Solid win for 1876 seals top-6 finish

Cymru North

Guilsfield 1 Bangor 1876 2

Match report by Gavin Lee Redfern-jones courtesy of CPD Bangor 1876.

CLOS Mytton was the venue for a JD Cymru North league encounter between Guilsfield FC and Bangor 1876. Conditions were dry but windy as both sides looked to recover quickly from their respective Easter Monday defeats.

It was Michael Johnston’s men who took the lead in the 15th minute via Liam Morris. Having spotted that Guilsfield goalkeeper Robbie Williams was well off his line, the winger launched a lobbed effort from 40 yards out. Williams was helpless as he watched the ball creep just under the crossbar to give Bangor the lead.

Meanwhile, at the other end Bangor stopper Carl Jones pulled off a string of saves to keep his side in the lead. The first of these came just before the half-hour mark when Reece Warder executed a give-and-go pass with right-back Callum Bromley to get in behind the Bangor defensive line and unleashed a shot on goal. Keeper Jones showed quick reactions to pull off a magnificent save to his left and to put the ball out for a corner.

Minutes later, Guilsfield went close again to levelling the score when their leading scorer Iwan Matthews tried his luck from just inside the box, drawing another save from Carl Jones.

At the 38th minute mark, Bangor doubled their lead from an unlikely source. With a free-kick from just inside Guilsfield’s half of the pitch, Bangor centre-back Iolo Hughes looked to try and float a cross into the box, but the flight of the ball deceived everybody including Guilsfield keeper Williams and ended up in the net.

Bangor stood firm through an extended period of possession for Guilsfield to go into the half-time break with a comfortable lead.

Bangor started the second half strongly as they went in search of a third goal. Two minutes after the restart, Mason Blackwell-jones collected the ball in the middle of the pitch and proceeded to attack the opposition’s final third with a penetrating dribble. His pass out wide to the left went behind the back of a retreating full-back and into the path of winger Morris. His shot across the face of goal forced a good save out of Robbie Williams.

Morris would again be involved in another opportunity minutes later after right-back Cai Powellroberts’s cross-field ball found the winger with lots of room on the left-wing. With the last line of defence in his way, a drop of the shoulder meant Morris was able to carve out enough space to fire towards goal. Again, Guilsfield stopper Williams was equal to the effort.

Ten minutes into the second half, Bangor talisman Corrig Mcgonigle was close from a 25-yard free-kick. His attempt was directed just wide of the right post.

With 20 minutes of regular time remaining, Bangor midfielder Joe Culshaw turned on the half-way line and picked out Morris on the left wing to launch a counterattack.

As he approached the opposition box, he twisted and turned to shake a defender loose and had time to line up a shot that was destined for the top-left corner, only for it to be clawed out of the air by keeper Williams.

Guilsfield pushed hard in the closing stages of the game in order to try to salvage a result. An Iwan Matthews goal in the final minute of regular time gave them hope following a cut-back on the left byline after Bangor failed to see the ball out of play for a goal kick.

A couple of brave blocked shots from Bangor bodies in the dying minutes meant they were able to hold on for a vital away win against a tough opposition. The result means Bangor remain in 5th place in the league standings and guarantees a top-six finish with two games remaining. Meanwhile, defeat for Guilsfield means they hold onto their 8th position from the start of the weekend and will not surpass Bangor’s final points tally come the end of the season.

● In the Ardal North-west Bethesda Athletic made a timely move out of the bottom three on goal difference with a vital 3-2 win over next-bottom Saltney; Holyhead Hotspur beat Nantlle Vale 4-0 midweek to leapfrog the visitors into fourth spot, just three points away from the playoff spot, though current occupants Flint Mountain have four games in hand.

● In the North Wales Coast West Premier Trearddur Bay came through a gruelling three games in five days in style, two wins and a draw with title rivals Menai Bridge Tigers and now look firm favourites, a point clear of the Tigers with five games in hand (full results below).