Having just enjoyed a rest weekend from league fixtures, a strong Bangor side hosted Lurgan in the quarter finals of the Solarfix NI Junior Cup. In previous seasons, Bangor have found Lurgan to be tough opponents and, with the prospect of facing them again in the league, this cup tie was maybe going to give an indication of what to expect in the weeks ahead. Lurgan are already three places above Bangor in Championship 1, so this was likely to be a keenly contested game.

Bangor kicked off into a stiff headwind, knowing that whatever ground they hoped to make would have to be with the ball in hand rather than kicking for territory. This soon proved to be the case when crisp passing got the ball to Ryan Young on the left wing. With space around him, Young sensed a good attacking opportunity, and an early chance to test the Lurgan defence. His characteristic darting run saw him evade the first defenders then, with just his opposite number left to attack, he found another gear and ran clear before scoring in the left-hand corner. The difficult conversion attempt was missed by Josh Carman, but Bangor were happy to have moved into a 5-0 lead after just 7 minutes of play.
As if to prove that they could be just as incisive, Lurgan replied in similar fashion a few minutes later but, with the assistance of the wind at their backs, the conversion was added to move the visitors into a 5-7 lead. However, this lead was short-lived after Ryan Young repeated his earlier success with another try, thankfully closer to the posts which gave Carman a kickable conversion, and made the score now 12-7.

Sensibly, Lurgan used the wind to their advantage with several good kicks downfield, keeping Bangor pinned down inside their own half for long periods of play. As Bangor struggled to get back on the front foot, a defensive lapse allowed Lurgan to drift through for a try under the posts which, with the added conversion, put them back ahead by 12-14.

From the restart, Lurgan kept the pressure on, and soon forced Bangor into a series of penalty mistakes. Bangor did their best to hold their defensive line, but eventually a quick tap-and-go proved impossible to cover, and Lurgan ran through for another try close to the posts, which stretched their lead to 12-21.

With 15 minutes of the first half remaining, the Bangor supporters were beginning to get worried that Lurgan might now rack up a big lead to take into the second half. The Bangor players must have also sensed the danger and, just after they disrupted a Lurgan scrum, Josh Carman broke clear before off-loading to Bryn Watson who finished off the attack with a determined run to touch down under the Lurgan posts. Carman added the conversion, which brought the half-time score to 19-21, and everything to play for after the break.

Lurgan got the second half underway, and immediately found that their slender lead was unlikely to remain for long. Ryan Young continued to torture the Lurgan defence, and completed his hat-trick of tries after just 3 minutes and, with the addition of Carman’s conversion, moved Bangor back into the lead by 26-21.

It was now Bangor’s turn to keep their opponents pinned down inside their own half, and when they were awarded a long-range penalty, Carman stepped up and, now aided by the wind at his back, made the successful kick that moved Bangor further ahead by 29-21.

With Lurgan now needing to score twice to regain the lead, the pressure immediately started to show. A yellow card, and then conceding extra yardage as a result of dissent, made their task even more difficult. Another long-range penalty attempt by Carman came close but bounced back off the upright. The jittery Lurgan defence were relieved to simply get the ball into touch, and breathe again.

Bangor’s tails were now up, and it seemed inevitable that they would score again. Ryan Young continued to torture the Lurgan defence, but this time the Bangor forwards got in on the act when Marty Withers carried on the attack with a strong charge through the centre. Although eventually tackled and his run halted, good awareness enabled him to get the ball to Frankie Shivers who was in close support. Still with several metres to go, and with a defender to contend with, Shivers managed to force his way through the defence and touch down for a well-taken try. The icing on the cake came with the final play of the game. Despite suffering an earlier knock to the knee, Gareth Millar was quick to pounce on a loose Lurgan pass and set off for the Lurgan goal line. Although visibly struggling, he managed to make the intercept count and limped through to score under the posts which, with the addition of Carman’s kick, brought the final score to 43-21 and earned Bangor a semi-final place.

This was a much-needed win, but it came at a cost. With yet more injuries to contend with, Bangor’s problems continue to mount. However, this was a better Bangor performance, and one that will hopefully renew their confidence ahead of a difficult league fixture against top-three side Portadown at Upritchard Park next weekend.