Bangor Ladies, official ladies section of Irish League Premiership representatives Bangor Football Club were on the road for the first time this year, travelling down the Ards peninsula to visit Portaferry, guests of the local ladies team on Sunday (5th) April in their fourth friendly.
The seaside port town, bathed in the spring sunshine looked an idyllic setting but as with all NIWFA matches on the road, it’s more than just the opposition the Seasiders would have to deal with.
The conditions although overall pleasant, did seem to cause a lot of problems - a swirling wind and a rock hard bumpy surface clearly unsettling the visitors who had played all previous games at home, taking advantage of the luxury of the Irish league maintained surface at Clandeboye Road.
Although there was little football played during the afternoon, Bangor did finally break there 3 season long duck and recorded a first pre-season game victory since way back April 13th, 2006, against Abbey Villa!
Notoriously slow starters and sluggish, the club generally hits fitness and form by May. The programme this year was to get in at least five pre-season games in which to gear the side up for the start of the campaign.
Generally, the plan was working well; good recent performances against Donegal Celtic and Crumlin were endorsed, with the clubs best response so far, last Thursday (29th) night, playing against Premiership side Loughgall Lakers.
So it was anticipated that the level of performance, on Sunday against Portaferry Ladies, (an obvious step down from Loughgall), would at least matched or even exceeded. Although the last time these two clubs met it was Portaferry who triumphed back in March 08, winning at Clandeboye Park 4-2.
Squad: Julie Haslam; Trish Webb, Paula Dougherty, Leanne McGarry, Val McKibbin; Christine Morrison, Jenny Boyd, Carol Cummings, Carolyn Scott; Deirdre Savage, Lynsey Ruddock. Subs: Tina Sharpe, Natasha Lee, Christina McNamara and Petra Armstrong.
The late withdrawal of regular No. 1 Bridget Finegan was a blow, but the club would start with seven of the line-up and three substitutes on hand, of the side which had excelled in their previous game - so it wasn’t a disaster.
Duncan opens the scoring
A reasonable start, Duncan driving in to score within the opening 10 minutes. The remaining 25 minutes, which followed, was painful to witness - the Seasiders just couldn’t get into their rhythm.
The home side, assisted by the surface, just simply hurried the Seasiders into mistake after mistake and the game itself became more aligned to a rugby match with the teams just kicking the ball from end to end, and frustratingly, out of play. With no quality the front partnership of Savage and Ruddock, had little to work with.
A bright moment saw the Seasiders double their advantage however, Scott on hand to lash into an empty net after a breakthrough down the heavily congested middle of the park.
Portaferry, applying a hit and chase it tactic didn’t really threaten Haslam’s goal but did get back into the contest - capitalising on another mistake, in the one place it will be punished, at the back. This gifted the home side a chance - which was well taken. Half time 2-1.
The talk at half time was for the Bangor team to try and settle the game down, to start passing the ball and to play their way through.
To be fair the re-jigged team went out and responded well and although the pitch was still causing problems, the Seasiders did play some football, particularly down the right hand side.
Portaferry were now pinned back as the visitors tried to establish their passing game and although it was still not pretty to watch, with the conditions under foot difficult, Bangor did start to dominate.
Scott records double on the road to make it 3-1
The third goal was scored, making it a double for Scott, who rattled one in straight from the corner. The midfielder, who has become a set piece specialist, curled this one into the danger area, right under the crossbar and despite the Portaferry goalkeeper’s efforts, she could do nothing with the quality of the strike.
Savage had a great chance to open her account this season but just could not get the ball out from under her feet and her low drive went straight at the keeper.
Strike partner Lee also had a fantastic opportunity when clean through - the teenager also hitting the strike straight at the keeper, when the goal looked certain.
Despite Bangor dominating, Portaferry did have a few forages into the visitors half - tidied up by either McGarry or keeper Tina Sharpe, stepping in for the absent Finegan.
The final goal just 12 minutes from time came from another corner - this time from out on the right.
As the ball fell and ricocheted around the 6 yard box - McGarry claimed to have got the last touch to stumble the ball over the line to make it 4-1, her third strike this year.
Another late cameo appearance for Armstrong, back after an injury and Bangor simply just played out the final ten, against a still lively home team.
Although it was a scrappy frustrating afternoon, Bangor had grinded out the result although manager Craig was less than impressed. “The first half was just awful, there was no fluency to our play - no short game. Just lugging the ball forward - after the last couple of games when the team was, at least, raising their game - this one brought me back down with a bump. We tried to lift it in the second half, which although was better, it still wasn’t pretty.
“We discussed the pitch at the interval, and the players offered that an excuse, but the fact is, if it was a league game we would be stuck to playing on it. We just didn’t cope and no one performed particular well - but, on a positive note, if it had been a league game - at least we would have come away with the three points."
McGarry claims fourth - her third strike in four games
The club’s next fixture is their final game of the club’s pre-season preparations - away to Knockbreda, to be confirmed, and it certainly presents an interest as to which of the facets of the club turns up - the Jekyll or the Hyde.
Last Edited on 9-Apr-2009 10:58 AM
