FLASHBACK – 15 years ago: Bangor City move 16 points clear at WPL summit after beating Prestatyn

WELSH PREMIER LEAGUE – DECEMBER 30, 2011

Bangor City 2 (Jones 53, Morley pen 76)
Prestatyn Town 1 (Rogers 52)

Report: Mike Smith, Citizens Choice website

On this day 15 years ago Bangor City made it 17 league games without defeat – 16 wins and a draw – and led the Welsh Premier table by a massive 16 points heading into 2011.

The piles of snow around the perimeter and firm condition of the playing surface at Farrar Road spoke of the hours of hard work put in by the groundsman to get this game on.

Bangor boss Nev Powell was forced to rule out flu victim Craig Garside along with Jamie Brewerton and opted to bring Clive Williams in on the right and switch Peter Hoy to centre back.

But the man to beat for the first half – and much of the second – was the acrobatic Prestatyn goalkeeper Jon Hill Dunt who pulled off 10 first half stops, a mixture of the routine and breathtaking, at the Farrar End.

The first came inside two minutes, a full length dive to palm away Jamie Reed’s cross-shot from the left.

Moments later Hill-Dunt denied Alan Bull whose low shot seemed set for the bottom corner and then Dave Morley with a similar effort. On eight minutes a Bangor corner saw unmarked Morley head over.

Bull ran down the right, crossed for Nicky Ward to gather and shoot but again Hill-Dunt saved low.

After 20 minutes Prestatyn;s Lee Hunt forced a save out of Paul Smith with a shot from the right. Hill-Dunt was back into the thick of things with a double save from Reed’s shot and Bull’s close range rebound effort from the left.

Prestatyn came back through Michael Parker – once briefly a blue – whose low cross from the right found Hunt but his wretched miskick let Bangor off the hook. City were enjoying most of the game and Bull forced a seventh save with a long range shot which Hill-Dunt held comfortably.

The visitors had found their feet by now, inspired by player-manager Neil Gibson who tricked his way through the Bangor defence only to shoot at Paul Smith.

Bangor won a second corner which ended in Hill-Dunt back-peddling to save from Hoy’s lofted effort.

Next, Reed raced round left-back Jack Lewis but shot across goal before a ninth Hill-Dunt save from Reed’s 20-yard curler added to the frustration of the 700-strong home support.

Steve Rogers momentarily got the better of Hoy but the determined defender recovered just in time.

The final minutes summed up the first half. Hill-Dunt made his 10th save from Ward and the lanky Parker galloped clear on the right to cross for Rogers to head over from right in front of goal.

It stayed goalless and credit largely to Hill-Dunt for that.

HALF TIME 0-0

The second half began with Hunt threatening but Michael Johnston snuffing out the danger. On 52 minutes Chris Roberts was yellow carded for a foul on Hunt but minutes later Prestatyn had the lead.

Gibson crossed from the left and former Oswestry Town favourite Rogers bundled home from close range to celebrate with the dozen or so noisy Town supporters in the Farrar End.

No sooner had the game restarted than Bangor were level. A driven cross from Reed on the left was deflected to Chris Jones whose low drive finally got the better of the defiant Hill-Dunt and nestled in the bottom corner.

Bangor now sensed a win was possible. A trademark long throw from Hoy fell to the alert Reed but Hill-Dunt saved once again.

City broke but a well-timed challenge by the impressive Dave Hayes on Reed stopped the move. Hayes marshalled his troops well throughout, aided and abetted by former blue Paul O’Neill.

The hosts forced their seventh corner, Hill-Dunt for once unconvincing, but his double save, including one from Chris Jones, more than compensated.

The keeper continued to defy the odds until on 76 minutes Hoy’s long throw found Morley whose progress in the box from the right, on the goalline, was halted by a push from O’Neill to provoke a yellow card and penalty.

There was a stoppage as comments were passed but presently the calm figure of Morley spotted the ball and just about beat Hill-Dunt with a well placed low strike.

In the closing stages, Bangor defender Chris Roberts was penalised for kicking the ball away, second yellow and red to leave the hosts with 10 men.

Late on, Parker hit the crossbar with a shot on the turn, then three minutes into the four of added time Bull forced a 16th save from Hill-Dunt, the ball ran to Chris Jones but he shot over.

And that was about it, some relief amidst the celebrations as City went 16 points clear.

However, revenge was around the corner……..

BANGOR CITY

Paul Smith, Peter Hoy, Chris Roberts, Dave Morley, Michael Johnston, Clive Williams, Jamie Reed (Mark Smyth 89), Alan Bull, Les Davies (Sion Edwards 82), Nicky Ward (Eddie Jebb 58), Chris Jones.

PRESTATYN TOWN

Jon Hill-Dunt, Kai Edwards, Jack Lewis (Chris Davies 78), Dave Hayes, Paul O’Neill, Gareth Wilson, Michael Parker, Neil Gibson, Lee Hunt, Steve Rogers (Jon Fisher-Cooke 86), Ross Stephens.

ATTENDANCE: 716