Banbridge Fourths 4
LAST Saturday saw Bann on their travels again making the journey to Stormont to take Civil Service in the late slot.
Bann expected a tough game and they were not to be disappointed having to dig deep to produce a positive r
esult. They needed the win to maintain their top spot in Junior 2 while the home side were seeking to push up the table from their mid-table position.
Bann were without the services of the experienced Neil Madeley due to illness but welcomed back Chris McGladdery and Alan Day. Civil Service included several players with senior league experience and were to prove a tough nut to crack for the locals especially on their own patch.
Bann started off in determined fashion with their midfield of Peter Brown, Simon Jess and Andy Marks pulling the strings for their forwards.
Just when it seemed that Bann were to get the opening goal they were rocked after 15 minutes when the home side took the lead when second phase possession at a short corner saw their centre forward slot home past a stranded Mooney in the Bann goal.
This stung the locals into an immediate response and the impressive Ben Wilson capped a series of fine performances with an excellent equaliser five minutes later. The defender galloped 30 metres before unleashing a fierce drive past the home keeper for his first senior goal of the season.
Bann were now in full flight and Peter Brown showed his class to put his side into the lead after 25 minutes.
The teenager took a free on his own on the edge of the circle and powered a reverse stick shot over the shoulder of the Service keeper and into the back of the net.
The home side responded and Bann keeper Andrew Mooney ably assisted by his defensive team had to be sharp to deny the home side. Bann were the happier of the two sides to reach the half time break but knew the home side would come out looking to level the game in the second half.
Bann, to their credit, reacted superbly to the challenge and went further ahead after three minutes of the second half when Chris McGladdery picked up a long clearance skipped past the last defender and slotted the ball past the advancing keeper.
Both sides then had chances to add to the scoring but a combination of good keeping and a poor final pass saw the chances go begging. The home side had the best chance to reduce the arrears but squandered a rather harshly awarded penalty flick.
With 12 minutes the locals did manage to narrow Bann's lead when a short corner was deflected past the unsighted Mooney.
Not to be deterred Bann retained their two goal advantage when ace goal scorer Dale Pollock was rewarded for his work rate when he picked up a poor clearance and finished clinically with a strong strike.
Bann saw out the remaining minutes to notch up their eighth win out of 10 at the halfway point in the league. Best for Bann were Ben Wilson and Andrew Mooney.
