BANGOR 0-0 LOUGHGALL (Ladbrokes.com Championship 1)

Clandeboye Park, Saturday 15th April 2010
Match Report by Neil Watson 

Bangor held promotion-chasing Loughgall to a goalless draw at Clandeboye Park in this hard fought contest. The Seasiders competed well throughout and were perhaps unlucky not to have come away from the game with more than a share of the spoils.
Former-Bangor striker Paul McDowell tried his luck after only six minutes following a poor Jim Girvan clearance, but Paul Carnduff was equal to the shot from 20 yards.

Bangor carved the visiting defence open in the ninth minute with Andy Morrow eventually rolling the ball across the face of goal where the on-rushing Daud Machude diverted the ball just wide of the target while under the close attention of Darragh Peden.

Both midfields began to cancel each other out as the half wore on, with neither defence being unduly stretched. That was until the stroke of half time when a long throw deep in Bangor territory was flicked on at the near post. Aiden McVeigh reacted quickest and stooped to head what seemed a certain goal only for the impressive Paul Carnduff to somehow keep out the point-blank effort.

Half-time: 0 – 0

The towering Bangor ‘keeper showed his ability again in the 59th minute as he dived at full stretch to push away a 20-yard Bryan Pentland freekick at the foot of his left-hand post.

Carnduff had a good game for the Seasiders, dealing with a number of corner kicks and crosses without much fuss, aided by a well organised Bangor defence and midfield.

The Seasiders began to create a number of clear-cut chances for themselves, but found Marc Robinson on top of his game in the visiting goal.

A fine move resulting in the lively Andy Morrow playing Chris Kingsberry through on goal would have ended in the former-Lisburn Distillery winger finding the top corner but for an instinctive one handed save from Robinson.

The resultant corner eventually worked its way to Dom Melly, but Robinson did well to parry away the midfielder’s bending effort.

As Loughgall pushed forward in search of a vital goal, denied by a well organised defence with Girvan and Youle solid throughout, Bangor were able to pick the visiting defence off. More composure from Garth Scates might have resulted in a goal in 86th minute after good work from Kingsberry and substitute Glen Upton.

Right on the final whistle, Andy Morrow almost grabbed the goal his performance deserved following some dogged tackling by the hard-working Colin White, but his 20 yard shot flew inches over the crossbar with Robinson beaten.

Full-time: 0 – 0
Bangor: Carnduff, McCurdy, Youle, Girvan, Whitford, Kingsberry, White, Scates, Melly, Morrow, Machude (’84 Upton). Subs not used: McIntyre, Mann, Dunlop.
Booked: Girvan

Loughgall: Robinson, Smith, Peden, Alderdice, Pentland, Moffett (’63 Evans), Hawethorne, Herron (’78 Adair), Lavery, McDowell, McVeigh (’78 Baker). Sub not used: Brown
Booked: Smith, Pentland