By Lewis Bennett
BANGOR Ladies return to action after a two-and-a-half-week break when they host Ballymena United Women in the quarter-finals of the NIWFA Championship Cup tomorrow night.
It is the first taste of knockout football this season for Rory Hamill’s outfit, who will be keen to book their spot in the competition’s last-four.
Buoyed by a strong start to the NIWFA Championship campaign, occupying third place with five wins in seven matches and most recently brushing Mid Ulster Ladies aside 7-0, Bangor will now look to carry that form forward and embark on extended runs in the cups.
The Yellows are also hungry to make progress in the Championship Cup by recording a win in the tournament for the very first time.
Bangor were dealt preliminary round penalty shoot-out exits in each of the last two seasons, missing out to Ballymena in 2024 and Sion Swifts Ladies last year, while Ballyclare Comrades were victorious in the sides’ quarter-final encounter in 2023.
This year, however, they will enter as favourites against a Ballymena side that they have already beaten this term, with Amber Dempster scoring the only goal of the game in the league meeting at the Showgrounds on April 8.
Former Sky Blues striker Hamill will not underestimate United, as although they are winless in eight league games, they have drawn five of them and only conceded 10 goals in that time – the same as Bangor – but the manager will be quietly confident.
Elsewhere, Bangor have discovered their opponents in the first round of this year’s Irish FA Women’s Challenge Cup, travelling to face fellow second-tier side Strabane Athletic Ladies at Melvin Park Arena.
Bangor have made impressive progress in the Irish Cup in recent years, reaching the round of 16 in 2025 – a year on from their best-ever performance in the blue-riband competition in women’s football, when they got to the quarters.
Hamill and his players will hope they can embark on another strong run against a Strabane side they beat 4-0 on the opening day of the season in March.
The club is inviting expressions of interest for players aged between 16 and 19 to join the new ladies’ development squad, which has been started with a view to entering a reserve league from next season onwards.
Players will have the opportunity to take part in training sessions and play in friendly matches, while benefiting from high-class coaching that can help them develop and take the next step in their career.
Interested players are asked to contact bangorfcladies@outlook.com for more information.
