Cookstown 1 v 3 Bangor

The Mighty 5ths headed to Cookstown on Saturday to try and get back to back wins for the first time this season.  With a full strength side the 5ths knew this would be a tough game but were optimistic none the less.  The game started with Bangor putting the home side under some early pressure with Gerry Hamill going close.  Allan Stevenson made sure the man he was marking knew he was there with some thunderous challenges.  Then after about 10 minutes, the home side hit Bangor on the break and their centre forward scuffed the ball which trickled past Russell in the Bangor goal. Bangor were not deterred and pushed on for an equaliser.  Mike Ferguson thought he had scored one when the ball ended up in the net, only for the umpire to disallow it, for no reason it seemed.  Still the away side pushed on with Simon Murray an engine in the midfield, and then it came, about eight minutes before half time, Murray had passed the ball out to Calum Togneri who hit the ball into the circle and Murray latched onto the loose ball to give Bangor the equaliser they had longed for. 1-1 Half-time.

After a half-time energy boost of jafa cakes Bangor didn’t let up in the second half, and Paul Scott and Tim Cook were pressing forward and supply some great balls to Ferguson upfront.  Though it wasn’t all Bangor’s way, and some timely interceptions by Matty Neill-McCready at left back stopped the home side from getting a shot away.  John Mitchell playing at right back for the first time had no trouble in keeping Cookstown’s tricky left winger quiet all game, and didn’t give him a chance at goal.  Cookstown were piling on the pressure and Ryan Garland made a brave block at a short corner, before Russell made a good save form the next one.  Then Bangor got a break away.  A good ball from Murray found Togneri unmarked and he smashed home the ball to make it 2-1.  With Cookstown looked dejected Warren Reid wasted no time in stealing the ball off one of the home players, beat two men and passed to Scott who laid it off to Ferguson, who curled the ball into the top corner form what looked like an impossible angle. 3-1 to the travelling side, and tensions were high.  With a few hard challenges going in from the home side, Scott reacted to being hit round the ankles and was yellow carded with ten minutes to go.  Even this set back didn’t hinder Bangor’s progress to victory and held out Cookstowns advances to get a vital away win.

Man of the Match was Allan Stevenson who was a rock at the back