Bangor 1 59
Westside 2 28
FRESH from securing the Senior 1 title, Bangor got their Betty Richmond Shield campaign underway in fine fashion against Westside seconds last Friday.
It promised to be a competitive clash and the opening quarter delivered just that. Both teams traded goals and tested each other’s defensive setups early on. Bangor edged ahead and finished the first quarter with a 10-6 lead, setting the tone for what was to come.
In the second quarter, Bangor made a few tactical changes in defence and as they found their rhythm, the intensity lifted across the court. Defenders Michaela Dunlop (GD) and Caoimhe Fenlon (GK) were relentless in the circle, working seamlessly together to apply pressure, force errors, and turn over crucial balls. Their efforts were backed up brilliantly by the attacking players, who flooded the centre third to slow Westside’s transition through court and eliminate passing options before the ball even reached the circle.
With momentum firmly on their side, Bangor pushed ahead convincingly, closing out the second quarter with a commanding 27-14 lead.
More changes followed at half-time: Erin Young came on at GK and wasted no time making her presence known, working tirelessly to shut down feeds into the shooting circle. Rebecca Mayne slotted into GD and was outstanding, driving hard for intercepts and linking smoothly into attack to help transition the ball down the court. To keep Westside guessing, GA Rachael Gowdy and GS Ali McClune swapped positions.
Bangor came out firing in the third quarter by scoring seven goals in a row. It was a true collective effort and by the end of the third quarter, they had surged ahead to 43-19.
In the final quarter, Bangor showed no signs of letting up. Lucie Young moved into C to give Lynda Perkins a well-earned break after her relentless work rate throughout the match. Yazmin Bleakley made her long-awaited return from injury, debuting at WD and having an immediate impact. Rachael Gowdy returned to GA, while Erin Young was subbed into GS to give Ali McClune a deserved rest after a stellar performance.
Continued good work right to the final whistle saw Bangor close out the game as comprehensive 59-28 winners.
Player of the match: Lucie Young.
