LARNE 1-1 BANGOR (Ladbrokes.com Championship 1)

Inver Park, Saturday 3rd April 2010
Match Report by Neil Watson 

A late wonder goal from Bertie Fulton denied Bangor their first victory since February. In a game which the Seasiders dominated, a single Colin White goal had looked to have been enough for a deserved victory until Fulton struck home from fully 30-yards. The Seasiders will look back and rue the many chances that went begging as they lacked the clinical edge in attack.

Playing only Andy McIntyre up front on his own, Bangor controlled the midfield from the first whistle and should really have taken the lead inside the opening seven minutes. Chris Kingsberry drew the Larne defence out of position before slipping the ball through to Glen Upton.

The Seasiders’ top scorer bore down on Ryan Brown, but the former Bangor keeper did enough to block Upton’s effort.
Andy Rosbotham twice tested Brown but again the Larne stopper was equal to the low efforts.

The same Bangor player had a big shout for a penalty turned down by referee Ross Dunlop when his powerful left footed effort seemed to be blocked by the hands of the diving Jamie Marsh in the 19th minute.

Bangor were rarely troubled in defence, but when Gary Rafferty did manage to evade Grant Dunlop, goalkeeper Paul Carnduff was on hand to make a well measure sliding tackle outside his penalty area.

Some brave defending kept the scores level in the 39th minute when Grant Dunlop saw his effort hacked clear on the goal-line following a Rosbotham corner.

Moments before half-time Ryan Brown was again in action, this time saving Andy Morrow’s powerful volley from 20 yards.

Half-time: 0 – 0

Having replaced both front-men Davy Larmour and Gary Rafferty at the interval, Larne almost had their reward in the 48th minute when substitute Damian McLaughlin somehow failed to make a clean connection from close range allowing Carnduff to make a brave smothering save.

At the other end of the pitch Glen Upton could have grabbed himself a hat-trick within eight minutes but in the end had nothing to show for Bangor’s pressure. He first poked wide of the target after a Colin White pass before volleying wide from 20 yards following a poor Brown punch. And after running from his own penalty area, the Bangor forward dragged his shot just wide of the target again with Brown beaten.

Larne almost made Bangor pay on the hour mark, but Adam Dick failed to find the back of an empty net after he had evaded Carnduff. A poor shot lacking enough power allowed Jim Girvan to get back to the goal line and clear.

Ryan Brown demonstrated his worth to the Larne side in the 75th minute when he brilliantly tipped over a stinging Andy Morrow volley from 18 yards. When Bangor must have been beginning to think their luck was out, Colin White was on hand at the back post to scramble the ball into the net from close range from the resultant corner kick to give the midfielder the goal his performance deserved.

Bangor defended resolutely as Larne mounted some late pressure, but in the 86th minute a freekick was rolled into the path of Bertie Fulton just inside the Bangor half. The Larne winger was given all the time he wanted as he lined up a vicious swerving strike which had Carnduff beaten all ends up as it flew into the roof of the net.

Full-time: 1 – 1

Bangor: Carnduff, Scates, Whitford, Dunlop, Girvan, Kingsberry, White, Upton, Morrow, Rosbotham (Machude), McIntyre. Sub not used: McCurdy.
Scorer: White (’76)

Larne: Brown, Moore, R McLaughlin, Marsh, Carland, Reid, Fulton, Hogan (McNally), Rafferty (McQuoid), Larmour (D McLaughlin), Dick. Subs not used: Conaghie
Scorer: Fulton (’86)

Referee: Mr R Dunlop