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Match reports
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CITY 2 - 1 GAP CONNAH'S QUAY
CORBETT SPORTS WELSH PREMIER LEAGUE
FRIDAY 17 AUGUST 2012
MIKE SMITH'S MATCH REPORT
 This first Welsh Premier match of the season was won at the very last!
Ignore the order listed on the team sheet, this was Clive Williams at rightback, Liam Brownhill on the left and Mark Smyth on the right wing. For Connahs Quay the 3-5-2 formation saw Mark McGregor marshalling the muscular Michael Robinson and the quaintly named Danny Dobbins.
Bangor started well enough attacking the bridge end in damp conditions. Chris Simm tested Nomads keeper John Rushton inside three minutes and on eight minutes when Damien Allen's shot bounced out and across the goalmouth it was Chris Simm who netted from six yards.
The Deeside team looked one paced and vulnerable and an easy win beckoned.
Sion Edwards and right winger Mark Smyth went close with shots the extravangant Rushton punched, palmed or flapped away. Five corners came inside 35 minutes, the fifth crossed by Sion Edwards was headed over by Les Davies as he was virtually standing still. Nomads though had gradually estblished a foothold in the game, off Ricky Evans operating as a target man and the pugnacious former Druid Mike Thompson patrolling the midfield. But three minutes from half time Alan Hooley crossed and Dean Canning scored a similar goal to Chris Simm and City fans had to digest a level scoreline.
The dozen or so youngsters in Nomads shirts camped behind the "wrong" goal celebrated along with a handful in the main stand. Bangor looked for an instant reply and as Les Davies headed down but Chris Simm ballooned his shot from beyond the post and the chance went astray. Before the break it might have been worse for City had Mike Thompson not fired wide from the left with only Lee Idzi to beat. So the half time whistle blew with the scores level to the visible dismay of the blues fans.
HALF TIME 0-0
Before the restart Bangor replaced Mark Smyth with Chris Jones who took over his right wing berth. The second half elements - rain more than wind - were with City attacking the Bangor end, but it was the visitors who threatened through debutant Dean Canning whose fierce shot was tipped onto the crossbar by Lee Idzi to keep the scoreline level.
Three more home corners came, some pressure built up, but McGregor marshalled his sodden troops and referee Huw Jones angered home fans by stopping play everytime a Nomad dropped to one knee. Bangor had justifiable penalty claims waved aside when Chris Simm was flattened in the box but Referee Jones said no. Les Davies shot down and over from a Sion Edwards cross - his claims for a corner were waved away - then Craig Garside headed wide from Michael Johnston's inviting deep cross from the right.
Johnston was enjoying a fine game alongside Jamie Brewerton who was getting the better of a duel with former blue Ricky Evans recently re-invented as a competent centre forward.
With eighteen minutes left Gary O'Toole replaced goalscorer Canning and was promptly booked. A minute later John Owen and Dave Morley came on for Chris Simm and Craig Garside. Both were to make their mark. Owen combined well with Sion Edwards who crossed but Damien Allen's long range effort landed on the roof of the net.
Edwards fired low from the right but the bulky Rushton saved well. The late late drama as John Owen shot from the right and Mark McGregor handled.
Penalty, and up stepped Dave Morley to net with ease and score what looked like the winner given that only thirty seconds remained when the celebrations died down. Referee Jones though, under instruction from the disgruntled McGregor, allowing for a late Nomads sub, and perhaps for those noisy celebrations, added a further two minutes but happily to no avail from the visitors perspective and finally blew on a heavy weather 2-1 win for Bangor celebrated by most of the 850 present.
17 August 2012
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