FLASHBACK – 25 YEARS AGO: Future Swansea City manager Steve Cooper inspires Bangor City to crucial relegation battle win over UWIC

LEAGUE OF WALES – December 9, 2000

UWIC Inter Cardiff 1 (Beddard 84)
Bangor City 2 (Cooper 13, Roberts 72)

Report: Mike Smith, Citizens Choice website

On this weekend 25 years ago Bangor City were not in a good place.

The Welsh Cup holders had begun the 2000-01 League of Wales campaign in nightmare fashion with seven losses in their first 10 games leaving them bottom of the table.

However, December 9, 2000, would bring an improvement in their fortunes as they took on fellow strugglers UWIC Inter Cardiff in the Welsh capital.

A strong first half performance saw City take an early lead and deservedly gain the points in this crucial basement struggle.

Loan striker Deiniol Graham might have put the visitors ahead in the opening minutes but volleyed over.

However, the industrious Steve Cooper sent a cleanly hit shot curling into the net from 25 yards to give City the advantage on 13 minutes. The ball had come into Graham from the right for the ex-Manchester United striker to tee up for Cooper’s excellent strike.

Clayton Blackmore might have doubled the lead before half time but shot wide.

HALF TIME 0-1

The second half was more evenly contested with Gavin Beddard having a goalbound header cleared off the line midway through the half.

Bangor’s Aled Rowlands swept a crossfield ball to the left for Paul Roberts who ran at the home defence to put City 2-0 ahead on 72 minutes.

The students did not give up however and Beddard deserved his late goal albeit a consolation netted on 84 minutes. This came from a left wing cross which caught the City rearguard flat footed as Beddard volleyed home.

Important points for City, a move off the foot of the table, and a welcome boost of confidence.

BANGOR CITY

Dave Williams, Steve Smith, Steve Cooper, Emrys Williams, Sean Hazelden, Scott Williams, Clayton Blackmore, Aled Rowlands, Deiniol Graham, Rhodri Giggs, Paul Roberts. Subs: John Paul Roberts, Daniel Grant, Ricky Lampkin.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

Bangor’s poor form before beating UWIC continued until things improved considerably from February 2001 with the return of prolific striker Marc Lloyd Williams.

‘Jiws’ knocked in 20 goals before the end of a campaign which saw City finish safe from the drop in 14th out of 18 and Inter Cardiff, who the all-blues also defeated 3-0 in the final fixture of the campaign, were relegated with just 13 points from 34 games.

Pontypridd-born Steve Cooper later turned to coaching and management and led academies at Wrexham and Liverpool before managing Swansea City, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City prior to taking over at current club Brondby of Denmark this year.

As a player, he made 57 appearances for Bangor and featured in a famous 1-0 home Uefa Cup victory over Sartid Smederevo of Serbia in 2002. Cooper was sub in the first leg, which City won, and started the return clash, which the League Wales club lost 2-0 to exit the competition 2-1 on aggregate.