H&W WELDERS 1-0 BANGOR

Intermediate First Division, Tillysburn Park
Match Report by Neil Watson
Saturday 26th November 2005

At a windswept Tillysburn Park on Saturday, Bangor recorded their third disappointing league defeat of the season.

The gale force winds disrupted any chance of a good passing game of football and it was no surprise that the only goal of the game was caused by individual errors.

On 19 minutes, John Douglas gave away possession on the right corner of the penalty area. Gary Bell gathered the loose pass before crossing to former Ballyclare teammate Mark Craig. The ball found its way to Craig after some poor defending. The forward’s 10-yard low shot was deflected as it passed through a body of players and into the goal.

In the Welders’ goal, former Bangor ‘keeper Andrew Fox was rarely troubled. Fox easily gathered a weak Lee Feeney header while Grant Dunlop volleyed straight at the ‘keeper from a tight angle after 34 minutes.

Mark Craig was unfortunate not to double the Welders’ lead on the stroke of halftime when his 12-yard shot flew just past the left upright after the forward found space in the Bangor penalty area.

Half-time: H&W Welders 1 – 0 Bangor

Bangor began the second half with their best move of the match. Some neat passing between Douglas, Lee Feeney and Morrow created space for Morrow on the edge of the penalty area. A committed Welders defender bravely blocked the Bangor captain’s shot while the follow-up shot from Feeney was blazed over the crossbar.

In an attempt to salvage something from the game, Bangor changed to an attacking formation with Kenny Camlin making his debut after a lengthy suspension in place of Johnny Cleary.

A Barry Holland slip 25 yards from goal allowed Mark Craig to burst through on goal. The soon-to-be Armagh City striker saw his shot well blocked by Ryan Brown before Cullen Feeney cleared the danger.

After 73 minutes, Ryan Brown again came to Bangor’s rescue as he denied the lively Mark Craig his second of the game with a smart save.

After a number of changes for both sides including Dunlop and Kerr being replaced by Cheevers and Nicholl, it was Jeffrey McNamara for the Welders who almost extended their lead.

The former Bangor player tried his luck from all of 35-yards, but his wind assisted volleyed dipped just wide of the right hand post.

In the closing minutes of the game, Bangor’s blushes were spared by some excellent goalkeeping from Brown. A number of saves from substitutes McNamara and Waide, as well as Gary Bell, denied the Welders heaping yet more misery on the Bangor side void of a cutting edge.

Full-time: H&W Welders 1 – 0 Bangor