BANGOR City men’s hockey team had a disappointing weekend as they lost both games in a home double-header.
A youthful City side lost 5-2 at the hands of Neston 4s on Saturday.
City started well in tricky conditions, but the visitors from the Wirral soon took control and opened up a three-goal first half lead before Bangor’s Ash Hardaker pulled one back with a trademark short corner finish.
Neston netted another soon after the restart to make it 4-1. Bangor skipper Paul McCallum responded with his side’s second to bring the hosts to within two goals and keep their slim hopes alive.
However the experienced visitors found the net once more in the closing stages to seal the victory.
The following day saw the Blues welcome Knutsford 2nds to Ffriddoedd. With only 10 players available, Bangor put in a good fight before ultimately falling to a 5-1 defeat.
City gave as good as they got for the majority of the match and posed problems for Knutsford for long spells. The away side took the lead from a short corner after 22 minutes, and added a second 10 minutes later.
Tom Hughes had Bangor’s best chance of the first half, but his goalbound shot was cleared off the line by a Knutsford defender.
The game continue to ebb and flow in the second half, with goalkeeper Harri Evans making some important saves to keep Bangor in it. It paid off as the hosts managed to peg one back, with debutant Dan Rippon slamming a shot home past the keeper.
The visitors were reeling as City threw everything at getting an equaliser, with Flynn Holt and Hughes going close but not managing to beat the visiting goalkeeper. With Bangor’s ten men committed forward, Knutsford capitalised, forcing a short corner and netting the all-important third goal ten minutes from time.
Bangor continued to push and Rippon had another shot saved. However, the away side struck two further blows in the closing stages to give the scoreline a more one-sided look.
The two losses leave Bangor in 11th place and in the NWHL Division 2 relegation zone, one point from safety, with two games remaining.
They welcome bottom side Oxton 4s to Ffriddoedd on Saturday (2.15pm), aiming for what could prove to be a crucial three points.
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