Normal service was resumed on Saturday as Bangor won a potentially tricky tie against Donegal side Raphoe in Junior 1, recovering well from an unfortunate defeat to Garvey the previous week. 
Bangor started the brightest of the 2 sides with some good passing moves and the endeavor of James Browne and Ryan Whiteside on the right causing the Raphoe side early cause for concern. It was this combination that carved out an opportunity for Gareth Stranaghan, however his mis-timed shot failed to trouble the keeper. Bangor continued to have the better of the play and their good work was rewarded with a penalty corner which went narrowly wide of the goal, following the strike from Browne. 
It was at this stage that Bangor seemed to get content with their play and took their foot of the accelerator, resulting in a period of sloppy play, where passes went array and Raphoe had the opportunity to get themselves back in the game. 
 

Midfield lynch pin Scott Cooper, home for the festive period, did well in Midfield to stifle Raphoe’s  attacking ambitions supported ably by the back line of Gowdy, Irwin McCausland and McCallister, however there was little could be done when a speculative hit into the circle deflected of a Raphoe stick past keeper Thompson to give the visitors a one goal lead, punishment for Bangor’s inability to hold the ball. 
This unwelcome wake up call seemed to stir the men in Yellow and Blue to action and with little of the half remaining their passing and fluidity returned to a standard more in keeping with the capabilities of the team, not enough, however to save them from the stern reproach they were to receive at half time. 
Bangor where called to ‘up their game’ and they duly responded with the team holding onto the ball much better and playing with a fresh determination to come away from the game with a result which they truly deserved, McAfee and McNaught leading the charge making several  menacing in roads to the opposition defence. 
The whole Bangor team were now getting the feel for free flowing attacking hockey, with full backs Gowdy and McCallister now moving further up the pitch in search of goals. This added pressure undoubtedly told on the opposition defence and it was a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’ the home side would score and return parity to the scoreline. 
 

The turning point of the game happened when a free hit, hammered into the circle by McNaught was nautionately deflected into the roof of the net by Gowdy from the most acute of angles. 
The home side were obviously buoyed by the goal and continued to press forward chances falling to Stranaghan and McNaught both dealt with superbly by the Raphoe keeper. Bangor kept the pressure on and were rewarded with a penalty corner which Browne and those that live beyond the back fence at BallyK may want to forget about. 
Bangor deservedly took the lead shortly after, McNaught working his way into the circle from the left, and dispatching a vicious shot, which having taken a deflection from a defenders, stick nestled in the bottom corner of the net, bringing undoubted relief to the Bangor side and controversy with Raphoe, with them claiming that the goal should not have not been allowed, their appeals fell on deaf ears, and the goal stood. 2-1 Bangor. 
Raphoe desperately tried to get back in the game but the impenetrable defence stood firm, under excellent stewardship of Irwin and with the energetic McCausland working tirelessly. Raphoe’s desperation evidenced itself in unwelcomed form when tensions erupted, and Yellow cards where brandished, each side going a man down.  
Raphoe now seemed to have lost hope of getting anything from the game the final nail in the coffin being a goal minutes before the end of the game. A free hit from the right being controlled and dispatched by Trimble who turned well, evading the attentions of several Raphoe defenders to place the ball low to the keepers left. 3-1 
 

In the end a comfortable win for the home side whose attentions now turn to a tricky encounter with Annadale next week. Hopefully they will have learnt some lessons from this game and will go into this game in confident mood.