Magnificent Seven for Seasiders!

Bangor 7, Rossglass County 0

Seasiders all set for league showdown

Top Class Lauren McAteer, set up two and scored in Bangor's win

Bangor Ladies, the ladies section of Bangor Football Club, reinforced their status at the pinnacle of the Coca Cola 3rd Division league table following a magnificent 7 goal victory over visitors Rossglass County, on Tuesday (21st) night at Bloomfield Road Playing Fields, a result which put them 7 points clear.

As a bonus, for the second successive week, the Sammy Mellon sponsored side posted a clean sheet with an impressive defensive display at the back and leg sapping performance in midfield.

The Seasiders, despite a squad of 24 in April, were once again reduced to a bare quota of players, but responded in this one, with a gritty, determined display of attacking, attractive football.

Squad: Julie Haslam, Paula Dougherty, Leanne McGarry, Rachel Bates, Jenny Boyd; Petra Armstrong, Lauren McAteer, Susan Cull, Carolyn Scott; Dee Savage, Natasha Lee.
Subs: Lynsey Turville, Trish Webb.

The torrential rain, which had put the fixture in doubt right up to 4 p.m., finally relented, and the game got underway as scheduled; though a fairly strong wind swirled around the Bloomfield pitches.

Bangor started well, the nerves which were evident in earlier fixtures this summer, now replaced by a tangible confidence which runs throughout the North Down side – who are just two wins away from bringing the divisional championship to Clandeboye Park in August.

Despite the Seasiders bright start, it was evident that Rossglass were determined to have a real go at the league leaders with some heavy tackles flying about in the first 10 minutes. Credit to the official who was quick to make a point of who was in control and kept a lid on the contest, which, at times, got a bit feisty.

The real battle would unfold in the midfield, with the Downpatrick outfit throwing an extra player in, in an attempt to out-muscle the Seasiders off the ball, which was being used well by the home side.

This tactic played in to the Seasiders hands, who enjoy the physical side of the game and Andy Craig’s team quickly rose to the challenge and answered with the opener, McAteer released Savage who held off her opponent to drive through and open the scoring.

Clean sheet for Julie Haslam - standing in for injured Finegan

A free kick from 22 yards did bring Haslam into the game, the ball well struck, had the Seasiders No. 1 scrambling across her goal to push the ball out for a corner which was duly mopped up.

With twenty minute gone, Rossglass trying to stick with the pace of the Bangor attack went further behind, this time Scott was able to apply the finishing touch after some good football down the left hand side. McAteer with the defence splitting pass, set up the opportunity.

With Bangor now in control, Savage almost doubled the scoreline, again a good passing move - Cull won the ball in midfield playing-in Armstrong, whose pace got her in behind the visitors. The right winger crossed to the striker who was denied by a good save.

As the first half continued, Bangor continued to respond to Rossglass’s physical game all over the park, and were rewarded with a second goal just 12 minutes from the break – Natasha Lee rattling in her 25th goal for the Seasiders in the current campaign.

With Bangor’s back four in top form, Rossglass never really troubled Haslam again, however the stand-in keeper did enough when called upon to keep it at 3-0 as the first half of the fixture concluded.

Quick thinking Scott - back on the score sheet again

With Bangor comfortable at the break, the team were instructed to push on and keep the tempo high and pressure on the Rossglass midfield, which had been marshalled by Cull and McAteer, who in effect were running the show so far.

3-0 at the interval, Bangor did not let up, kept working extremely hard, looking to push on and hopefully finish the contest off early in the second half.

With the game still being played at a high tempo, it was the young McAteer, who really took the game by the scruff of the neck, snapping at the heels of the Rossglass midfield and breaking up their passing game.

To be fair Rossglass coming out for the second half, threw everything at the Seasiders to try and edge their way back into a game, which was slipping slowly away from them.

Bangor though, rose to this renewed challenge of the visitors early in the second half, despite their attempt to have a bite at the Seasiders, both Dougherty at right back and Boyd thrown in on the left, were flawless.

Susan Cull added the experience to the midfield

With the threat snuffed out on the flanks the visitors were equally unsuccessful trying to go through the middle of the Seasiders, the midfield duo of Cull and McAteer proving the first difficult obstacle to penetrate, were backed up by the reliable and experienced Bates and McGarry.

With the visitors gradually pushed further back, Bangor got the fourth. A quick throw-in by the alert Scott, out wide on the left to the feet of unmarked defender Rachel Bates, produced a wonder finish from all of 30 yards with only two touches of the ball.

The Downpatrick side clearly winded, it was then the turn of the tenacious McAteer to turn on the style, the teenager, in her best ever performance in the centre of midfield, hit a measured drive from 22 yards which sailed over the helpless Rossglass No. 1 to make it 5.

Bangor continued to dominate, Lee, the 3rd division’s top goal scorer almost doubled her personal tally on the evening with a rasping first time left foot curler, which looked a certain goal, only for the shot to rattle the underside of the crossbar.

Another solid performance by the back four of Dougherty, McGarry, Bates and Boyd who were first to everything, showed good organisation in front of Haslam.
With Bangor competing and winning 75% of everything in the air, Savage added her second of the evening, Bangor’s sixth, after good work by Susan Cull.

Despite the scoreline, Rossglass remained formidable opponents, refusing to give in to the Seasiders – the pace of the game remained relentless and the tackles fierce.

Although the cohesion of the North Down side remained the difference.
Armstrong cemented a memorable performance, when her pace saw her get between the last defender and the keeper to snatch the seventh and final goal of the evening late on.

Bangor manager Andy Craig: “We are continuing to up the ante every week, at just the right time. Again solid at the back, competitive in midfield, exploiting the flanks and I have one of the most dangerous strike forces in Northern Ireland at my disposal up front.

“This was a tough fixture – Rossglass are a very good, quality side, and pack a decent punch, so to come away from this one, with a clean sheet and that scoreline, shows just where we are at, in terms of performance and fitness levels.

Armstrong's lightening pace saw her snatch the seventh

“Everyone tonight worked very hard, never allowed themselves to get drawn into any silly stuff, showed discipline and gave a good account of Bangor Ladies Football Club.

“Defensively we were excellent - but in this one we excelled in the midfield - Cull provided quality while McAteer was just top class – in what for me, was her best performance for the club to date.

“We are aware, as a club, that we have won nothing, despite the record breaking statistics - so we have a chance to address that in our next few games – which for us, at this point, just can’t come quickly enough.”

Bangor Ladies, next fixture, is against their nearest geographical rivals in the shape of 1st Bangor (Ards) next Thursday (30th) evening, for what is effectively the 2009 league championship showdown.
The two unbeaten sides face up to each other at The Drome Pitches, on the Portaferry Road, Newtownards, in what will hopefully be, a great advert for the local game.

Last Edited on 24-Jul-2009 2:20 PM