Citizens too strong for Gwalchmai

BANGOR City’s pre-season preparations continued with a 4-2 friendly win at Gwalchmai.

The Citizens recovered well from an early setback to turn in a polished display on their travels, with the new-look squad given plenty to think about by their Gwynedd League opponents throughout.

Despite the eventual result it was the home side who started the brighter and they went ahead courtesy of a free kick early on following a foul by Gennaro Cuomo.

Stephen Vaughan Jr’s side responded well to the setback and got back on level terms soon after when Harry Blackburn turned in a chance following good work by Massimo Sammartino, and City got their noses in front for the first time thanks to a fine finish from powerful forward Emmanuel Agyemang.

The visitors were now in complete control of the contest and they doubled their advantage just before the break, and once again it was Agyemang who was the beneficiary of some fine approach play for his second of the afternoon.

After the interval the away side sealed their triumph when Blackburn broke clear and finished well, but the hosts stuck to their task well and got themselves another consolation to reduce the arrears midway through the half.

This turned out the be the final goal of the contest, with the visitors seeing out the remainder of the game in comfortable fashion to pick up a morale-boosting success.

Last week, the club announced it would have a reserve side for the 2019-20 season.

The side will be run by Jamie Welsh and Colin Quirk, both of whom have been involved in grassroots and amateur football, as well as recruitment and scouting, across the North West and North Wales for some time.

“We are grateful to the owner and chairman for this opportunity at such a massive club,” they said of their appointments to the newly-formed team that will compete in the Welsh Alliance Reserve League.

“And we believe we can attract and help develop players to push for the first-team over the coming months while working with any of the first-team players the manager requires us to.”

Details regarding the first-team coach, physios and more will follow in due course.

The former Liverpool and Sparta Rotterdam midfielder Yalany Baio has returned to the club after a spell at Llandudno.