City go down fighting
BANGOR City men’s hockey team have been relegated from North West League Division 5 after a gutwrenching 3-2 loss away to Macclesfield 2nds on the last day of the season.
Despite having won 5-2 at home to Mossley Hill 2nds on Saturday, a 12-2 win on the same day for relegation rivals Alderley Edge 5ths over Llandudno meant Bangor needed three points at Macc to finish out of the bottom two.
And up until 55 minutes, it looked as though City’s battling 10 men could do it, as they led the hosts – who had 11 players and substitutes – 2-1, thanks to a pair of well-taken strikes from Harri Evans, both laid on by Jack Brookes.
Youngster Harri Collins- Jones also had a brilliant volley cleared off the line, as Bangor looked to consolidate their lead in the second half.
However, the hosts’ numerical advantage told towards the end of the game as City tired in the sunshine.
Macclesfield levelled on 56 minutes, before going in front with a third goal nine minutes from time, to condemn City to a narrow loss and relegation.
The day before, Bangor demonstrated exactly what they are capable of with a full compliment of players, when they made light work of Mossley Hill at the Canolfan Brailsford pitch.
Goals from Matt Rogers (2), Oli Fleming, Dave Paterson and captain Tom Hughes sealed a brilliant win in perhaps one of the team’s best displays of the season.
City end the season on six wins, one draw and 15 defeats, with a three-point deduction earlier in the season, for being unable to raise a team for the originally scheduled trip to Macclesfield, leaving Bangor on 16 points, finishing in 11th place, two points short of safety.