Premier League : Bangor 2 v 7 Kilkeel

LOW POINT FOR BANGOR

The Seasiders failed to build on the promising win over Raphoe the previous week and now face an uncomfortable run to Christmas with almost every game taking on 'must win' status.

That starts with a trip to Mossley this weekend. It will be a return to an old stomping ground for coach Harry McNeill and his charges will hope that his knowledge of the opposition will prove crucial. Trips to The Glade have never granted Bangor too many points and Mossley have had an up and down start to the season. Anything could happen.

Kilkeel completely deserved their comprehensive win for their energetic and committed display but Bangor handed them so many goals the visitors almost looked embarrassed to take them at times. Even before they had raced into an unassailable 5-1 half-time lead they had hit a post and watched two superb clearances off the line when John Tormey was beaten.

Despite that they didn't have to wait long to open the scoring. Bangor failed to heed countless warnings and continued to lose the ball in their own half and finally from one of these the visitors opened the scoring. And they then extended their lead from a penalty corner minutes later after Bangor had once again shot themselves in the proverbial foot.

The one ray of light in a shoddy performance from back to front was a quite astonishing goal from Gareth Morton to make it 2-1 and briefly give Bangor hope in a game where they deserved none. On a rare attack where the ball reached the forwards in the first half Morton turned in the circle and unleashed a reverse stick shot of such ferocity those watching were surprised it didn't burn a hole in the back of the net. The Kilkeel goalkeeper didn't stand a chance as it blazed its way into the very top left corner.

But that was to be a false dawn and the 10 minutes before the break saw the wheels come off in spectacular fashion. Three times the ball was given away by poor passing or running it too close to goal and three times Bangor were punished in the toughest way possible. Bangor have fought back from being several goals down against Kilkeel before but this mountain was too big to climb.

It wasn't helped by McCausland getting sin-binned for a tackle that was more clumsy than malicious. He was just the first of three Bangor players to see the yellow card.

The second half started where the first ended and Bangor promptly conceded from Kilkeel's first foray into their half. Once again the ball was given away and Tormey was afforded no protection as the Kilkeel forwards attacked his goal.

Bangor did finally manage to slow down the incredible flow of goals and actually managed a period of concerted pressure on the Kilkeel goal that was rewarded with skipper Adam Reading's first goal of the season - a well taken penalty corner flick.

But, as ever, Bangor proved their own worst enemy and they were again reduced to 10 men when full back James Mottashaw made a rookie mistake and deliberately played the ball above shoulder height. The umpire had no option  but to sin-bin him. And when he returned from a 10 minute rest James Trimble was sent packing the other way for a robust challenge on a Kilkeel forward.

And just to ram home their dominance Kilkeel insisted on taking advantage and scoring the game's final goal, to give them a 7-2 win that no one, least of all the Bangor team, would have seen coming.

It just puts extra significance on this week's game against Mossley. Bangor really need something from the game or they will be stuck in a relegation dogfight with North Down and Raphoe staring up at Mossley and Kilkeel sitting comfortably in mid-table.