Flashback – 15 years ago: Late Paul Roberts strike puts Bangor into Welsh Cup semi

Bangor City 1 (Roberts 88)
Carmarthen Town 0
Welsh Cup quarter-final – March 11, 2006

Paul Roberts grabbed the all-important goal just two minutes from time as Bangor progressed to the Welsh Cup semi-finals and a meeting with Llanelli.

City progressed at the expense of Carmarthen in a game where an ultra competitive display by midfielder Kieran Killackey in front of defensive lynchpin Paul O’Neill laid the foundations for a battling victory.

On a slippery Farrar Road pitch, the Old Gold enjoyed the benefit of a light wind as they attacked the St Paul’s End and forced the first chance which Mark Dodds dragged into the side-netting.

With 10 minutes gone a throw from the home team’s Kyle Jones found Carl Lamb but he fired over.

Player-manager Clayton Blackmore then tested Andrew Delve with a rising volley from the edge of the box at the Farrar End.

Dodds and Lamb went close as the sides slugged it out in difficult conditions.

Mike Linnecar, operating on the left for Bangor, created an opening for Roberts but his shot was held.

On the stroke of half time a Carmarthen corner struck both O’Neill and Jones on the arm, but with no intent referee Mark Whitby rightly allowed play to continue.

Half-time: 0-0

The omens were not good for Bangor as the restart confirmed that the wind had dropped and would not drive City forwards as anticipated.

Blackmore saw his strike held cleanly by Delve, then Lamb fizzed past Martyn Giles but fired his shot over from the right.

With O’Neill and Killackey both performing heroics, and Blackmore leading by example, Bangor continued to seek an opening.

However, the diminutive Danny Thomas nearly upset those plans as he wriggled past Blackmore but shot well wide from eight yards.

Paul Roberts and Linnecar linked up in the box but the student saw his effort evade Lamb before City fans got a first glimpse of recent signing Adam Docker on 65 minutes. Substitute Docker replaced Lamb.

Dodds shot on target but Price again held cleanly, whilst the visitors three burly defenders came to realise that mountainous newcomer Docker was up for the battle.

On 72 minutes Blackmore and Chris Priest combined to release Layton Maxwell, whose low 20-yard drive forced a great one-handed stop from Delve for City’s first corner of the afternoon.

Moments later Docker slid the ball to Linnecar on the left. He fired goalwards but Giles somehow lifted out for a corner from under his own bar.

The corner found O’Neill but he headed back across goal and out for a goal-kick.

Play switched to the Farrar End as Nathan Cotterrall curled a superb cross onto substitute Mattie Davies’ head but Price saved acrobatically.

With six minutes remaining Darren Gowans replaced Linnecar on the left.

On 88 minutes a high ball forward from the left by Blackmore dropped to Priest. His goalbound effort was parried – perhaps fumbled – by Delve into the path of the ever alert Roberts who slotted home from close range. Bangor fans celebrated, the visitors bench devastated, with so little time on the clock.

The final touch fell to Gowans whose booming clearance from inside his own box prompted Mr Whitby to whistle and confirm that hugely anticipated semi-final clash with Llanelli on April 1.

Bangor City: Andrew Price, Clayton Blackmore, Ben Ogilvy, Kieran Killackey, Kyle Jones, Paul O’Neill, Layton Maxwell, Chris Priest, Paul Roberts, Carl Lamb (Adam Docker 65), Mike Linnecar (Darren Gowans 84).

Attendance: 220

Huge thanks to Mike Smith of the Citizens Choice for another marvellous report