COLERAINE 3-1 BANGOR , JJB Sports Premiership.

Coleraine Showgrounds, Saturday 13th September 2008
Match Report by Neil Watson 

Bangor suffered their third successive league defeat at a sunny Coleraine Showgrounds. Two goals in a first half minute set Coleraine on their way. Nathan McConnell pulled a goal back in the second half and Bangor looked threatening until Coleraine sealed a deserved win through an Andrew Plummer mistake.

Bangor started well and almost took the lead in the 8th minute when Dee Irvine's near post glancing header from a Dominic Melly corner flew just wide of the target with O'Hare comfortably beaten.

The visitors' good start went unrewarded as Coleraine opened the scoring in the 16th minute through Richard Gibson. A long ball out of defence was poorly cleared by Jim McMenamin, allowing Gibson the chance to advance on goal. The in-form goalscorer raced clear and sent a low shot past Plummer and into the bottom corner.

Things got worse for Bangor a minute later when Coleraine doubled their advantage. Winning the ball back from Bangor's kick-off, Coleraine moved the ball out to the left wing where Stephen Carson exchanged passes with Darren Cassidy before cutting in field an firing a vicious right footed shot from 20 yards past the helpless Andrew Plummer.

Coleraine continued to dominate as Bangor struggled to worry the home defence. Moments before half time, an over-hit Cassidy cross from the left had to be smartly dealt with by the back pedaling Plummer as he pushed the ball away to safety.

Half-time: 2 - 0

Just like the first half, Bangor began the half strongly and it took only 6 minutes for the visitors to get a goal. Andrew Cleary's long throw from the right was flicked on by Irvine, allowing Nathan McConnell the chance to get ahead of Kyle McVey and score his first goal for Bangor.

That goal sparked the Seasiders into action as they forced a series of corners with Coleraine struggling to get out of their own half.

But as Bangor began to get the upper hand, disaster struck. Matthew Crossan struck a freekick from the right wing, some 35 yards from goal on the hour mark. The defender seemed to over-hit the cross, but Andrew Plummer round himself underneath the ball as it sailed through his hands and bounced over the line to restore Coleraine's two goal advantage.

That goal killed off any hopes Bangor had of getting anything from the game with O'Hare only called into action from long range efforts.

Plummer did make amends for his blunder moments before full-time when the young keeper superbly dived full stretch to his left to push a 25-yard Stephen Carson freekick behind for a corner.

Full-time: 3 - 1

Bangor: Plummer, Cleary, Boyd (J Tumelty ' 81), Gracey, McMenamin, Melly (R Tumelty '70), Anderson, Lockhart, Irvine (Hand '67), McConnell, Verner. Subs not used: Fitzpatrick, Youle

Scorer: McConnell ('51) Booked: Cleary, Gracey, McMenamin, Lockhart

Coleraine: O'Hare, Beverland, Crossan, McVey, McLaughlin, Dooley (Lamont ' 75), Hunter, McCallion, Cassidy (Neill '89), Gibson (Tolan ' 84), Carson

Scorers: Gibson ('16), Carson ('17), Crossan ('61)