Draw packed with drama
● BANGOR CITY I ..................................4 RUNCORN I .........................................4 UNCORN Hockey Club’s men’s first-team took the long road to Bangor in their quest to continue their unbeaten run.
Expecting a tough game against an attacking side, confidence was a little low with the visitors missing regular goalkeeper Roger Watt.
As the game started it was the home side that looked more threatening but were struggling to score due to unorthodox work by stand-in goalkeeper Scott Crimes.
Slowly, Runcorn settled into the game and came closest to opening the scoring. After a fantastic tackle high up the pitch by Mike Wakefield he released forward Ruan Pretorius.
The Bangor goalkeeper reacted quickly and denied the goalbound effort but as he looked on, the rebound fell to Pete Jones whose strike hit a post.
When the opening goal arrived, it was a little against the run of play.
After the visitors had worked hard to clear a penalty corner, the ball was played back towards goal.
With Crimes struggling to clear the ball, Bangor’s creative midfielder Alex Bath was on hand to flick the ball high into the goal.
This setback did not stop Runcorn and a few minutes later they equalised. After gaining a penalty corner, Jones’s strike at the top of the circle was charged down. Winger Joe Cooper reacted to the loose ball and played it to Christian White who
Rtook his time to emphatically flick the ball across the goal into the top corner of the Welsh outfit’s net.
Things got a bit easier for Runcorn as the home side lost a player to the sin-bin for a few minutes for a stick tackle, but they could not capitalise on the numerical difference. As the game became a midfield battle it was the visitors who scored next. From a simple free hit from the back, the ball went to Jones in acres of space just past the halfway line.
As several Bangor players ballwatched, forward Pretoruis had a space to run into and was put clear through on goal. Again, the home side’s goalkeeper advanced quickly and clattered into Pretorius but he quickly regained his feet and put the loose ball into the Bangor goal.
With the lead at half-time and Runcorn working so hard, it was important that they just kept going. However, it was Bangor who scored next early after the re-start.
With Runcorn given time to pass the ball about, Bangor suddenly reacted in numbers and won the ball back. With Runcorn players out of the picture Bangor superbly moved the ball about for Tom Hughes to set up Josh Bryce to score easily past Crimes in the ‘D’.
With the score level, it was the home side’s turn to get a man advantage when White was sin-binned.
But once restored to a full team, Runcorn took the lead again.
From a Jones penalty corner push, the ball was blocked but fell nicely to White who flicked it in off the post and into the goal.
With both teams battling they ● traded number advantage as the home outfit lost a player for hand on the back and then Runcorn’s Allan Watt was sin-binned for dissent.
As the half went on Bangor levelled with a slice of luck.
Jones charged down a penalty corner drag flick but the ball hit his trailing foot and sent it in the opposite direction that goalkeeper Crimes was moving to.
As the match approached the final 10 minutes the drama increased as Runcorn took the lead once again.
From a penalty corner strike, Bangor thought they had cleared the ball but it was kept alive by the impressive Corey Kinsella and White right on the dead ball line. As the ball was played back into the penalty circle, Cooper’s strike was well saved onto the post but Pretoruis was on hand to reserve scoop it into the net.
But Pretorius’s joy was shortlived when the whistle went for a tackle on Bangor’s right-back next to the touch line.
Runcorn players looked on in shock when the yellow card was displayed and advised that Pretorius was sin-binned for the rest of the match.
Now a man down and after working so hard, Runcorn battled to keep their shape but when Bangor gained a dubious penalty corner it gave them an ideal chance to score.
Bangor set themselves up and looked for another drag flick which saw Bryce’s strike deflected into the goal despite great effort on the line from centre-back Ben McKay.
With the points in the balance Bangor looked to use the man advantage and pressed forward.
With four minutes remaining confusion was raised when unexpectedly the match was halted. During the stoppage, the umpire pointed out that a comment was made from Runcorn’s bench which led to captain Wakefield being sin-binned for two minutes.
But this was not the end of the drama as a minute later Cooper was penalized for a tackle as he looked to give the ball back to the Bangor team. The umpire interpreted it as him hitting the ball away and displayed a green card.
In his frustration, Cooper spoke out and his card was upgraded to a yellow meaning he was not going to return.
With only eight players on the pitch Runcorn were getting pushed further deep, but with minutes left Wakefield returned to the pitch meaning the visitors had an extra man to help.
But this was only for a few seconds when once more the yellow card was displayed, this time to Watt for a tackle that was no different to others during the match.
Bangor, though, could not find a way past Runcorn and as the final whistle went it was the visitors who were the happier as they gained a well-deserved point.
Player-of-the-match went to Scott Crimes for an outstanding performance playing in an unfamiliar position and denying Bangor with his saves.
Runcorn return to The Heath on Saturday when they welcome old rivals Macclesfield.