Bangor: Sargeant, Mann, Whitford, Lockhart, Whiteside, McKee, Coyle, Irvine, Hand, McDowell, Melly. Subs: Graham, Sharratt, Drysdale, Ritchie, Hunter
Linfield: Addis, McLaughlin, Lambe, Bailie, Lindsay, McAreavey, Thompson, Gault, Miskimmon, McAllister, Burns. Subs: Cahoon, McCurdy

The teamsheets gave the game a Premier League look about it with 18 of the starting 22 all featuring in this seasons premier league at some stage. However it was Linfield who held the greater experience and it is great credit to this Bangor team that they came close to taking something from this game.

Bangor started the game on top and twice inside the first 5 minutes should have went ahead. In the opening minute Glenn Hand found himself free on the right hand side of the box but dragged his 12 yard shot wide of Addis's right hand post. Kevin Coyle then got in behind McLaughlin but his attempted chip went wide.

Bangor were working hard with Irvine particularly impressive in the middle of the park, driving the team forward but Linfield began to get into the game midway through the half. Twice Sargeant made good saves from McAreavey and McAllister as Linfield threatened to take the lead and it meant the teams remained level at half time.

Linfield opened up the second half strongly and took the lead in the 47th minute when a slip in the Bangor defence allowed McAllister to get free inside the box and he clinically shot past Sargeant from 12 yards. The game became a bit of a stalemate with both defences on top however Bangor got the equaliser in the 70th minute when Lockhart was on hand to slot home from 7 yards following a good knock down from Irvine.

Linfield took the lead again in the 79th minute when Whiteside got caught in possession near half way allowing the Blues to break swiftly with Burns getting on the end of the left wing cross to score from 6 yards. Despite their best efforts Bangor were unable to find a second equaliser and the game ended with a 2-1 victory to Linfield.

JB's View: " I couldn't ask any more of the boys today. Every one of them worked hard and for long periods we more than matched a very strong Linfield team. Irvine put in a very good shift in the middle of the park for us but it was the performance of the younger lads that pleased me most. Sargeant had a poor game up at Ballymena on Tuesday but today he responded very well. He made 2 or 3 very good saves at crucial times and gave his back 4 confidence. The two full backs Mann and Whitford were very steady and both can be pleased with their performance. However Stephen Whiteside was the best player on the park. He was up against 2 good forwards in McAllister and Miskimmon and stood up to the challenge very well."

Bangor Ladies will be in action at Clandeboye Park this Thursday evening (2nd April) when they take on Loughgall Lakers in a pre-season friendly. The Ladies are also planning to unveil a new sponsor on Thursday night.

The opening League fixtures for the Ladies are as follows:
Tue 21.04.09  - Bangor Ladies  v Abbey Villa **
Thu 30.04.09 - Killyleagh L v Bangor Ladies
Tue 05.05.09 - Bangor Ladies v Ballyvange Ladies **

**= at Clandeboye Park

OTHER NEWS:
Bangor Reserves lost 2-1 to Linfield Swifts at Clandeboye Park on Saturday.

Bangor Reserves twice came from behind to gain a creditable draw against Ballymena United on Tuesday night.

Both teams were strengthened with several first team squad players featuring for both sides - O'Neill, Watson, McClean, Cushley, Deans, Walsh and Stewart for Ballymena and Melly, McKee, Verner and Hand for Bangor.

Ballymena immediatley put Bangor under pressure and could have taken the lead as early as the first minute when Stewart was allowed a free header from a corner but fortunatley for Bangor the ball flew over the bar. Bangor were struggling to settle and Ballymena continued to press and it was no surprise when they took the lead after 20 minutes when a mix up between Sargeant and Whitford on the edge of the box allowed Walsh to tap into the empty net from 10 yards.

McKee and Melly started to get on the ball and direct things from the middle of the park and O'Neill had to be alert as Melly twice tried his luck from distance. Bangor then created their best chance of the half when Verner with back to goal tried to flick the ball past O'Neill from 6 yards but the keeper did well.

Bangor kicked off the second half against the strong breeze and for 20 minutes controlled the game without looking likely to get an equaliser. Glenn Hand was doing well on the right flank with his pace causing the Ballymena defence problems. It was from a Glenn Hand run that Bangor won a corner in the 70th minute from which Getty was adjudged to push Whiteside in the box and the referee correctly awarded a penalty which Verner cooly stuck into the bottom corner sending O'Neill the wrong way. However disaster struck for Bangor when Ballymena went ahead again straight from the kick off. From a free kick wide on the right Sargeant decided to come and collect and when he failed to do so the Ballymena forward had the easy task of heading into the empty net.

 Bangor pushed forward and found their second equaliser in the 82nd minute when Verner collected a 40 yard pass from Bailie, spun his man on the edge of the box before sending a delicate chip over the stranded O'Neill for a fine goal. At this stage the game could have went either way with Ballymena coming close from a couple of corners and then in the last minute Tumelty found himself through on goal as the keeper advanced and defender put him under pressure his chip had just too much on it and it went inches over.

Team: Sargeant, Drysdale (Mann 45), Whitford, Bailie, Whiteside, Hunter (Sharratt 83), Hand, McKee, Melly, Verner, Coyle (Tumelty 60). Sub: Graham

JB's View:  "Mistakes cost us dearly in this game where we presented Ballymena with 2 goals. We started very poorly and it was only after we went behind did we start to play and show we were as good as the opposition, with Mckee and Melly winning the midfield battle. Verner showed great quality with his second goal and was a threat all night whilst Whiteside and Whitford also had solid games at the back. Glenn Hand also had a good game and seemed to enjoy the freedom he was given in attack alongside Verner and Coyle. Whilst very disappointed with the 2 goals we conceded I have to be happy with a point and to be fair to Ballymena I feel a draw was a fair result."

FINAL SCORE FROM SOLITUDE:

CLIFTONVILLE 2-1 BANGOR
Bangor goalscorer: Marty Verner

MATCH PHOTOS by Darran Gilpin

REMAINING FIXTURES:
Sat 11.04.09 Bangor v Glenavon
Tue 14.04.09 Institute v Bangor
Sat 18.04.09 Newry City v Bangor
Sat 25.04.09 Bangor v Dungannon S.
Sat 02.05.09 Bangor v Ballymena Utd

With regulars Coyle, Boyd and Hunter on first team duty the reserves travelled to Ballyskeagh with a very small pool of players to take on Lisburn Distillery.

Previous results between the two teams indicated that this would be a tight affair. Both teams created very little in the opening quarter with both defences on top however as the half progressed Bangor started to enjoy more possession in the Distillery half. Bangor were finding joy in behind the Distillery back four but were unable to make the most of the opportunities that were being created, especially down the left hand side.

 On twenty minutes Sharratt showed good control before firing straight at the keeper but both teams were struggling to create any goalscoring chances. Bangor then took the lead in the 30th minute when from a well flighted Drysdale free kick, Simon Graham showed a cool head to score at the back post from a tight angle.

Distillery were finding it very difficult to break down a well organised Bangor defence and the half ended with Bangor very much in control. Distillery started the second half much brighter and tried to exert some pressure on the Bangor backline however 5 minutes into the half a misplaced pass allowed Bangor to counter attack and that they did with great effect when a great defence splittling pass from Graham allowed Tumelty to run through on goal as score past the advancing keeper.

Distillery immediatley went forward and forced Sargeant into his first save of the match on 60 minutes. The Distillery forward did well to get free in the box but Sargeant did well to push his goalbound shot round the post for a corner. Distillery then introduced their 3 subs and this had an immediate impact when one of them got free to lob over the advancing Sargeant to reduce the deficit however Bangor failed to let this setback affect them and quickly regained their shape and discipline allowing them to see out the final 15 minutes without too much trouble.

Team: Sargeant, Drysdale, Whitford, Bailie, Whiteside, Mann, Graham, Carnduff, Tumelty, Sharratt, Ritchie. Sub: Morton

JB's View: "We were down to the bare bones today but the boys showed a lot of character to grind out another very good result. Apart from a 5 minute blip in the second half we never looked like conceding and without dominating the game I feel we fully deserved to win the game. Our defence was excellent and Sargeant made an excellent stop immediatley after we scored our second goal which was crucial. There is a lot of potential with the young lads in this squad. We had 4 under 18s and 4 under 19s involved today and with another 3 under 18s involved with the first team squad today this was a another good performance and result. Whitford and Whiteside had good games at the back for Bangor."

The reserves travel to Ballymena on Tuesday 24th March and are then scheduled to play Linfield Swifts on 28th March at Clandeboye

Colin McCurdy gave full debuts to defender Chris Boyd and midfielder Kevin Coyle as the Seasiders battled to gain a point in a scoreless draw at Clandeboye Park this afternoon.

Darren Lockhart was dismissed early in the second half following a clash with Ryan McCann. but 10 man Bangor held Distillery at bay, with Ryan Brown producing an heroic performance in the Bangor goals.

MATCH REPORT by Neil Watson
MATCH PHOTOS by Gary Carson
MATCH PHOTOS by Darran Gilpin

REV. JOHN PARKES
It was with great sorrow that everyone connected with Bangor Football Club learned of the sudden death of the club chaplain, Reverend John Parkes last weekend. Over the last years John had become an integral and very much valued part of the "back room staff" at Clandeboye Park.  His wise council, sympathetic approach, and willingness to go the extra mile to help those he came in contact with earned him much respect and affection. John's helping hand will be very much missed.

John's funeral took place at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Clandeboye Road, where John was minister, on Wednesday.

The sympathy of everyone at Clandeboye Park is extended to John's sons Jonathon and Andrew and daughter-in-law Victoria and the wider family circle.

Strengthened by first teamers, McKee, Melly and McDowell Bangor Reserves ran out comfortable winners on Saturday against a youthful looking Glenavon side.

Bangor were qick out of the traps and dominated the first half hour. However they only had a Gary Sharrat headed goal to show for their superiority following a well flight Melly corner. McDowell twice forced saves fom Tuda Murphy in the Glenavon goal and as Sharratt broke into the box and looked certain to score a well timed challenge from a Glenavon defender evaded the danger. Glenavon then came more into the game with their left winger causing the Bangor defence a few anxious moments however they were unable cause Sargeant in the Bangor goal any problems.

Bangor started the second half on top although their passing became very slack. They then suffered a real set back when Whiteside looked to have a routine ball over the top covered but as he went to the ball he pulled up giving the Glenavon forward a free run into the box and presenting them with a 3 v 2 situation which they took full advantage of. The ball was played across the box for the Glenavon No 10 to flash a shot into the top corner of the net from 12 yards.

The setback lifted Bangor and they went on to dominate the remainder of the game. As the game opened up Melly, McKee and Hunter took a real stranglehold of the game and it seemed only a matter of time before Bangor would score. When the goal did arrive Bangor defnitely had the rub of the green with Sharratt's shot blocked, it fell into the path of McDowell 6 yards from goal and he couldn't miss. Glenavon heads seemed to drop and soon after Bangor scored a super 3rd goal. McDowell whipped in a great ball from the right and this was met at the front post by Tony Tumelty who lashed home an unstoppable volley from 10 yards. A fourth was added near the end when Murphy's poor clearance rebounded of the inrushing Tumelty into the net.

Team: Sargeant, Drysdale, Whitford, Bailie, Whiteside, Melly, Coyle, McKee, Sharratt, McDowell, Hunter. Subs: Graham, Ritchie, Tumelty, Bryson, Mann

JB's View: " This was a very good performance albeit against a youthful Glenavon team. We dominated the game start to finish and fully deserved this victory. We imposed ourselves on the game very early and didn't allow Glenavon many opportunities. There were a few tired legs out there with some of the younger lads playing their 4th game in a 10 day period but everyone worked very hard, especially after conceding the equaliser early in the second half."

I would also like to pass on the sympathy of all at Bangor Reserves to Kevin Coyle and his family on the recent death of his grandfather.

Institute Reserves made the long trek to take on Bangor Reserves for a re-arranged league fixture on Monday evening.

The game started at a frantic pace, with both sides struggling to get to grips with the bumpy Clandeboye surface however Bangor were first to threaten when Michael Hunter came close after 10 minutes. Play became congested in the middle of the park however midway through the half Institute started to enjoy more possession and were causing the Bangor defence some anxious moments, however the back four of Drysdale, Boyd, Whiteside and Whitford were holding firm. Sargeant made a great save to his left to deny an Institute forward from 10 yards after 30 mins however Institute took the lead from the resulting corner. Bangor failed to clear their lines and the ball fell nicely to an Institute player who scored from 6 yards. Institute continued to rely heavily on their long throws which were causing the much smaller Bangor team problems but on 40 minutes Bangor equalised. Mark Drysdale went on a 30 yard run skipping past 3 Institute challenges and then slipped a delightful through ball to Gary Sharratt who showed good composure to shoot easily past the Institute keeper from 12 yards.

Boosted by their goal at the end of the first half Bangor controlled much more of the second half and as the game became stretched McKee and Mann in the middle of the park began to boss the game with Institute threatening very little offensively. Kevin Coyle was causing problems on the right flank and twice got behind the full back but his crosses were well defended. On 55 minutes Tony Tumelty found himself through on goal but blazed over and then substitute Dean McCormick found himself through but his attempted chip went straight to the keeper. Coyle then put McCormick through on the right side of the area but the Institute keeper did well to block at his feet. Then on 80 minutes Bangor got the goal their second half display deserved and what a good goal it was. Sharratt collected the ball wide on the left, created space for himself and then delivered a great ball across the face of goal for the inrushing Simon Graham to hit home from 8 yards. In the closing stages Institute piled players forward in search of an equaliser but the Bangor defence held firm to earn a good 3 points. There were good displays from Drysdale, Whitford, McKee, Hunter and Sharratt.

Team: Sargeant, Drysdale, Whitford, Boyd, Whiteside (Graham 65), Mann, Coyle, McKee, Hunter, T Tumelty (McCormick 60), Sharratt (Bryson 85). Subs Unused: Morton, Bailie

JB's View "I am delighted for the boys that they finally got their just rewards. Institute are a big side and their long throws into the box were causing us problems, but we had a good chat at half time and the boys responded well to control the second half. We scored two very good goals but what pleased me most was our workrate and energy levels. On a bumpy surface it was always going to be difficult to play football but when we did get the ball down and play we created a number of good opportunities."

NEXT FIXTURE:
Saturday 7th March, Bangor Reserves v Glenavon Reserves (Clandeboye Park, 2:00pm)

OTHER NEWS:
Noel Anderson has received a one match ban for picking up his fifth caution of the season. He will miss Bangor's next match against Lisburn Distillery on Saturday 14th March.

Bangor Ladies are back in training for the new 2009 NIWFA Intermediate Division 'B' season.

The Ladies will kick off their preparations for the new season with a couple of friendly matches.

First up it's Donegal Celtic Ladies who will be the visiting Clandeboye Park on Thursday 19th March, 7.30pm kick off.

The Ladies will then travel to Inver Park on Wednesday 25th March to take on Larne Ladies, 7:30pm kick off.

http://www.bangorladiesfc.co.uk