Seasiders through to Divisional semi final

McAteer late strike sends Bangor through

Bangor Ladies, the ladies section of Bangor Football Club, are set for a semi final spot, after a late Lauren McAteer strike sent Dungoyne out of the quarter final last night (24th), at Bloomfield Road Playing Fields. Bangor captain Leanne McGarry, opened the scoring early in the first half from a corner from Natasha Lee. Dungoyne hit back with 25 minutes to go with a wonder strike which flew past Tina Sharpe in the Bangor goal. The Seasiders though, secured their place in the semi final after McAteer stole in a the back post with just 4 minutes left, again from a corner from Lee, to put Bangor into the last four of the Divisional Cup. The semi final is due to take place in the first week in August. 1st Bangor, who beat Claddagh Spurs, Ballymoney and Derry City are also through.

Lauren McAteer sent Bangor in the semi final with a late winner

The fixture, originally a home tie for Dungoyne, was switched to the North Down coast as the Dundonald based side had had difficulty in sourcing a suitable ground. Bangor though, were naturally happy to accommodate, and play this at Bloomfield Road.



Bangor manager Andy Craig, also happy to welcome back a few of his regulars, with the return of McGarry, Bates, Sharpe and Dockery; along with new signing Evans, who was handed a start out wide on the right hand side. One setback was the loss of right back Dougherty, who had been struggling with an ankle injury, though would feature in the first half.



The heavy, threatening, dark clouds which had been circling the local playing fields all day, did give some concern, but thankfully had thinned and dispersed by kick off. Although, in truth with the ground like dust following the recent blazing spell of Mediterranean style hot weather, an afternoon downpour would have helped playing conditions underfoot.



The Seasiders lined up in a familiar 4-4-2 formation: Paula Dougherty; Valerie McKibbin, Leanne McGarry (C), Rachel Bates, Kim Dockery; Ruth Evans, Lynsey Turville, Lauren McAteer, Trish Webb; Kerrie Woods, Natasha Lee. Subs: Tina Sharpe and Jenny Boyd.



It was the visitors who started the brighter, playing at a very high tempo and seemed to outnumber the Seasiders in all areas of the pitch. Striker Lee up front with Woods was confronted by at least six defenders every time it was played up the park, made it difficult for them to create anything.



While in midfield, Webb, Turville, McAteer and Evans seemed to unable to settle, as Dungoyne also swarmed all over them making it a very scrappy and disjointed opening 15 minutes. It was fast and furious though but without any really controlled football, or either team in the ascendancy.




While both teams struggled to establish supremacy in the middle of the park, Dungoyne looked sharper than the Seasiders, and this extra yard gave them a lot of first phase ball, although the midfield of McAteer and Turville did up their work rate and broke things up.



On the half hour, it was frantic end to end stuff, Bangor’s first real chance, Woods nudged a ball through to Lee and the teenager broke down the left hand side but was stifled when about to pull the trigger and after a heavy fall, had to go off for a few minutes.



Dungoyne, also had their best chance, after a well worked move down the left hand side, Dougherty in the Bangor goals, left flat footed as a low drive flew past and struck the inside of the upright and away to safety.



With the play very congested, Bangor were edging further back and inviting Dungoyne pressure, and although at times the home team couldn’t break out of their own half, the defence in front of Dougherty were crucially in determined mood and clearing their lines regularly.

Jenny Boyd worked Bangor down the right hand side

The first half ended, without any score with the game nicely poised, while it was not a classic, it was a quick, enthralling contest, as both teams were putting in a lot of effort without any reward in the final third. At the break, Sharpe replaced the injured Dougherty and Boyd introduced at right back.



The second half saw Bangor, having pushed a bit further up the pitch, enjoying their best spell and were finally start to press a Dungoyne defence who in the first half hadn’t really been tested.



Things were starting to work down the right hand side; young player of the year in 2009, Jenny Boyd, the replacement for McKibbin at the interval, broke out quickly and after was able to bring McAteer and Evans more into the game.



This half however, it was Dungoyne who were getting pushed back and this created a few half chances, Lee blasted wide and Turville almost put Woods clean through, but it was again from the right that Bangor threatened.



Boyd combining well with Evans and the ball up and over the tiring Dungoyne defence, giving Woods and Lee a chance to run at the visitors back four – corner.



Natasha Lee who had fired in two viciously paced corners deep in the first half stepped up and duly dispatched another rocket across the six-yard box. Bangor captain McGarry timing the run perfectly, rose to attack the ball and powerfully despatched it into the roof of the net to the Seasiders ahead on the hour.



With Dungoyne looking for the equaliser, Bangor had their best chance to double their advantage, again from out on the right, a quick clearance from Sharpe found Evans who released Lee first time down the right hand side, and this time the Bangor striker did get the shot off, unfortunately just grazing the wrong side of the crossbar and away to safety.



The pace of the visitors had understandably dropped, and this allowed Bangor to start to get more into the game, Turville and McAteer who had work so hard in the first half without any real reward, now started to open the visitor’s up.



McAteer had a great run down the left and got behind the Dungoyne defence but both Wood and Lee in support couldn’t connect with the cut back and Dungoyne escaped.



The equaliser came right out of the blue, with 18 minutes on the clock. With the Bangor back four clearing their lines and starting to push up again, a Dungoyne midfielder hit an unbelievably drive which rocketed right into the top corner, giving Sharpe absolutely no chance.



What followed was a gritty fifteen minutes, where both teams, who had put a lot of effort into the game tried to find a winner from somewhere. Both Bates and McGarry had runs from deep in their own half, which did produce shots, but no break in the deadlock as the clocked ticked down towards extra time.

Bangor captain opened the scoring with a powerful header

The quick thinking Jenny Boyd, again working the team down the right hand side, with a succession of throw ins: Turville, Evans and Lee providing the support, the Seasiders edged up the line and won another corner with just minutes left.



Then almost a carbon copy of the first strike, Lee hit another powerfully drive, deep to the back post and with real pace, this time it was young McAteer who attacked the ball from behind McGarry and the youngster met it just as sweetly, the ball flying straight into the back of the net.



With no real time to respond to the late set back, Dungoyne didn’t really have anything left, they had worked hard all evening, and with just minutes on the clock, it would be Bangor ladies who would comfortably see out the final minutes, and who would be going into the semi final, to be played in August.



Winning manager Andy Craig “It was a hard game for us, and we didn’t really get into it until after the break. Our defenders were tough and resilient as usual, and the goal we conceded was a super strike.



“The second half when we did push up saw Turville and McAteer got more involved, as did Ruth Evans in her first ever game for the Seasiders, and she looks another bright prospect for the future.



“I’m confident, that along with Kerry Woods, Evans will settle and just needs a few games to get match fitness and sharpness. Coming into an established squad is tough enough, so going straight into the first eleven as these two are, shows the confidence and belief I have in these two.



“Up front we didn’t get going to after the interval, and the fact we were still in the contest was down to the defenders who were generally flawless, though the four across the middle of the park had to stay with the pace of the game all evening.



“Boyd made the difference on the right hand side and it was her quick thinking which got us our goals – though the corners from Lee were top class – they still had to be converted, and both McGarry and McAteer showed the desire and courage to attack the ball in a crowded box and both goals were awesome finishes.



“Dungoyne are a good, tough side, who work extremely hard and will keep at teams. Although they will be disappointed to have started so brightly, got back into the match with a stunning strike, and then lose to a set piece in the final minutes, on another night, they might well have been the team going through. But all said and done, we stuck at it and got the result we wanted, so it one to look forward too late in the season, and we will go all out for our first ever cup final.

Last Edited on 25-Jun-2010 5:46 AM