Seasiders run riot in first North Down duel of the season
PLAYR-FIT CHAMPIONSHIP
Ards 0
Bangor 4
HARRISON 10′, ARTHURS 12′, 55′, FERGUSON 26′
Rory McKee at Clandeboye Park
RUTHLESS Bangor showed arch rivals Ards no mercy on Tuesday evening when the Seasiders condemned the Red and Blues to their heaviest North Down Derby defeat for some 64 years.
Entering the clash unbeaten with two wins and a draw from their opening three games, John Bailie’s Ards side were brought back down to earth in extraordinary fashion as Bangor struck three times inside the first half-an-hour before adding a fourth after the break.
In front of a full house at Clandeboye Park, it was Ards wing-back Connor Maxwell who recorded the game’s first effort on goal when he called Bangor ’keeper James Taylor into action after four minutes.
But Bangor delivered the first blow six minutes later when captain Lewis Harrison managed to force home inside a crowded penalty area from Reece Neale’s inswinging corner, with Ards defender Mark Carson’s attempts to clear in vain.
And the lead was doubled less than two minutes later. Harrison turned provider this time for one-time Ards frontman Ben Arthurs, who latched onto the midfielder’s forward pass before guiding the ball into the far corner past Marc Matthews.
Crestfallen, the night was about to get even worse for Ards with the game not yet 30 minutes old.
A sublime and individual third arrived courtesy of last season’s Championship top scorer Matthew Ferguson. The former Harland & Wolff Welders marksman took down a lofted pass from Reece Neale, spun past Odhran McCart and Matty McAvoy as if they weren’t there and drilled into the net beyond a stranded Matthews, effectively killing the match as a contest and taking his season tally to five in four games.
Only a smart save from the feet of Matthews denied Max Davidson from adding to the scoreline shortly after as Bangor threatened to rub salt into the wounds.
There was to be no let up from the Seasiders, who looked like scoring with each attack. Ferguson sent strike partner Arthurs through with a first-time pass in the 33rd minute and the number nine’s near-post effort was kept out by an alert Matthews – without whom this would have been an even bigger humiliation.
A neat one-two between Arthurs and Harrison followed four minutes before the half-time, but the latter’s shot lacked power and was pushed wide by an increasingly busy Ards custodian.
Red and Blues defensive duo McAvoy and McCart were hauled off at the break, making way for Ryan Arthur and Michael Ruddy, but if Ards were harbouring hopes of a second-half revival, those were quashed less than 10 minutes after the restart when Kyle Owens headed across the face of goal where Arthurs was waiting to pounce to make it 4-0 from just a couple of yards out.
An already bruising night for Ards was compounded further on the hour mark as substitute Arthur was shown red against his ex-employers for seeming to kick out at Tiarnan Mulvenna off the ball.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the game proceeded to peter out after that with Bangor satisfied with their night’s work and Ards in a state of damage limitation as they slumped to defeat by four goals in the derby for the first time since March 1960.
Substitutes: Cushnie (Garrett 58), Mathieson (McGuinness 68), Bradley (Harrison 68), McArthur (Arthurs 68), Rea (Ferguson 78).
Not used: Orbinson, Byers.
Booked: Bradley.
