By Lewis Bennett
BANGOR FC Ladies closed the curtain on the 2024 season on Monday night with a 3-1 defeat to Sion Swifts Ladies at the Melvin Sports Complex in Strabane, a result that confirms a fourth-place finish in the NIWFA Championship.
The Seasiders travelled to the north west knowing they couldn’t finish any higher or lower than fourth following the previous week’s 5-4 reversal at Belfast Celtic Ladies, but the players battled against the newly crowned second-tier champions and rounded off a positive first season in the hot seat for manager Chris Dougan with Amanda Morton’s late finish.
Sion, who finish top of the table having won 15 of their 18 league matches this term, had the bit between their teeth and took the lead on seven minutes – an advantage they maintained until the interval.
It was just after the hour mark when the hosts doubled their advantage in Co Tyrone before adding a third seven minutes later, with midfielder Morton grabbing a consolation for the Yellows five minutes from time.
Bangor end the campaign with 10 wins and 32 points from their 18 matches, while Dougan and assistants Josh Eynon and Josh Wynne also oversaw a quarter-final spot in the Electric Ireland Women’s Challenge Cup – an all-time best performance in the blue riband competition – and a semi-final place in the Local Women Sport Super Cup, only missing out on the Final on penalties.
The 2024 term finished on somewhat of a damp squib, however, and last week, although Bangor made a spirited late fightback against Belfast Celtic at Whiterock Leisure Centre, it wasn’t quite enough as they were left disappointed after the hosts staged a second-half turnaround.
The Seasiders drew first blood in west Belfast on 10 minutes when Lone Bretlau fired into the roof of the net to open the scoring, and they doubled their lead just four minutes later when Lydia Clarke scooped an impressive effort into the top left corner from the guts of 25 yards out that left the opposition goalkeeper with no chance.
The home side struck back eight minutes before half-time and this gave them a spring in their step after a driven attempt was placed powerfully past Bangor stopper Giulia McLaughlin into the bottom right corner, with the Seasiders defence subsequently being tested the more of the two in the lead-up to the interval.
Celtic continued on the front foot and they made their momentum count with two quickfire goals to turn the tide on 50 and 51 minutes, and they added a fourth midway through the half when a free-kick from the right-hand side floated through and in past McLaughlin to make the mountain to climb even steeper for the visitors.
While Janine Jess struck two spectacular goals from her own half in added-time that sparked belief that an unthinkable comeback was on the cards, it wasn’t quite to be on a tough night that ended in defeat for Dougan and his charges.
