BANGOR City men’s hockey teams head into the Christmas break full of festive spirit after both teams recorded wins in their final games of 2018.

The first team got the ball rolling with a gritty 2-0 triumph on the road at Brooklands Manchester University 4s.

After a frantic, end-to-end start, a brief flurry in the Brooklands ‘D’ led to Paul McCallum winning a penalty stroke for City. Up stepped skipper Ash Hardaker, who fizzed the ball home past the keeper’s head.

The hosts came back at Bangor but were denied an equaliser by some timely defending and great reactions from goalkeeper Rayshauun Suen. Bangor survived the scare and on the stroke of half time netted a second from a slick counter-attack, with Dave Paterson finding the net after the keeper half-saved his initial effort.

A rousing half time team-talk saw Bangor come back out determined not to budge to their opponents. And that’s exactly what happened, as the City defence stayed on top throughout with the home side unable to break through their half-court press, and they hung onto their two-goal cushion until the final whistle.

The win sees Bangor remain second-from-bottom in NWHL Division 3, three points off Liverpool Sefton who are above the relegation zone.

Bangor City seconds completed a successful weekend with a superb 7-3 victory over Macclesfield 3rds.

City held the superiority going into half time as they led 3-2 after an entertaining opening 35 minutes, with Arron Butterworth bagging two and Harry Collins-Jones finding the net.

But the Blues took it up a gear in the second half, adding a further four goals from Patrick Wright, Marlon Allison, Ed Betteridge and Butterworth, for his hat-trick, saw City seal the three points in emphatic style, while the visitors scored a late consolation.

The win lifts Bangor off the foot of the NWHL Division 6 table and above Macclesfield.

Both teams will return to action on Saturday 19 January, with the first team hosting Sale (2.15pm), and the seconds away to distant Whitchurch (1.30pm).