Carl Lamb has a birthday this week – here we celebrate his finest hour in a Bangor City shirt

This Thursday marks the 38th birthday of celebrated veteran striker Carl Lamb.

Among the many clubs the Liverpool-born front man has represented with distinction over the years are Bangor City.

Here, Grassroots North Wales, remembers Carl’s finest hour in a City shirt – the day he scored a hat-trick in a 3-2 win over Port Talbot Town to secure Peter Davenport’s side a place in Europe.

April 16, 2005 – Welsh Premier League

Bangor City 3 (Lamb 13, 47, 70)
Port Talbot 2

Report: Mike Smith, Citizens Choice website

A hat-trick from young striker Carl Lamb saw City home to an eighth win from nine games which clinched third place and European football.

Pre-match news confirmed that Chris Priest was still hampered by the injury which forced him off at Airbus a week earlier. Paul Friel partnered Owain Jones in centre midfield.

The Citizens took the lead in the 13th minute.

Les Davies raced down the left wing and swung over an inviting cross which the 20-year-old Lamb headed home emphatically from six yards out.

Bangor looked as if they might take complete control as Jones raced behind the Talbot defence but Paul Roberts and goalscorer Lamb both failed to make proper contact.

However, the visitors signalled their intentions as Rhys Griffiths repeated the feat and suffered much the same fate as Carl Shaw failed to get on the end of the cross.

Tony Gray was enjoying a second outing inside a week on the right wing. His left-footed cross found left winger Davies lurking at the back post but Rob Thomas made a great save.

Half Time 1-0

Barely had Bangor fans taken their seats after the restart when the lead was doubled on 47 minutes.

Phil Baker’s clearance was controlled and turned wide by Roberts in midfield.

His sweeping pass found Gray on the right whose dipping cross was met first time by Lamb, who managed to get across his marker and lift the ball over Thomas into the St Paul’s End net.

On 50 minutes Friel made way for Mark Connolly who, after a brief stay in centre-midfield, replaced Gray on the right with Roberts taking over in alongside Jones.

City’s top scorer crashed a ball across the box moments later supplying Lamb, but Thomas concocted a good save to deny the youngster his treble.

On the hour substitute Connolly hit the post from 20 yards with Thomas well beaten, then Griffiths forced a good save from City ‘keeper Phil Priestley with a clean low drive.

Manager Davenport had little choice but to replace an injured Baker, patient Peter Hoy taking his place.

Bangor went three-up on 70 minutes when Lamb latched onto Roberts’ powerful headed through ball to beat Thomas from the edge of the box after a heavy first touch had drawn the ‘keeper off his line.

A first hat-trick for the pacey young striker and one which confirmed his rich promise.

But Talbot had not read the script and Shaw found time and space on the right to beat Priestley from eight yards to worry the home support.

On 77 minutes the level of concern rose again after a howler from referee Andy Woodthorpe who allowed Talbot to take a quick free-kick 10 yards from the original spot.

Young substitute Matt Roberts raced clear on the left and beat Priestley with a powerful drive from the edge of the box.

With time running out Leigh DeVulgt nearly levelled, but Priestley pulled off a superb one-handed save.

There was a sigh of relief at the end from the Farrar Road faithful, three points gained and a place in the Intertoto Cup secured.

Bangor City

Phil Priestley, Clayton Blackmore, Kevin Scott, Paul Friel, Paul O’Neill, Phil Baker, Tony Gray, Owain Jones, Paul Roberts, Carl Lamb, Les Davies. Subs: Mark Connolly, Peter Hoy, Eifion Jones, Ben Ogilvy

Port Talbot

Thomas, McCarley, Parry, Gorvett, Cockings, Surman, John, DeVulgt, Griffiths, Jones, Shaw. Subs: Bowen, Roberts, Keefe.

What happened next?

Carl Lamb went on to represent Bangor City in both legs of their Intertoto Cup tie against FC Dinaburg of Latvia in June 2005.

City lost the first leg 2-1 at home and were beaten 2-0 away.

Lamb remained a Bangor player for the 2005-06 season, earning a Welsh Cup runners-up medal. He netted 11 goals in all competitions for the club.

The Liverpudlian signed for Cefn Druids the following season.

Career rundown

Born on November 10, 1984, Carl was with Liverpool and Chester as a youngster and his long list of other clubs include Cammell Laird, Bangor City, NEWI Cefn Druids, The New Saints, Droylsden, Welshpool Town, Buckley Town, Witton Albion, Aberystwyth Town, Chesterfield, Alfreton, Rhyl FC, Colwyn Bay, Denbigh Town, Vauxhall Motors, Brymbo and CPD Y Rhyl 1879. He also played in Australia for two years.

Highlights of Carl’s career include playing for The New Saints against FK Ventspils of Latvia in the 2007-08 Uefa Champions League.

The 2008-09 season was another memorable one for Carl as part of a Droylsden side which made waves in the FA Cup.

The tier 6 Blue Square North team were drawn against Football League outfit Chesterfield in the second round and led 1-0 through a Lamb goal, but the match was abandoned at half time due to heavy fog.

The rearranged game ended 2-2, then Chesterfield led 2-0 in the replay only for that match to be abandoned due to floodlight failure.

The tie appeared to have been settled for good at the fourth attempt when Droylsden won 2-1 thanks to two Sean Newton goals.

Unfortunately, the Bloods were expelled for fielding Newton, who was suspended, and Chesterfield went through to face Ipswich in round three.

Carl spent two years playing in Australia before Chesterfield signed him on a non-contract basis in September 2014.

In 2015-16, Carl joined Welsh Premier League side Rhyl, where his notable feats included netting after 8.72 seconds of a game against his former club TNS.

Last season Carl netted 27 league goals in just 19 appearances as newly-formed CPD Y Rhyl 1879 won the 2021-22 North Wales Coast East Premier Division title as undefeated invincibles. In all competitions, he scored 38 times in 29 matches, also winning the Cookson Cup with Gareth Thomas’ team.

Carl retired from competitive football in July, but is now considering a comeback.

He has had a few offers, but is currently thinking over his options.

Whatever he does, we wish him all the best and thank him especially for his contributions to the 11 teams he represented in Welsh club football.