Bangor hope to have full squad for play-off
BANGOR City interim-manager Gary Taylor-Fletcher is looking forward to having a full squad available for next month’s Europa League play-off semi-final at home to Newtown.
The Citizens were without three of their most potent marksmen in Daniel Nardiello, Henry Jones and Rodrigo Branco for last Saturday’s home clash with Carmarthen Town, and it showed as the hosts slumped to a 2-0 defeat.
Although certain to finish fourth in the Welsh Premier whatever the result at Bangor University Stadium, City were keen to build on the previous weekend’s jinx-breaking victory over The New Saints, but it was not to be as the Old Gold triumphed at Nantporth for the second time this term.
Taylor-Fletcher, who suffered a first loss in his brief three-game spell as caretaker-boss, said: “The first half was a good performance, but in the second half we were frustrated at how the game went.
“In the first half, we could see how we wanted to play and we could see how they wanted to frustrate us.
“We’ve got to learn to take those frustrations on board and turn them into positives.”
The former Blackpool and Leicester City striker added: “We’ve got to realise the context of the game - we had 13 fit players. We were down to the bare bones and a lot of things went against us
“On the positive side, for the first time in five weeks we’ve managed to come through a game without having anyone definitely missing for the following week through injury or suspensions.
“We will have players back for the play-offs. With four or five bodies back the squad starts to look a bit better and it gives me a few headaches over selection with the ones that are coming back in.”
Taylor-Fletcher expects a difficult test on May 6-7 at home to a Newtown outfit in awesome goalscoring form having topped the Play-Off Conference,
With just 14 players on the teamsheet last Saturday, depleted Bangor fell a goal behind on 12 minutes when a wicked deflection wrong-footed second-choice keeper Matthew Hall and Liam Thomas found the net.
Gary Roberts went close to an equaliser in the 26th minute with a deflected free kick.
Taylor-Fletcher’s header from the resulting flag-kick was just off target, then soon after Yalany Baio was through, but former City keeper Lee Idzi denied him.
Brad Jackson and Roberts had further efforts for the hosts before the break.
City were far less threatening in the second half and gifted the visitors a second goal on 52 minutes when a woeful attempt to head back to his keeper by Sergio Uyi put Thomas in the clear and he scored with embarrassing ease. . Only a good Hall block prevented Liam Griffiths making it three.