Dee Savage opened the scoring for the Seasiders

Bangor Ladies get back on track at Bloomfield
Bangor Ladies 7, P.S.N.I.Ladies 2

Bangor Ladies thankfully got back to winning ways with their biggest win all season on Thursday (7th) evening, with a 7-2 destruction of PSNI Ladies at Bloomfield Road in the Intermediate B Division of the Northern Ireland Womens Football Association.

This result comes just a week after the team were defeated 3-0 away from home by lively Crumlin ladies side. This setback saw the Seasiders slump to their lowest ever position in the league table, sitting just one spot off the bottom.

While last week’s result was a disappointing one, the scoreline didn’t reflect the amount of effort and hard work the North Down side had put into the fixture. With the team putting in so much it was harsh to have come away with nothing from a game which was still in the balance at 1-0 until the last 12 minutes.

However Crumlin worked just as hard and they came away with a well deserved 3 points which lifted them two points above the Seasiders who remained just a single point off the relegation spot.

With bottom placed Crusaders drawing 4-4 on Monday (4th) against the improving Cup finalists Blackieville, Bangor really had to knuckle down and take something from this home fixture to steer the team clear of trouble.

The side was again disrupted with no-shows - regulars Finegan, Sharpe, Morrison and Duncan were all missing, along with Rush, Smyth, Price and Webb on the injury list. The team lined up with Sam Brittain in goals; a back four of Paula Dougherty, Kim Dockery, Valerie McKibbin, Margaret McDowell protected in midfield by Tina McNamara, Petra Armstrong, Jenny Boyd and Carolyn Scott, up front Suzanne Rea was joined by Deirdre Savage.

Kim Dockery put in awesome display in defence

With the game underway slightly later then planned, the delay due to the clearing of some surface water in one of the goals, Bangor got off to a poor start, when in just the 4th minute, keeper Brittain was caught flat footed with a soft shot which went in off the post to give the PSNI the lead.

After this early set back Bangor settled into a good spell with the team maintaining a good shape and forcing the PSNI back towards their own goal.

With Bangor attacking, PSNI were pushed deep and a succession of corners were causing panic, it seemed only a matter of time before the ball would drop kindly and the Seasiders would get back on level terms. First Rea had a half effort cleared off the line, while McNamara shaded a header just wide.

With Scott and McNamara having the better of the exchanges out wide Bangor were getting in behind the visiting defence and Dee Savage showed great strength and determination to shrug off the PSNI defence and whip in a low drive into the corner to get the equaliser, after 15 minutes.

The difference in this week game was that the defensive unit were playing with more confidence than in recent weeks, McKibben and Dockery down the middle of the pitch dealt comfortably with the PSNI strikers while McDowell and Dougherty just kept it simple and made no mistakes.

Armstrong and Boyd in the middle of the park worked tirelessly all evening and their work rate off the ball in this game was an important aspect of the fixture - giving the PSNI team no time and applied lots of pressure to force their mistakes.

Bangor were doing everything well at this point, Scott had a good chance to put the Seasiders ahead after some clever individual play. However Bangor did nose in front - again Savage on target, this time from a wide angle drove a fierce shot in at the front post to make it 2-1 at the break.

McNamara got the goal of the night - a near post header from a set-piece

In was felt at half time that the team were playing well and the next goal would prove to be the most decisive - Bangor had shown in the first half they were the side who wanted this more, with PSNI not really threatening the Bangor goal.

The Seasiders started very strongly, Dee Savage had two clear chances to complete her hat-trick, were going at the visitors right from the beginning of the second half. Some strong running from McNamara down the right stretched the visiting defence and put the striker in behind but both efforts were slashed wide of the target.

With the Seasiders pace up front causing problems, PNSI were being hurried and forced to defend facing their own goal. Rea linked up well with Savage while Boyd and Armstrong were marshalling the middle of the park
Bangor’s third goal came from a set piece - McNamara meeting a well hit Carolyn Scott corner at the front post to send the ball high into the roof of the net and this goal seemed to knock the wind out of the visitors.

Bangor quickly added another, a quick thinking Dockery released Savage whose first time effort struck the inside of the post. Jenny Boyd following up was able to just tap the ball in to make it 4-2.

With Bangor adding a fifth goal, McNamara grabbing her second strike of the night, to make it 5-2. But this time there was a quick response from the PSNI side, nicking what surely would only be a consolation goal from a well worked corner.

Suzanne Rea capped a good personal display with a well taken goal

Bangor didn’t let this unsettle them, and kept going at the PSNI, something they had been doing all night and some determine play up front saw Suzanne Rea, with her first ever strike, nick in for the all important last touch to make it 6-2.

With the light fading Carolyn Scott recorded the last goal of the impressive display curling a ball from out wide on the left in under the bar to make it 7-2 and complete a great night’s work for the Seasiders and recording their highest win of the season.

This result was enough to move the club up three places in the league and it was nothing more than the team deserved with everyone putting in 110% in this game. At the back teenager Maggie McDowell, thrown in at left back did well in her first senior debut for the club and despite her lack of experience, kept her concentration all night looking more comfortable as the evening went on.

With Kim Dockery back to her best, putting in one of her finest displays for the Seasiders this season backed up by McKibben who had a shaky game last week at Crumlin, was able to learn from some mistakes and never put a foot wrong.

While Dougherty was as usual strong and positive at right back.

The team have two back to back home fixtures with games against Wellington and Blackieville before ending the season up at The diamond in Rathcoole when they face Crusaders.

Bangor Ladies would like to extend their sympathy to their club captain Cathy Duncan, whose father-in-law Bert, sadly passed away during the week - and ensure her that the thoughts of everyone are with her and the family circle at this sad time.

Last Edited on 10-Aug-2008 10:32 AM