PICTURES by BOB HALL
BATTLING Ballyclare Comrades staged a comeback from two goals down to win 4-3 at Dixon Park.
Bangor put the pressure on from the off as they fashioned a flurry of early chances, and the visitors were rewarded on 13 minutes as a short-corner routine led to the opener. A give-and-go between Emi Wynne and Amber Dempster gave the latter licence to pull the trigger, and she did just that and looped the ball over the Ballyclare keeper into the top right corner to break the deadlock.
Eight minutes from half-time and it was a doubling of the advantage for the Seasiders. After Robyn McFadden forced a spectacular tip around the post from the Ballyclare keeper, Sarah Crooks took command of the resulting corner and it was guided in from close range by the head of Amanda Morton for her third goal in two matches.
Ballyclare added spice to the encounter when winger Aoiffe McCann chipped one over Giulia McLaughlin to reduce the arrears, making it 2-1 at the interval.
Just four minutes into the second half, Ballyclare were level as a corner from the left was delivered deep and it was turned in by Cammy Keenan for 2-2.
That brought a further competitive edge to the contest. Comrades, however, continued to build on their initiative and dealt a couple of quickfire blows within four minutes of each other, firstly on 75 minutes from Molly Weir and then Emily Gilchrist on 79 with balls in behind that were converted by the hosts’ forward on both occasions.
Amber Dempster pulled one back in added-time but it proved too little, too late in the end.
Ballyclare (above) and Bangor (below)
