Saddler's Peaky Blinder Irish Cup Round Four
Colin Valley 0 Bangor 2
TWO first half goals were enough to see Bangor end Colin Valley's run in the Irish Cup as the Premier Intermediate club marched into the fifth round at a chilly Colin Valley Park on Saturday.
Isaac Fletcher gave the Seasiders a 10th minute lead with Ben Arthurs doubling their money midway through the opening half and while the hosts battled gamely, they just couldn't find the goal that would have sparked them to life.
The West Belfast side had a decent amount of possession and territory after the break, but couldn't find a way past the visitors' defence as they bowed out of he competition.
Bangor were keen to put their stamp on this game from the off and they did so with a decent tempo and intensity that showed they were not taking the hosts lightly and as the early minutes passed, they became more and more threatening.
On six minutes, Jonathan Doey's header from a corner was tipped onto the crossbar with the ball breaking back to Doey who played it inside, but Michael Halliday's back-heel didn't have the required direction as the ball went outside the post from close range.
Lewis Harrison then played an excellent ball that split the home defence into the feet of Reece Neale on the left, but Colin Valley goalkeeper got down low to save the shot.
The goal was coming and duly arrived on 10 minutes as a cross in from the left was helped on by Halliday and Isaac Fletcher was there to turn it home.
Valley responded to this setback well and immediately got on the front foot, enjoying a period of pressure that culminated in Christopher Daniel McIlhennon rising to head with the ball coming back off the crossbar.
At the other end, Mark Cooling tried his luck from range with the shot dropping just over the bar, but goal number two was not long in arriving as from a turnover, Cooling played a brilliant ball upfield to Ben Arthurs who thumped high into the net.
Again, Valley went on the offensive with Bangor goalkeeper Darren Gibbons forced to take the ball off the foot of Michael McClory who was looking to take it around him, but it was an almost identical play at the other end soon after with Duff getting down to thwart Halliday.
A McIlhennon header went over for Valley as Bangor denied any real clear cut openings and the first half ended with the visitors 2-0 ahead.
Bangor looked to put this cup tie to bed early in the second period with Lewis Harrison stinging the palms of Duff early, while Halliday dropped a ball into the path of Fletcher who skied his shot from close range.
Valley began to enjoy a decent spell and their best chance of an opening came on 56 minutes when James Mullan played McClory in, but the winger's touch was too heavy and Gibbons gladly mopped up.
This was the chance that could have changed the dynamic of this game but it was not to be and while Valley continued to press and probe, they didn't really threaten Gibbons.
Instead, Bangor were able to manage the game quite comfortably and in the final quarter of an hour, looked the more likely to score with Kian Storey's shot deflected out for a corner and then in stoppage time, Halliday's attempted loc dropped just outside the post.
Still, the early goals were enough for the visitors who are I the hat for the Fifth Round alongside the Premiership clubs who enter the competition, while Colin Valley's fine run came to a conclusion.
COLIN VALLEY: G Duff, K Wilson (M Short 63), C Walsh, CD McIlhennon, K Burns, S Morelli, D Ferguson A McDonnell 66), O Craig (C Bell 78), C Walsh, J Mullan, M McClory
BANGOR: D Gibbons, I Fletcher, R Neale, J Doey, R Arthur (P Dickson 68), L Blackstock, K Devine, M Cooling, B Arthurs (K Storey 68), M Halliday, L Harrison (M Dzivnskis 77)
Goals: I Fletcher 10, B Arthurs 23
