North Down Ladies press in the first half

North Down Ladies
lose at home

North Down Ladies were mugged on Tuesday (23rd) evening, by a very grateful Wellington Ladies at Clandeboye Park, home of Bangor Football Club.
The visitors, travelling down from Larne, had survived a series of first half escapes to snatch all three points late on in an entertaining game.

While the Bangor based club is on the backfoot at the moment - there’s a lot more football still to be played - and the young side have still a lot to prove - with more than half of their league fixtures still to play, on this showing - there’s a lot of points up for grabs too.

Early season expectations were high - the reality of playing to the high standard in this division and a series of unavailable key players have stretched the young club to date - who now have to show some character and respond to the challenge’s which present themselves every week, right through to September - thus far the Bangor based side have failed to grasp there share of success but while it continues to elude them - it is getting very temptingly close.

The visit of Wellington Rec., under the management of Catriona Hamill, a stalwart in the game, the current secretary of the NIWFA at the seaside venue and with the visitors in a similar position as hosts Bangor - both clubs having only registered one home win in May - it was an important game - although Wellington were boosted by the inclusion of a number of a very good Rathcoole side which won a league and cup double last season.

Squad: Angi Young; Paula Dougherty, Kim Dockery, Joanne Williamson; Susan Cull; Christina McNamara, Lisa Mahood, Carolyn Scott; Deirdre Savage, Julie Graham.
Sub Tanya Black.

Lisa Mahood, had a great chance to finish the best move of the game

With injuries and school exams hitting the squad again this week - it was once again a bare-bones of a side which welcomed Wellington to Clandeboye Park, a choice of venue which again cements the off pitch relationship currently being enjoyed by North Down Ladies and the Irish League club.

Coming off two on the road defeats, North Down Ladies were looking at this game as an opportunity to bounce back, although with so many players out, it was always going to be an uphill struggle, it was important however to get off to a good start - which had seen North Down get away to a flyer in their last fixture - Lisa Mahood opening the scoring in the first 3 minutes of that one.

A shift away from the conventional 4-4-2 system into a more attack minded 3-4-3 would try and get some support to the isolated Savage up front - and the first use of wing backs for the Bangor club - the pacey Scott and McNamara stepping up.

The now persistent and regularly bursts of heavy rain which had seen one of the worst May’s in recent years, finally subsided around 5.30pm and although the game was never in doubt - due to the excellent condition of the Clandeboye Road pitch - conditions were not pleasant for the two teams when the fixture did get underway at 7.30 pm sharp.

Another set back for the Bangor side, who looked good early on

North Down settled quickly and with Wellington forced deep, the home defence pushed right into the visitors half and had little to do - both Dougherty out on the right and Williamson on the left were comfortable and in control - Dockery in the middle of the park sat deep and looked settled.

In midfield Cull was positioned to protect the back three and wingers Scott and McNamara - both with explosive pace had instructions to play as wingbacks and also both have the pace to get forward with speed.

Christina McNamara - involved in everything out wide on the right

Trish Webb and Lisa Mahood were to work the middle of the park and one or the other had the licence to get forward and support Savage and Graham up front - while the other played a holding role. With three of the clubs recognised strikers out - Julie Graham for the second week in a row - had been thrown in the deep end.

From an early corner out on the right, Susan Cull sitting in the pocket, returned a clearance with a speculative high lobbed effort though the goalkeeper came early, the high bounce of the ball deceiving her and Cull's effort left her stranded but the ball ended up agonisingly on the roof of the net.

Good explosive play down the right McNamara, Webb and Dougherty all involved eventual saw McNamara hit a deep cross with both Scott and Mahood coming in at the back post - Mahood connecting well and again with the goalkeeper beaten the ball shot past the wrong side of the upright - in a move which deserved some reward.

Having seen that early effort beat the goalkeeper and just sail over the bar - Cull again picking up from just outside the 18-yard box unleashed a measured drive which again looked to be going in, this time though it rattled the crossbar again the goalkeeper helpless to react.

At this point, it could have been 3-0 and it seemed just a matter of time before North Down finally broke the deadlock and took the lead, as Mahood and Scott on the right were getting good supply up top - Christina McNamara then had a half chance, again after good work by these two created the opening.

North Down's Susan Cull rattled the crossbar

On one of the few occasions that Wellington did break out - Bangor had the pace to stifle them, Angi Young too was very quickly off her line and the home side hadn’t really managed to register a worthy strike by half time.

Although Dockery was nursing an injury before the break they were no changes at the interval - the set up had looked effective and the breakthrough imminent.

Within a few minutes of the restart, the picture changed dramatically, Dockery pulled up clearly not running the injury off, and from a corner on the left Wellington had nicked the opener, against the run of play.

With Dockery clearly suffering and although bravely prepared to battle on - things were left in the belief that with the midfield, which had dominated in the first half still intact - the contest was far from over - and there was still a lot of football in the home side - and surely the goal which had threatened since the outset of the game would come.

With the game nicely poised at 1-0 with North Down still very much in the thick of the game, the best chance of a night dropped to Julie Graham, who was left with a simple tap in after Savage had broke through and drawn a challenge from the goalkeeper - the ball breaking to the feet of the following-up Bangor striker - but whether she hurried the effort or didn’t realise the time she had - she pushed the ball out for a goalkick, and Wellington had somehow survived again.

This did knock the air out of the North Down side - who had thrown a lot at Wellington and had chased the game from the outset - although Christina McNamara and Lisa Mahood on the right were still poising a significant threat - Wellington held firm.

With 15 minutes left on the clock Dockery, who was clearly in trouble, had to be withdrawn and with the last throw of the dice the side switched to a 4-4-2 with Tanya Black left to join Savage at the vanguard of the club.

The young Bangor teenager joined Savage up front, but the reshuffle at the back let in Wellington for a second and despite this setback the game was still very much open and even during the last 10 minutes North Down looked the more likely to score.
A final blow though, was a late strike and a scoreline which flattered the visitors and delivered a body blow to the home side in a game which had started so very promisingly - and had end so disappointingly.

Big performances - but sadly no points again and the reality of coming to terms with playing well for spells in a very tough division, but coming up short in terms of rewards - in the terms of points are crucial lessons - the opportunities were there - and had the early dominance coughed up a lead - the result would arguably been very different.

Ballywalter teenager Joanne Williamson covers at left back on Tuesday night

However, Wellington left Clandeboye Park with the three points and the Bangor side - who, despite showing glimpses of supremacy need to get into the habit of putting the ball into the back of the net - left the Irish League venue with nothing.

Some rays of light though on the night was Kim Dockery at the centre of a back three and was very comfortable until injured late in the first half, Paula Dougherty who organised the defence and has eliminated her early season nerves and is settling into a very commanding role. Ballywalter teenager in her first season Joanna Williamson at left back had a very good first half - probably her best at the club - McNamara and Scott are improving and both will register strikes this season.

North Down’s next appointment is up the coast, against Larne Ladies, another good side next Wednesday evening, but the welcome news is the return within the next couple of weeks to the ranks of Cathy Duncan (holidays); Alanna Sloan, Peggy Mathews, Jackie Price (all injured); Petra Armstrong and Alanna Kerr (University) and all of whom will provide a welcome shot in the arm of the club over the summer months.

Wellington Rec., took the three points from Clandeboye Park

Last Edited Guest on 25-May-2006 5:48 AM