FREE-scoring Bangor City produced two five-star performances over Prestatyn Town to strengthen their Welsh Premier League title claims ahead of January’s winter break.
Nev Powell’s men completed the first half of their campaign with 5-3 and 5-0 victories over the Seasiders, which puts them a point ahead of second-placed New Saints at the sharp end of the table.
Chairman Dilwyn Jones is in good spirits with securing European qualification and the league championship now firmly within the club’s reach.
“In the second phase, all the teams are going to take points off each other, so the fact that we have a one point advantage over TNS, and five points on Llanelli who are in third place is vital,” he said.
Former Colwyn Bay midfielder Damien Allen made a big impact on his Bangor debut with the opening goal at Prestatyn on Saturday.
Wilson reacted quickest to turn Kyle Wilson’s cross past Town keeper Dave Roberts on 11 minutes and four minutes later Sion Edwards added a second when he fired home after a knock down from Les Davies.
City bossed the show from start to finish and eight minutes into the second half Chris Jones killed the game as a contest with a fine finish from the edge of the box.
Kyle Wilson then made it 4-0 with a sweet lofted ball which looped over the advancing Roberts and Marc Smyth completed the rout just 90 seconds after entering the field of play as a substitute.
To round off a thoroughly miserable afternoon for Prestatyn, their skipper Dave Hayes was sent off in the 90th minute for a second bookable offence.
The New Saints are hot on Bangor’s heels after their 5-0 drubbing of Newtown, and Powell will know that there is a long battle ahead if City are to retain the title.
With their new Nantporth Stadium due to be completed before fixtures resume in February, Bangor will go into the Super Six split confident that they can retain the Welsh Premier League championship which they claimed with a victory over TNS last year.
Final electrical tests are scheduled shortly after mains connection on January 18 before City play Welsh Alliance Caernarfon Wanderers in the North Wales Coast FA Challenge Cup on Tuesday, January 24 (see panel below).
City have placed an application with Gwynedd Council to extend the seating capacity of Nantporth to 1,500, and Mr Jones hopes that the FAW will provide part-funding for extension costs of around £80,000.
“From our perspective, the FAW could have a UEFA compliant stadium for minimal cost and a regional centre that would attract under 21 and women’s internationals among others,” he said.
The Nantporth ground will offer a first class facility for the region and is the culmination of four years hard graft by the City board and developers Watkin Jones and Morbaine.
The pitch was laid in 2008 but the bulk of the infrastructure work has been carried out over the last 18 months.