07:30 PM

<B>Friendy Match<BR><p align="center"><img src="http://www.viperslfc.cityslide.com/i//kidt.jpg"><BR> Bangor Ladies stutter to pre season defeat BANGOR Ladies, the ladies section of Bangor Football Club, pre-season got underway in earnest last week, with the club taking on neighbours Abbey Villa Ladies, from Millisle at Clandeboye Park last Wednesday evening (5th), in the club’s first competitive fixture of the 2008. This looked like a benchmark fixture for the local ladies football club with the management fielding no fewer than seven ‘rookies’ - six of whom, were under the age of 16 years - a sign that the Seasiders are putting together the foundations of a side which has both youth in abundance and experience to build upon. Though, it was arguably an unrecognisable Bangor line-up which ran out onto the Clandeboye Road arena on a bitterly cold and unsettled evening, it was however, an encouraging sight for the local ladies football club to behold. Out went 07 seniors Christine Morrison, Lisa Mahood, Christina McNamara, Cathy Duncan, Jeni Boyd, Trish Webb, Jackie Price, Petra Armstrong and Tina Sharpe. Coming in for senior debuts were Sam Britain; Maggie McDowell, Hannah Smyth, Rachel McKeown, and sisters Louise and Sammy Bakewell. Having won the toss, the visitors elected to play with the strong wind at their backs, hoping with the assumed advantage, to take the game to Bangor for most of the first half; try to establish a lead, then to sit back and defend in numbers. Although the fixture started brightly enough and the opening exchanges were quick and frantic, Abbey Villa are also a very young side, and set about trying to swamp the Seasiders with some direct offence - the visitors attacking at pace. Bangor were relying on their experienced players to hold the youngsters together, with Valerie McKibbin, Dee Savage, Carolyn Scott, Julie Graham, Peggie Bradley and last season Player of the year Kim Dockery all playing important supporting roles throughout the evenings proceedings. With so many first team players sidelined, manager Craig was quite content to take the opportunity to sit back and watch how his rejuvenated team would cope and generally the youngsters did very well - Smyth and McDowell, both playing for their respective schools looked settled, while up front Louise and sister Sammy Bakewell although playing into a strong wind, did manage to apply some pressure on the visitors defence. On feature of this sustained attack on the Bangor goal was the performance of Sam Britain in goals, the Newtownards keeper pulled off a fine double save on 20 minutes. With just eight of the allotted 35 minutes left on the clock, Villa finally took the lead, and deservedly so, the Seasiders had been struggling to clear from defence, and were battling both the elements as well as the relaxed multiple changes in personnel, allowed in the environment of a friendly fixture. The makeshift defence who had been coping quite well, were finally breached with a good move which saw a lively Abbey Villa winger get in behind the Bangor defence and from the resulting drive across the six yard box, the visitors converted the chance into a 1-0 lead. With the ball not really clearing the Bangor half, the home defence guilty of just blasting it back into the oppositions half, where it was coming back at them. This proved to be disruptive, the Seasiders unable to string together any momentum or decent offence. Although it was a marginal set back to go one down, playing against the wind, it was not thought it would prove to be too decisive, but Villa soon doubled their advantage with another strike just 3 minutes later - making it 2-0 at the break. The half time team talk was about turning the tables on the visitors, taking the game by the scruff of the neck and with the strong gale now at the backs of the home side, going straight at the Abbey Villa defence. But the game plan just never materialised - whether it was a case of Bangor never really getting out of the traps or just the tactical ‘greenness’ Bangor just never got going until too late in the second half, and suffered an unexpected setback. Within 7 minutes of the re-start - after needlessly conceded a corner, from the resulting half clearance - the home side found themselves further behind and with a mountain to climb. Now 3-0 behind, the Seasiders were slowly edging out of defence, a succession of corners saw them finally apply some pressure on a determined visiting defence, Carolyn Scott was putting a supply of vicious inswingers, each one causing a panic in the six yard box of the visitors, the goal under siege but the ball was scrambled away to safety. It was definitely proving to be a significant threat and from one of these crosses came the breakthrough. An inswinger which sailed over the first two defenders to the feet of Sammy Bakewell who stabbed in goalwards, the ball ricocheted in a melee of players before finally settling in the corner of the net - Scott claiming the last touch. Although this goal should have been the catalyst to inspire Bangor to continue to press, the team playing with so many changes, seemed to over commit when going forward, abandoning the midfield and lost their attacking effectiveness - often caught with five or six players ahead of the ball. With eight minutes left on the clock, Bangor striker Dee Savage had a great opportunity to close the gap further, Scott working the ball in from the right to create a chance but the top goalscorer blasted over the bar from close range with the visiting goalkeeper beaten. With time running out, Bangor went three at the back and pushed Dockery forward but despite having most of the ball were unable to carve out any other real sights of goal and the game finished 3-1 to Abbey Villa. Training continues every Sunday - and the club’s next game has been lined up against Portaferry Ladies, again at home, although the date has yet to be confirmed - but when going to press - it is pencilled in for Clandeboye Park, Wednesday 26th March. The Seasiders will also be hoping to avenge their defeat to Abbey Villa, with a return leg being lined upfor early April.