Bangor booked their place in the semi-finals of the McReynolds Cup thanks to a two-goal victory over Wakehurst on Saturday.
First-half goals from Ryan Arthur and Zac Fletcher were enough for a much-changed Bangor side who now look forward to a home tie with Glebe Rangers in the last four of the competition.
Having earned a comprehensive victory in midweek, Bangor manager Hugh Sinclair elected to rotate his squad for Saturday’s cup-tie. Darren Gibbons retained his place while there were changes in all of the other ten starting positions.
There appeared to be little impact of so many changes early on with Michael Halliday and Gerard McMullan combining well to tee up Fletcher, but his shot from the left hand side of the penalty area lacked enough power to trouble Chris Fullerton in the Wakehurst goal.
The breakthrough arrived in the seventh minute thanks to Ryan Arthur. A quickly taken corner between McMullan and Jordan Lucas allowed the ball to be looped towards the back post where Arthur rose highest to power a header into the roof of the net for his fifth goal of the season.
Bangor were in the ascendancy and Fletcher again came close to opening his account for the Seasiders but Fullerton reacted quickly to block his close range header from a Lucas cross.
Fletcher passed up another opportunity to score in the 20th minute when he snatched at Halliday’s knock-down, dragging his shot wide of the target.
At the other end, the pace of lone front man Jason Paul occasionally troubled the Bangor defence. When Paul raced past Michael Edgar, Darren Gibbons was on hand to smother the danger as Conor Doherty looked to get on the end of Paul’s cross.
With three minutes to play before the break, Fletcher grabbed his goal, bundling home from close range after a driving run and cross from McMullan.
Darren Gibbons had to be alert to the danger in the 52nd minute, diving at the feet of the on-rushing Paul while Fullerton was busy a minute later grabbing hold of an angled drive from Matty Burrows.
Fullerton was the busier of the two goalkeepers as he used his feet to keep out a low McMullan shot from 14 yards. Then, on the stroke of full-time, McMullan was kept out once more by Fullerton as he tipped a deflected 18-yard effort over the crossbar.
Bangor: Gibbons, Arthur, Widdowson (69′ Johnston), White (62′ Roy), Edgar, Fletcher, Lucas (62′ McArthur), Hislop, Halliday, Burrows, McMullan. Subs not used: Beattie, Arthurs
Scorers: Arthur (7′), Fletcher (42′)
Wakehurst: Fullerton, Campbell, Milligan, Laughlin, McAllister, Weir (65′ Hanna), Walker, McQuillan, Carson, Paul, Doherty. Subs not used: Hamilton, Barreto.
