Bangor fought back from a goal down to pick up a hard earned point against local rivals North Down in Comber on Saturday.

Both sides could make claims for wanting more from the game - Bangor dominating possession and North Down creating more clear cut chances - but ultimately a draw was probably a fair result. The point moves Bangor further away from bottom club Raphoe but obviously no closer to North Down in the Premier League table.

They now have five points and lie one below Mossley. They're possibly the only team they can overtake given the number of wins Kilkeel and North Down have picked up already this season.

Next week Bangor travel to Banbridge before a long Christmas break. Their record in Banbridge isn’t great but a valuable point or three earned before the holidays would put a more positive spin on a difficult first half of the league campaign.

Bangor had the better of the first half at Comber Leisure Centre but still turned around at the break one goal down. They kept the ball for long periods and despite keeping North Down pinned too few chances were created and no penalty corners were won. In fact, the chances were at the other end where the casual nature of some of the defending allowed North Down a free sighting of John Tormey's goal.

The Seasiders did test Andrew Coates in the North Down goal with one determined effort from Simon Hunter but it was Tormey who was the busier when the home side counter attacked. But he could do nothing when North Down won their first penalty corner just before half-time and Scott Caruth fired home a powerful flick to open the scoring.

Bangor did exert some pressure as the half closed but couldn't find a way through and changed ends a goal down. The second half started tamely with the returning Dave McClune failing to deal with an aerial ball but apart from that tangle of arms, legs and stick his comeback to first eleven action was a positive one.

Like the first period, Bangor had more of the ball but North Down were more incisive when they took possession. North Down also earned a succession of green cards for breaking the play down. On another day it could have cost them more dearly but the umpires seemed to have left their yellow cards at home.

Finally, after another long siege on the home goal Bangor got their reward. Chris Campbell won a penalty corner and despite the routine faltering the calm play of Adam Reading and Michael Harte gave Campbell a deflected chance from which he hit the post. But Stephen McLean was well positioned to turn the ball back into the goal from the tightest of angles and make it 1-1.

Instead of kicking on Bangor lost a bit of composure and North Down finished the stronger. With Caruth always a threat from penalty corners Bangor faced some nervous set-pieces in the dying minutes but through some luck and determined defence they held out. North Down did have the ball in the net once but it was rightly ruled out for feet earlier in the move. Tormey was also called upon to make one sharp save low to his left as half the North Down team celebrated too early.

Still, a point from an away game is more than Bangor have earned at home all season and they will hope for similar or better this Saturday in Banbridge. But that won't come without al lot of hard work and application against one of the league's strongest teams.

 

 

Written by Simon Hunter