Bangor City 0 - 1 T.N.S.                              By Mark Mckean

STEVE Evans’ header quarter of an hour from time kept TNS three points clear at the top of the table and punished Bangor for some wayward shooting. The goal came from a right wing corner by Nicky Ward, and Evans was able to beat everyone to the ball to net the only goal of the game.

Bangor had made better use the blustery conditions throughout the game, but their shooting badly let them down. Only once was TNS keeper, Dean Williams, forced to make a save and that was in the 89^th minute from Alan Goodall’s free kick – but even that was a simple catch for the visiting keeper.

Playing with the wind behind them in the first half, Bangor’s passing style failed to create clear openings, which became evident when the first shot of the game, from Goodall in the 15^th minute, sailed high over the bar and out of the ground – failing to do justice to the good work by Les Davies in setting up the opportunity.

A minute later, Goodall’s 30 yard free kick went narrowly wide of Williams’ left hand post.

Farrar Road was shocked in the 17^th minute when the home side’s Kenny Burgess actually won a header. However he rectified that within seconds by tripping the referee, Mark Whitby, who failed to see Burgess picking himself up off the floor and ended up stumbling over him!

Just before the half hour mark, the visitors made their first meaningful foray into the home box, but just with Bangor’s first effort, Martin Naylor’s rushed shot cleared the bar. Shortly after, he was caught by a late challenge which went unnoticed by the officials.

The last action of the first half saw a Bangor corner fall to Clayton Blackmore, who shot wide in the 41^st minute.

Bangor’s wayward shooting continued in the second half as, in the 48^th minute, Ross Jeffries’ shot across goal not only beat Williams, but also the far post.

TNS should have taken the lead five minutes later when Ward should have scored. His shot from 15 yards went just wide with Danny Evans – on loan from Wrexham – beaten.

The visitors were let off the hook themselves just a minute later. Jeffries held of the challenge of Evans to lay the ball of to the impressive Davies, but his shot went wide when it seemed easier to score.

Bangor’s pressure continued when a corner from the left was headed narrowly wide when two attackers went for the ball, no doubt putting each other off, resulting in another missed chance.

Undeterred, the home side kept coming forward and in the 70^th minute, Burgess’ low, right wing cross was met by Paul Roberts, but was unable to control the ball in the box.

The wasted chances came back to haunt the Citizens in the 75^th minute, when Evans struck.

It was nearly 2-0 in the 85^th minute when Evans spilled David Bridgewater’s free kick, but the keeper was spared embarrassment when Chris Taylor’s acrobatic overhead kick came back off the bar and no-one in a Saints shirt was on hand to follow up.

Evans nearly turned from hero to villain in the last minute when he tripped Gary Roberts 25 yards out. The trip earned Evans a yellow card, the only booking of the game and, from Goodall’s free kick, Williams was barely troubled and with that Bangor’s hopes of a point disappeared.

TEAMS

Bangor City: Danny Evans, Peter Hoy, Alan Goodall (capt), Paul Friel, Gareth Williams, Huw Griffiths, Kenny Burgess (Gary Roberts 77), Les Davies, Ross Jeffries, Paul Roberts, Clayton Blackmore.

TNS: Dean Williams, Martin Naylor, Chris King, Jimmy Aggrey (John Toner 70), Steve Evans, Chris Taylor, Scott Ruscoe, Michael Wilde, Jamie Wood, David Bridgewater, Nicky Ward.

Set as Homepage

Contact the Author

Add to Favourites