Bangor playing for their futures says boss Dawes
BANGOR City’s squad are playing for their futures at the club following last weekend’s dismal 4-2 defeat at bottom side Airbus UK Broughton, warns Citizens manager Ian Dawes.
The all-Blues boss pulled no punches after his below-par team slipped to a second successive league defeat.
Although City have already booked a top-six finish for the second phase of the Welsh Premier season, Dawes insists there was no excuse for such a poor show at the Hollingsworth Group Stadium.
Bangor’s next game is a home Welsh Cup tie against Llandudno on January 28 and the Citizens chief will demand improvement.
“The players have got to get themselves right,” said Dawes. “If they want to stay with us through this (transfer) window then they’ve got to start showing more.”
City led 2-1 at Airbus, but conceded an equaliser just before half time, and then a late double from substitute Liam O’Neill secured the points for the basement boys.
Dawes added: “That performance was nowhere near acceptable.
“In the last two games I’ve questioned the work rate and desire of the team; when things aren’t going well not enough of them work hard enough.
“I can’t defend some of them today. If we’re not going to work you’re not going to have a godgiven right to win games. We need to get lads who are going to be with us, working their socks off.
“The minimum you expect is hard work, grit and determination. We can’t have what we saw out there - it was unacceptable.
“Airbus deserved everything they got - not through quality but through wanting it more, wanting every challenge more, wanting every header more, wanting every second ball more.
“We just think we can play with the ball and not without it. I’m fuming about it.”
With their last win coming back in late September, a run that stretched 13 games, it was a long overdue success for the Wingmakers in their quest for survival.
A lacklustre affair was brought to life on 26 minutes when a Jamie Menagh cross was deflected by the unfortunate Sam Hart over his own keeper Connor Roberts.
Bangor responded in the 38th minute when, from a corner, former Wingmaker Paul Connolly sent a powerful header crashing into the back of the Airbus net.
The Citizens took advantage of another flag kick on 44 minutes as leading goalscorer Daniel Nardiello headed home at the far post for his seventh goal of the season.
The lead did not last as, deep into stoppage time at the end of the first half, left-back Bailey Jackson scrambled home from a corner kick despite the protestations of City goalkeeper Roberts, who felt he had been fouled in the process.
Both sides had chances after the break, Airbus keeper Shaun Pearson saving well from Rodrigo Branco and Brayden Shaw, but the hosts were to score next in the 81st minute as substitute O’Neill raced through the heart of an absent City back line to slot home.
The former Crewe Alexandra product then put the game beyond any doubt a few minutes later as he nodded home unchallenged at the far post from a corner to wrap up the points for the Wingmakers.