Stop the ROT
Bangor sights on reversing slide down the table
BANGOR City will be anxious to stop the rot when they visit third-from-bottom Newtown in the JD Welsh Premier League this Saturday (2.30pm).
After such a promising start to the campaign, the Citizens have lost four of their last five league tussles to slip down to fifth place, eight points behind table-toppers The New Saints.
The latest disaster for Kevin Nicholson’s side came last weekend when they crashed 1-0 at home to Cefn Druids.
Next comes a visit to a Newtown outfit which has experienced a very mixed start to the season.
Playmaker Brayden Shaw will be available again after serving a onematch suspension following his dismissal in the 4-2 defeat at Prestatyn Town on October 20.
Manager Nicholson was far from satisfied with last Friday’s loss to Druids at Nantporth.
“After such a positive start, to do what we’ve done over the past few weeks is criminal really in terms of our form and how it’s changed and how we’ve let it change and some of the results to have come out of it,” said the City chief. “All we can do is move onto the next game and concentrate on that, but I think tonight’s game will take a little getting over first.”
City started brightly, but a controversial 16th minute goal won it for Druids. It appeared keeper Matthew Hall was clearly fouled as he attempted to gather a free kick into the box, but the ball broke to Alec Mudimu, who found the empty net and the goal stood.
Hall was forced to save well from Ashley Ruane before Anderson Cayola headed over from a fine cross by City’s Luke Wall.
Both sides hit the woodwork in the second half, Lewis Buckley almost punishing poor home defending, before Steven Hewitt’s free kick was pushed onto the bar. City’s last throw of the dice saw a vicious Lawrence Wilson volley fly just wide.
Nicholson added: “We started quite brightly, played some good football, their goal came against the run of play and obviously there was a question against the goal as it looked like a foul on (keeper) Matt.
“Conceding that goal did knock us for the next 15 to 20 minutes, but we did better before half time.
“We showed lots of effort and endeavour in the second half but without any quality needed to get the goal.
“That’s three straight defeats now. After two losses in a row we felt we’d done everything in the week to gear up to winning tonight and we didn’t do it, which is extremely disappointing.”