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Bangor finally took something from a game with Cookstown
on Saturday, the fourth time of asking this season, but they will still
feel it should have been so much more.
That's because the Seasiders were 3-0 up with 25 minutes to go and they
allowed the Tyrone side back into the game to grab a share of the points.
While that is disappointing it does mean that Bangor are now back in with
a decent chance of making the semi finals of the Anderson Cup. If they
beat Mossley next week they will travel to Instonians possibly only
needing a draw to progress to the last four of the competition.
But it could have been so much better if Bangor had held onto the lead
they had fought so hard to obtain. Credit to Cookstown for storming back
into the game but no senior side should lose a three goal lead and as the
players trooped off the pitch they looked like they had lost.
Bangor certainly had the better of the first half and that was reflected
by the fact they went into the break two goals ahead. Adam Reading opened
the scoring midway through the first half with Bangor's first penalty
corner, his strong shot creeping under the Cookstown goalkeeper.
And just five minutes later it got even better when the hard working Mark
Lappin drilled in a free hit from the edge of the circle and Gareth Morton
expertly deflected the ball high into the net.
Towards the end of the first half Cookstown won a string of penalty
corners but without their regular set-piece expert they never looked as
likely to trouble John Tormey too much. But he was to get plenty of work
in the second period.
Right from the first whistle of the half Cookstown came at Bangor. The
home side's attacks were very much limited to countering the latest
Cookstown assault and as time wore on Bangor became guilty of panicking
and handing possession back too easily.
But before that Bangor extended their lead against the run of play when
Adam Reading fired in another penalty corner. From Bangor's celebrations
you would have thought the game was settled.
Cookstown certainly didn't think so. They won a penalty stroke almost
immediately after a clumsy tackle from Lappin but Tormey came to his
rescue with a comfortable save from Godfrey Irwin's effort.
That still didn't convince Cookstown their luck was up and they won
another penalty stroke five minutes later. This time former Irish
international Ivan Steen stepped up and he managed to convert past Tormey
- just.
Now the pressure was really on and Cookstown seemed to be able to win
penalty corners at will. Luckily Tormey dealt with everything until one
rebound too many fell to a well placed Cookstown forward. David Ames duly
tucked the ball away.
And the equaliser came with only three minutes to go. Another sustained
period of pressure and the ball squirted out to Steven Cuddy at the back
post and he had to simple task of tapping in to make it 3-3. A thriller
for the neutral but a disappointing two points thrown away by Bangor.
This week it's Mossley away and a win is needed to ensure that showdown
with Instonians for second place in the group behind Cookstown.
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