PLAYR-FIT CHAMPIONSHIP
NEWINGTON 0
BANGOR 2
Ferguson 45’, McArthur 90+3’
A GOAL in the last minute of each half ensured Bangor left Inver Park with all three points on Friday, as they extended their unbeaten Championship run to eight matches.
Both Newington and Bangor battled bravely with the wind and rain brought about by Storm Darragh, and, despite both sides being at either end of the table, there was little to separate the two throughout.
Indeed it was Newington who enjoyed plenty of possession and more sights of goal in the first half. As early as the third minute, a long ball forward from Robbie Morrow brought James Taylor right to the edge of the penalty area, but as the Bangor ‘keeper waited to gather the ball, Newington forward Elijah Seymour nipped in.
The Cayman Islands international knocked the ball past the stranded Taylor, but fortunately for Bangor, Seymour’s effort from a narrowing angle fizzed across the face of the unguarded goal.
Newington were happy to shoot from distance and after a number of efforts had been well blocked by Bangor bodies, one effort from Paul Donnelly got through the Bangor defence and had to be gathered at the second attempt by Taylor after 32 minutes.
While Kyle Owens sent his header into the side netting from a deep Ben Cushnie corner, it was the home side who carried the momentum as the first half headed for its conclusion. Donnelly’s brilliant cross field ball fell into the path of Jack Reilly and the left winger’s shot across goal flew just wide of Taylor’s left-hand post.
Seymour twice went close, firstly with a glancing header that flew over the bar before he wastefully shot over from Fintan O’Boyle’s cut back.
Then, with only seconds of the half remaining, Bangor struck against the run of play. Ben Cushnie’s 20-yard drive was blocked but the ball spun kindly into the path of Ben Arthurs. The Bangor striker reacted quickest to square the ball across goal for strike partner Matthew Ferguson to slide in and bundle home from close range.
Bangor were brighter at the start of the second half, and Reece Neale’s 25-yard drive was too powerful for Dean Smyth to gather but the goalkeeper’s blushes were spared as he pounced on the goal line to stop the ball from creeping in.
At the other end it was Gerard Storey who tried his luck from distance, and the former Cliftonville midfielder watched on as Taylor pushed his effort over the bar with an hour played.
Ben Cushnie couldn’t find a way past Smyth from 20 yards after 79 minutes, and only a brave block from James Taylor denied Newington levelling the scores moments later. The Bangor ‘keeper couldn’t hold Richard Gowdy’s lofted free kick into the penalty area, but Taylor recovered quickly to bravely throw himself in front of substitute Shea Brennan’s thumping effort before another block from Callum Byers kept out Morrow’s follow up.
But Bangor hung on, and as the game moved into injury time, the Seasiders sealed the win with their second goal. Substitutes Max Davidson and Scott McArthur combined with the forward converting from 10 yards to bag his second goal of the season.
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Substitutes: McArthur (Ferguson 49), Davidson (S. McGuinness 70), C. McGuinness (Cushnie 82). Not used: Ovendale, Reid, Bradley, Redford.
Booked: Garrett, Owens, Arthurs.
Newington: Smyth, McAuley, Casey, Gowdy (C), Donnelly, Downey, Morrow, Storey, Reilly, O’Boyle, Seymour.
Substitutes: Brennan (Seymour 77), McBride (O’Boyle 86), Duffy (Reilly 86), Curran (Storey 86), Parker (McAuley 90+2).
Not used: Brown, McGrandles.
Booked: Donnelly, Seymour, Gowdy.
