Bangor 3 v 2 Down (at Deramore)
Tuesday night saw the battle between Bangor 5X1 and Down 2X1 that was to determine who was to enter Junior 3 as title champions. Both teams finished their season with 32 points and were to play out a tense and nervous play-off game on neutral ground at Harlequins’ ground at Deramore Park. It was Bangor who were to score the first goal from a short corner set piece. Gerry Hamill swept the ball out to Tim Cook, one touch to the right side and a bullet of a shot into the bottom right hand corner of goal, 1-0. 
Within ten minutes, Bangor again had exerted enough pressure to penetrate the Down defence. From the midfield, Tim Cook and Paul Scott combined to send the ball forward to the ever-running MJ Ferguson. As the ball was shepherded into the circle by the Down defender, Ferguson showed why he was the club’s top goalscorer with the most deft of touches through the defender’s legs to send the ball excellently and accurately past the ‘keeper into the goal, 2-0. 

 
Down then showed the kind of fight and determination which had put them on level points for the season with the Bangor team. Constant pressure was brought to bear on the Bangor defensive unit and only for supreme goalkeeping from Capt. Mark Russell and excellent defensive short-corner blocked clearances from Alan Stevenson, Ryan Garland, Dale Kirkpatrick and John Mitchell would see the Down offense thwarted on many a forage. However, one excellent short-corner strike from Ashley Gibson did evade the Bangor stronghold and it rifled into the right hand corner of goal, 2-1, just before half-time. Then disaster, on the whistle, a strike deflected off the inside of the Bangor ‘keeper’s pads to fall kindly into the path of an onrushing Down forward who swept it into the centre of goal, 2-2. 

 
The game was now finely balanced. The half-time team talk reinforced the reason why Bangor’s success was clear for all to see: “ we are a team and we all play and fight for one another as a team !” Players were rested at half-time and fresh legs on both sides entered the fray. Again, pressure was exerted on the Down defence but no breach was found. The Down momentum which had been dominant at the end of the first half had been slowed just enough to provide Bangor time to re-shape and to re-group. Bob Espey’s superb effort from the edge of the circle sped just past the outside of the top left hand corner of the goal. Gerry Hamill’s deflected shot was turned past the post by the Down ‘keeper. Simon Murray, Tim Cook and Paul Scott fought tremendously in midfield and their efforts were to force a series of short-corners. From one excellent short-corner strike by Ryan Garland, the ball ricocheted off the Down ‘keeper and fell to the one man who has laid waste to many a defence, MJ Ferguson, and he blasted the ball into the back of the goal, 3-2.

 

From this point onwards in the game, Bangor showed their strength of character and resilience by holding off a fine Down performance and with special mention of the great commitment shown by Warren Reid, Calum Togneri, Adam Tweed, Simon Harper and Matty McCready the game ended and the Bangor “Legends” claimed their 3rd Junior League title in four years and deservedly enter Junior League 3 as “Champions !”. 
 
Special thanks must go to Capt. Mark Russell and Vice-Capt. Simon Murray for all their efforts throughout the season and to all those supporters who came along to support us on the night .