Bangor began their defense of the O’Gorman Cup with a first round victory over Wakehurst on Saturday.
The final score, though, was closer than it should have been as the Seasiders hung on in the closing stages. Having gone three goals clear thanks to a Michael Halliday hat-trick, Bangor looked home and dry in the 75th minute.
After Ryan Arthur saw red for his reaction to an off the ball incident moments later, Wakehurst scored twice in the final ten minutes to setup a nervy finish.
Too often this season Bangor have been caught cold in the opening stages but it was the Seasiders who took the game to their opponents with Mark Cooling’s drive just wide in the second minute.
Paul Dickson was the provider for Ben Arthurs with a defence splitting pass but the Bangor forward was kept out by Wakehurst stopper Chris Fullerton.
The same man denied Arthurs again in the 10th minute, this time after the striker got his head to a Ben Roy right wing cross.
Mark Cooling and Tommy Wray both went close for Bangor but the Seasiders had to wait until the 35th minute to break the deadlock. Having swapped from the left wing to the right, Gerard McMullan drilled the ball across goal where Ben Arthurs was on hand at the back post to tap home.
Calamity struck the Bangor defense just after the half time break when Chris Getty knocked the ball past the onrushing Darren Gibbons which allowed Jason Paul the opportunity to level the scores.
It was a disappointing setback for Bangor but they hit back in the 59th minute when Michael Halliday got on the end of an inviting whipped cross from Ryan Arthur.
Those two players combined in identical fashion five minutes later as the veteran striker nodded in his second of the day.
Mark Cooling was unfortunate to see his 25-yard free kick thump into the crossbar but Bangor’s dominance was rewarded when Halliday fired home after substitute Jack Mallin put the ball into the Wakehurst six-yard box.
Bangor had been in near complete control for 75 minutes but they let Wakehurst back into the game after Ryan Arthur was punished for his reaction to a tackle by visiting substitute Helder Barreto.
With a man less, Bangor panicked and the visitors pressed forward with Jason Paul grabbing his second goal as he tapped in from close range after Darren Gibbons had kept out his first effort.
When Aaran Weir swept home Barreto’s pass in the 85th minute it looked like the unthinkable might happen but the referee’s final whistle denied Wakehurst the opportunity of completing the unlikeliest of comebacks.
Bangor: Gibbons, Arthur, Dickson (58′ Mallin), Wray, Getty, Wasson (78′ Widdowson), Roy, Cooling, Halliday, Arthurs (73′ Calvert), McMullan. Subs not used: Long, Edgar.
Scorers: Arthurs (35′), Halliday (59′, 64′, 75′)
Booked: Calvert
Sent off: Arthur
Wakehurst: Fullerton, Millar, McAllister, Irwin (70′ Carson), Woods, Weir, Walker, Loughlin, Alexander (70′ Barreto), Paul, Doherty (80′ Taylor). Subs not used: Hanna, Kerr.
Scorers: Paul (50′, 80′, 85′ Weir)
Booked: Barreto
