Bangor Football Club Ladies

👊 A picture under the sun with manager Rory Hamill and first-team coaches Ashley Hutton and Marty Hunter!

Hoping for success on 3️⃣ fronts over the next couple of weeks, with the next rounds of the Women's Challenge Cup and MFC Super Cup to come as well as the league 💯

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📸 Joemac Photography

🤝 A close contest in sweltering conditions on Wednesday night, ensuring that we kept hold of 2️⃣nd place in the Northern Ireland Women's Football Association Championship table!

With 8️⃣ wins in our 1️⃣1️⃣ league games to date, there have been plenty of positives to take 💪

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📸 Joemac Photography

🗣 PLAYER'S THOUGHTS

Lucy Winton reflects on Wednesday night's Northern Ireland Women's Football Association Championship draw with Ballymena United...

“It was definitely a game of two halves – in the first half, it took us a while to get sorted and to go in 0-0 at half-time was disappointing for us.

“Second half, we definitely stepped it up, we weren’t able to break them down and it ended the way it did with a draw, but to get a clean sheet was good – defensively, we worked well.

“I was happy with the clean sheet, three points would’ve been a lot nicer but it’s something we’ll work on and to keep a clean sheet for me personally is really good.

“Defensively, as a goalkeeper, you trust your centre-backs and today that definitely was the case.

“Going forward, it was just one of those days – scoring six goals against Ballymoney and then coming here and not having any is difficult on the attackers.

“But we all push each other and keep our heads up and we’ve got Derry City in the cup next up, we’re going in as the underdogs but hopefully we can go there and surprise them.

“We’ll take the five games unbeaten and I’ll take the clean sheet personally, but we’ll move on – we’ll put this in the past and we’ll put our focus now into the game against Derry next Friday night.”

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📸 Joemac Photography

🤝 Although it brought an end to our 4️⃣-game winning streak in the league on Wednesday night, a first draw in the Championship still means we've picked up 1️⃣3️⃣ points from our last 5️⃣ matches!

Hoping to continue that momentum and return to winning ways quickly with 4️⃣ more games still to play this month 💪

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📸 Joemac Photography

MATCH REPORT – Bangor FC Ladies 0-0 Ballymena United Women
Northern Ireland Women's Football Association Championship, Wednesday 8th July

Bangor FC Ladies and Ballymena United Women played out a goalless draw in the NIWFA Championship at Clandeboye Park on Wednesday night.

Amber Dempster kicked things off for the Seasiders, though Ballymena had the first sight at goal and drew Lucy Winton into a low stop to her left just a couple of minutes in. Winton then had to be alert on nine minutes when she was well-positioned to gather a low through ball in behind just ahead of Ballymena forward Megan Henry.

Bangor's first real sight of goal came on 11 minutes when a neat interchange between Emi Wynne, Dempster and Laurie Bell afforded the latter licence to play a low cross into the penalty area, but it was too close to the Ballymena goalkeeper who gathered the ball.

On 19 minutes, Bell played a low cross in that was held up by Dempster, who fed into Toni Stewart who shaped a shot at goal from close range, but it was blocked and the power of the shot was reduced for the goalkeeper to claim

Wynne then almost forced an own goal after a superb driving run on the right forced a cross that was turned behind for a corner, with Stewart placing the resulting delivery from the right wide of the post.

On 29 minutes, a long ball was played in behind to Olivia Marshall down the left who squared low into the box for Bell to have a shot at goal, but she placed just past the bottom right from a good area. Dempster was then just out of reach of Erin Hennity's through ball with 33 minutes played as she looked to get a shot away.

The lively Bell let fly from distance and wasn't far wide of the post five minutes from time, while the same player also got in behind from Dempster's layoff but placed her cross too close to the Ballymena goalkeeper from near the right byline a minute later.

The first half ended goalless with neither side able to break the deadlock in the first 45 minutes, with Bangor emerging unchanged for the second period.

Bangor came close to a breakthrough with 52 minutes gone as Marshall got in down the right and crossed into the box, with a looping shot from Dempster nestling on the top of the net as she looked to break the deadlock. A corner was awarded on the right and flighted towards the back post, and Marshall was unlucky not to connect at the back stick after she had broken free.

Bangor then enjoyed the best chance of the half two minutes later when Dempster broke the Ballymena offside trap and got a shot at goal with the visiting goalkeeper off her line, but she placed agonisingly wide of the mark.

Ballymena almost found themselves in a similar situation only for Winton to have her bearings covered and clear out for a throw-in. Winton then made a good two-handed stop to deny Ballymena substitute Niamh McGaughey after she got a shot on target from the edge of the penalty box.

On 59 minutes, McGaughey took control of a free-kick that was deflected inches over Winton's crossbar. Lauren Hill sent the corner in, with the ball being cleared, and it sparked a Bangor break that resulted in Marshall placing a rising shot only just past the post.

With 67 minutes gone, Bangor conceded a free-kick on the edge of the box – with Sarah Crooks cautioned – and Hill got a shot at goal that had to be parried away by Winton. Hill commanded another free-kick on the wide right, and again Winton had to act on it as a shot was placed straight at her from six yards.

On 71 minutes, Leah Robinson placed just wide from a corner up the other end, with Jodie Shannon and Robyn McFadden both being subbed on as manager Rory Hamill changed things up for the latter stages. The breakthrough almost came five minutes later – Marshall striking the underside of the bar after getting in behind the Ballymena backline.

Janine Jess replaced Stewart in midfield as Bangor continued to probe for a winner, with Wynne placing a shot over the bar after a free-kick from wide on the right was only half-cleared on 79 minutes.

Both sides were pushing for the deadlock-breaker in the latter stages, and though a Ballymena free-kick inched just wide of Winton's goal in stoppage-time, there was to be no breakthrough as the game ended goalless.

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📸 Joemac Photography

👊 There was a solid Bangor debut last night for Sophie Hutchinson in defence!

The Northern Ireland Under-19 international, who previously played for Linfield Women and Lisburn Rangers Ladies, slotted into the backline and helped us keep a clean sheet in the goalless draw with Ballymena United at Clandeboye Park, marking a strong start to life in yellow and blue that she will be keen to build on going forward.

Welcome to Bangor Sophie!

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📸 Joemac Photography

📸 Catch up on the best of last night's action with Joe's gallery!

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FT: Bangor FC Ladies 0️⃣➖️0️⃣ Ballymena United Women

A rare goalless draw at Clandeboye and a point gained tonight 👍

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Back under way for the second half at Clandeboye!

Come on Bangor 🟡🔵

HT: Bangor FC Ladies 0️⃣➖️0️⃣ Ballymena United Women

Goalless at the interval at Clandeboye ✅️

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