Ardal North West: Bangor 1876 make hard work of beating 10-man Llay Welfare

ARDAL NORTH WEST REPORT – FEBRUARY 11

Llay Welfare 1 (Taylor pen 70)
Bangor 1876 3 (Morris 43, Culshaw 78, Davies 80)

Title contenders 1876 made difficult work of seeing off a determined Llay outfit which played for over an hour with 10 men.

The visitors produced a strong start at The Ring, top-scorer Corrig McGonigle miss-hitting an early chance which led to a corner.

The flag-kick caused panic in the Llay defence, but they survived.

Welfare were aggrieved on 27 minutes when defender Aayron Rafferty, who had already been yellow carded, was dismissed for what was deemed another bookable challenge.

Despite this the home side stayed firm until the 43rd minute when a great cross from the left by Kian Owen was flick-headed home by Liam Morris.

Bangor began the second half determined to kill the game off and could – and perhaps should – have done so.

Les Davies’ cross was met by a Morris header which keeper Kyle Flower did well to keep out.

Moments later, McGonigle’s fierce strike came back off the underside of the bar and the ball appeared to have crossed the line, but referee Gareth Hughes ruled no goal.

In the 64th minute, Morris’ low cross was hit towards his own goal by Llay’s Owen Roberts, but Flower was able to tip the ball onto the bar and over.

Having survived some close calls, Llay upped their game and in the 70th minute levelled the match.

A penalty awarded for an aerial challenge in the box appeared harsh on the visitors.

Jon Collo’s kick was brilliantly kept out by Carl Jones, but on the advice of his assistant Maria Pasco, referee Hughes demanded a retake as the keeper had allegedly moved off his line.

Jared Taylor took the second kick and his effort to Jones’ right found the net.

Conceding that equaliser appeared to kickstart an 1876 side which had been second to everything for a long spell into serious action.

The tide turned when Jamie Petrie was fouled outside the box on 79 minutes and from the left, Joe Culshaw floated the ball into the net over the back-pedalling Flower’s head.

Two minutes later, Harry Galeotti lobbed the ball into the box and McGonigle’s cushioned header fell to Les Davies, whose low drive made it 3-1.

Flower denied 1876 a fourth when he pulled off an admirable save from a Shaun Lock rocket.