Seasiders travel to Coagh

BANGOR travel to Coagh United on Saturday for the second meeting of the teams this season. Last weekend Coagh played in the sixth round of the JJB Sports Irish Cup away to Premiership side Crusaders, losing 0-4 to the cup-holders.

In their first encounter, at Clandeboye Park on September 19, there were plenty of goals in a see-saw match which ended in a victory by the odd goal in seven for the home team. A hat trick by striker Glen Upton and a goal from sub Andy McIntyre meant that Bangor bounced back following a 4-1 defeat the previous weekend away to Carrick Rangers.

A late, late goallast Saturday from full back Dean Youle on his return from Harland & Wolff saved Bangor from defeat.

With less than 30 seconds left on the referee’s watch the defender rose to head home from Dominic Melly’s corner to equalise a goal scored by former Bangor player Glenn Hand which had given Carrick a 2-1 lead just a couple of minutes earlier.
It was an exciting end to a hard fought encounter and a draw was probably the correct result to a game in which the visitors had the better of the first half.

Carrick went in at the interval 1-0 ahead through a goal by Darren McNamee on 24 minutes with Bangor holding the upper hand in the second and scoring midway through Andy McIntyre on 68 minutes.

Colin McCurdy: "I thought Carrick were the better team in the first half and out-fought us. We had to tighten things up in the second in order to compete. We did that and we also changed the system midway through the second period which worked for us.

"It was disappointing for us to concede a soft second goal when we failed to pick up Glenn Hand who was left free in the box. However, we then showed bags of character to come back and equalise. Carrick play a very direct game, hitting the ball from back to front, but in the end I thought Garth Scates and Colin White got to grips with the situation to turn things to our advantage. In the end a draw was probably a fair result."