
the game.
In what was hopefully not the beginning of another season of poor starts
to the second half Bangor promptly conceded and ensured the second half
would not be an easy ride. A poor pass out of defence gifted Mossley
possession high up the pitch and after two quick passes John Tormey was
beaten by a close range deflection from Moreland.
Chances were at a premium for the remainder of the game as both sides
tired in the sapping heat but Bangor will be disappointed they didn't
increase the score, with both Browne and Jeremy McAfee squandering good
chances to open their account for the season.
In defence, vice captain Adam Reading did more than anyone to keep Mossley
out in the closing stages, constantly stealing their forwards of
possession and playing the simple pass to Bangor players further forward.
There were, however, a few scares and on more than one occasion Tormey had
to rush off his line to ensure the visitors didn't draw level.
With the points in the bag Bangor can now look forward to a local derby
with North Down at Ballykillare this weekend. Last year the sides met
twice in the Premier League with a victory each. Bangor were very poor in
a 1-0 loss at Comber but got revenge with a sharp performance and 6-1 win
two weeks later. New coach Stephen Jackson will be hoping for more of the
latter and a lot less of the former this Saturday
|