Debut delight for new faces
City signings pave way for Cup progress
BANGOR City begin the second stage of their Welsh Premier League season this Saturday with a home clash against Cardiff Metropolitan (4.15pm kick-off ).
The Citizens, who finished third at the end of phase one to book their place in the Championship Conference, will feel they have a point to prove, having already been beaten home and away by the students this term.
City lost 3-1 at Cyncoed Stadium back in August and went down 3-2 to the same opponents at Nantporth two months later.
The second encounter was particularly painful for the all-blues, who led 2-0 only to be stunned by three late goals from Met.
However, Kevin Nicholson’s side still finished a point in front of the capital outfit after the opening set of 22 matches.
Bangor enter this weekend boosted by last Saturday’s hardfought 3-2 victory at underdogs Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, which secured them a Welsh Cup quarterfinal date at home to giant-killers Penydarren BGC on the weekend of March 3-4. The tier-five club from the South Wales Alliance Premier Division are unbeaten in all competitions this season.
New signings Joel Bembo-Leta and Yves Zama were an instant hit with City fans as they shared the goals which sealed an away win at Llanrhaeadr.
Bembo-Leta struck twice and Zama added a single but the Welsh Premier favourites were made to fight all the way by their spirited Mid-Wales League hosts on a difficult Recreation Ground surface.
City manager Nicholson said: “It was an important win for the club. We were pushed all the way by Llanrhaeadr in what was a well contested and tricky cup tie, played on a pitch that was extremely difficult for the players to play on. Credit goes to the players because it certainly wasn’t an easy afternoon and in general they handled the game and conditions very well.
“We recovered well after going a goal down early on and that was down to the attitude of the team. We were professional, scored three goals and got the job done.”
Llanrhaeadr struck first on eight minutes when Marc Griffiths was clipped by keeper Connor Roberts, earning the hosts a penalty which Iwan Matthews converted.
The visitors were level four minutes later via a great header from Zama. In the 23rd minute BemboLeta made it 2-1 with a sharp finish from a Laurence Wilson free-kick.
When debutant Bembo-Leta collected his second six minutes into the second half, it looked like City had one foot firmly in the last eight.
But things got trickier for the WPL outfit when Wilson was dismissed for a second yellow card after 68 minutes.
Matthews set up a nervy ending for the visitors when he made it 3-2 with three minutes remaining.
Llanrhaeadr were reduced to 10 in added time when Dan Kelly pulled back Sam Jones and City held on for a hard-earned victory.
Welsh Cup quarter-final draw: Bangor City v Penydarren BGC, Carmarthen Town v Aberystwyth Town, Connah’s Quay Nomads v The New Saints, Llandudno v Newtown.