League : Instonians 9 v 1 Bangor

EMBARRASSING DEFEAT FOR SEASIDERS

The fact that Bangor's season has gone off the rails spectacularly in the last month is best reflected by their disastrous 9-1 loss to Instonians at Shaw's Bridge on Saturday.

In itself the result is shocking but alongside the fact that Bangor have twice beaten the Old Boys this season - once less than a month ago - it is a truly astonishing fall from grace.

Admittedly Instonians could call upon the services of two internationals back from Irish duty, but were they worth nine goals? In fact, between them they were worth five - Patrick Brown getting a rare goal and the comfortable man of the match Mark Gleghorne scoring four times.

Perhaps most interesting of all was that Bangor conceded three goals in the first 18 minutes and then were the only side to score in the next 25 before the wheels came off to embarrassing affect in the closing stages.

Gleghorne gave Instonians the lead from his first penalty corner effort and he added a very sharp second from open play minutes later. When Andrew Cousins half-volleyed into the bottom left corner five minutes later the writing was on the wall and Bangor looked dead and buried.

Strangely this proved anything but the case and they produced their only period of decent hockey in the last fortnight. The only reward was one goal but they forced several penalty corners and it was Instonians, looking rattled, who were happy to get in and reorganise at half-time with the comfort of a 3-1 lead.

The Bangor goal came from a penalty corner that broke down. A situation that Michael Harte typically took control of and he found Jamie McAuley lurking at the back post for a simple tap-in.

In the second period Bangor again started the better. It was critical the visitors got the next goal in the game. They didn't. And instead, Instonians got six.

Credit to the Belfast side for their ruthlessness but Bangor's goalkeeper John Tormey was left stranded again and again by his team-mates in front of him. From set-pieces and open play Instonians bombarded Tormey.

As they lined up to score in the closing stages Gleghorne grabbed two more, Ireland captain Brown finished off a good move and Mark Wainright poached one from close in. Mark Irwin scored two, the first of which was at the end of a flowing move where he got the final touch on a cross from Chris Barnes - Ulster's top scorer at the minute and a man who must be astounded that he failed to get on the scoresheet in such a rout. Maybe Bangor were lucky after all.

Bangor have no game this Saturday but are playing Cookstown in a re-arranged league fixture the following Wednesday evening.