Dublin side Shelbourne showed their class to claim victory in the North/South Invitational Walking Football competition at Clandeboye Park last weekend.

There was a dramatic finish as Bangor, Bray Wanderers, Ballymena and Shelbourne started the last round of matches with a realistic chance of winning the prestigious trophy.

However, the Dubliners, who had just inflicted a 4-0 defeat upon Drogheda United, held their nerve to gain a tight 1-0 victory over title rivals Ballymena.

It looked as though Bray Wanderers were a shoo-in for the runners-up spot when they took a 2-0 lead against Bangor, but, driven on by the home support, Ken Armstrong and Colin Booth scored two late goals to earn a draw and finish with the silver medal.

Dynamic Shelbourne finished on 11 points and Bangor had eight points, while Bray and Ballymena were tied for third on seven points.

The heavily anticipated, six-team round robin tournament lived up to all expectations and was a great showcase for walking football.

A much-fancied side, Ballymena arrived at Clandeboye Park with a quality squad, which included John McClure, Ronnie Carleton, David Elliot and Jeff Aiken, who will all be travelling to Alicante, Spain, with Northern Ireland in November.

However, they faltered at the first hurdle, when a classy Wanderers gave them little space or time and scored the only goal of the game through the skilful John McHale.

The County Antrim stars quickly regrouped and reeled off two wins over CALA (Carrick and Larne) and Drogheda, 2-0 and 2-1 respectively. The scorers were Northern Ireland centreforward McClure (3) and Carlton.

Bangor had started so well, playing with great freedom and endeavour to beat Drogheda 2-0 thanks to tireless midfielder Roy Hawthorne and John Steele.

CALA were next to be put to the sword, with the Seasiders again winning 2-0, courtesy of a well-drilled penalty from Northern Ireland international Ken Armstrong and a finish from Eddie Clarke.

This excellent event was sponsored by the Shared Island Civic Fund, and the organisers would like to thank all at Bangor FC who made it possible.
Meanwhile, Bangor FC Walking Football representative Michael Walker presented a cheque of £500 to Friends of the Cancer Centre, continuing the club’s unwavering support of local charities. — Pic credit: Bangor Walking Football Club

Ray Hunter, Gordon Currie and Colin Booth were solid as a rock at the vanguard of the host club’s defence. However, football can bring you down to earth with a bang, and that is what happened when Bangor were pitted against Shelbourne.

The Drumcondra-based team pressed relentlessly to force wayward passes, which they pounced on and deservedly scored twice without reply.

It could have been much worse, but for the valiant performance of goalkeeper Maurice Mackey, who repelled many goal-bound shots.

The locals regained composure in their next match, playing to a goalless draw with Ballymena, one which kept both teams in the mix.

Shelbourne’s head coach, Keith O’Neill, was delighted with his victorious squad’s performance, saying: “We started with two 0-0 draws and, after that, we got a bit of space and won three on the trot.

“The standard of play was very good, and we were made to work very hard for the victory today”.

When the Tolka Park outfit got going, they were unstoppable, with Keith Redmond (2), Terry Gill (2), Paul O’Brien, Frank Darby and captain Noel O’Brien all scoring goals in the last three matches, as they secured the North/South Invitational trophy.

Bangor skipper Colin Booth was full of praise for his team as they finished second in the hotly-contested tournament.

“We played well against strong opposition from north and south of the border, and special mention must go to stand-in ’keeper Maurice Mackey, who produced solid performances in all five matches”.

The battle of the bottom two saw CALA come out on top, with experienced players Jim Rea and Derek Agnew securing a 2-0 win over Drogheda, who had started the day with a scoreless draw against the eventual winners.

Overall, the teams from the north pipped the sides from the south by the slimmest of margins, 20 points to 19, on a day that will live long in the memory.

This excellent event was sponsored by the Shared Island Civic Fund, and the organisers would like to thank all at Bangor FC who made it possible.

Meanwhile, Bangor FC Walking Football representative Michael Walker presented a cheque of £500 to Friends of the Cancer Centre, continuing the club’s unwavering support of local charities.

Anyone who would like to try walking football, which is aimed at over-50s, is welcome to come along to Clandeboye Park any Friday morning at 11am.

Source: https://countydownspectator.co.uk/bangor-host-cross-border-walking-football/