By Rory McKee
r.mckee@spectatornewspapers.co.uk
TWENTY minutes to 10 o’clock on a fresh late April evening and Bangor’s players to a man sunk to the turf, with an overriding feeling of what might have been.
The Clandeboye Park club in 2016 dropped into the third tier of Irish League football for the first time in their history, but here they stood eight years later potentially just 180 minutes away from top flight status once again.
At least that was how it appeared. In one of the most dramatic second tier denouements in recent memory, the Seasiders were all set to claim a place in a two-legged promotion/relegation playoff with Ballymena United of the Premiership.
But Michael Harris delivered the late, late show for Institute against already-promoted Portadown and in doing so sent a dagger through Bangor hearts, whose stalemate with fellow promotion candidates Annagh United suddenly wasn’t enough.
Ironically those matches were being played just a mile and a half apart – there was nothing similar about the full-time emotions at the two venues.
Deflation though quickly turned to pride for Bangor. Few gave them a mission of finishing in the top half of the Championship on their return to the division, never mind finishing three points behind the eventual winners.
It’s safe to say manager Lee Feeney wasted no time in bolstering his squad over the close season as Bangor look to ensure they get over the line this time around.
They arguably now possess the best two centre-forwards in the division, after the arrival of last term’s leading scorer Matthew Ferguson from Harland & Wolff Welders who joins Ben Arthurs and Ben Cushnie in a frontline brimming with firepower, the latter turning his loan stay into a permanent one this summer.
Experienced defender Kyle Owens has followed Ferguson in swapping east Belfast for north Down while Irish League veteran Robbie Garrett’s knowhow and bite in midfield could prove invaluable for the Seasiders, following his move from Glenavon.
Further additions have come in the form of right-back Caomhan McGuinness from Ballyclare Comrades, promising centre-back Kielan Reid from Linfield Swifts and Larne youngster Ben Walker, who has linked back up with Bangor for a second successive loan spell.
Last year’s sterling effort from the Seasiders was rightly applauded across the football fraternity. This year, the squad that bit wiser and now boasting some big names, there will be questions asked if Feeney’s men aren’t firmly in the promotion picture.
Bangor begin their 2024/25 campaign tomorrow (Friday) evening at home to H&W Welders in front of what’s anticipated to be a bumper crowd at Clandeboye Park.
After that it’s a return to Annagh United on August 17 and a home clash with Newington the following Friday (August 23), before Bangor and Ards lock horns in the first north Down derby of the season on Tuesday, August 27.
So what of the rest of the Championship?
Predictions are a fool’s game and that is particularly true when discussing a league renowned for just about any team being able to beat another on their given day.
But nonetheless…
Ards will be out to right the wrongs of last season when they slumped to their lowest ever league finish.
A run of six games without a win at the back end of 2023 spelled the end of the road for Matthew Tipton, and that number climbed to 15 before Ards eventually ended their wait for a league victory by beating fellow strugglers Dergview in their final game before the split.
Season highlights were few and far between, knocking Irish Cup holders Crusaders out of the competition on penalties the standout moment in an otherwise well below par campaign.
On the face of it Red and Blues boss John Bailie has recruited well this summer, but it feels like we were saying something similar 12 months ago. Credit is due for convincing players like Eamon Scannell to commit to the club for another season, while the signing of striker Zach Barr – who got 18 Championship goals last term – could end up being the solution to Ards’ problems at the top end of the pitch.
Where will they finish? The only direction of travel, surely, is up, though I don’t see Ards breaking into the top half and so have got them seventh.
Other teams of intrigue will be promoted pair Limavady United and Armagh City, as well as Newry City who are back in the second tier following two seasons in the top flight.
Limavady have not been messing around on the transfer front, boss Paul Owens making use of his contacts at Coleraine to add a host of former Bannsiders to his already very capable squad.
Having just been relegated Newry will expect to feature among the sides fighting for promotion, but they’ll have to do so without long-serving captain Darren King who recently called time on his 20-year playing career with the south Down outfit. Meanwhile Adam Salley, who hit 27 goals when on loan at Ards to claim the 2022/23 Championship golden boot, will be keen to rediscover that sort of form in a Newry shirt this term.
