Bangor got their EYHL2 campaign off to a winning start as they beat Queen’s University in a nine-goal thriller at the Aurora Leisure Centre.
The hosts rushed to a 2-0 lead after Callum Duncan and Ruben Boyd both scored from open play inside 14 minutes.
However, their two-goal advantage would only last three minutes as Connor Irwin added to his four goals from last weekend as he scored a trademark drag flick from a penalty corner.
On the half-hour mark, Irwin struck once more from another penalty corner to draw his side level and make it six goals in a week for the defender.
With the sides inseparable at the half-time break it was the hosts who started the second half quicker with Nathan Belshaw restoring their lead within a minute.
But again the youthful Bangor side could not hold onto their advantage with Queen’s drawing level in the 53rd minute through Andrew Clarke.
The drama continued as two goals within a minute made it 4-4 and less than 10 minutes left to play but ultimately it was Bangor who took all three points.
Having won a last-minute penalty corner, Bangor’s Ryan Burgess stepped up and like Irwin picked out the corner with a drag flick to seal a late victory for his team.
Elsewhere in the EYHL2 South Antrim narrowly lost 1-0 away to Cork Church of Ireland.
Corks Harry Jackson broke the deadlock in the 64th minute to put his side ahead in the dying stages of the fixture.
With just six minutes to find an equaliser, South Antrim were unable to draw level and ultimately suffered defeat.
In the days only Men’s Premier League fixture Kilkeel came back from 4-0 down to beat Portadown 5-4.
Jamie Wright gave the visitors an early lead from a penalty corner before two goals in quick succession from Wright and Mark Campbell made the lead 3-0.
They were then awarded a penalty stroke midway through the second quarter which was confidently converted by Ben Thompson.
Just before the half-time break, Kilkeel’s Mark Henning got his third of the season to make it 4-1 and give his side a lifeline.
After the resumption in play, Gareth Russell got a second goal for the hosts when he converted from a penalty corner.
Top goal scorer Luke Russell turned provider when he found teammate David Rae who subsequently halved the Portadown advantage to make it 4-3.
Continuing to pile pressure on their visitors’ goal, Kilkeel drew level when Jordan McCartan’s inch-perfect drag flick found the corner upon the awarding of a penalty corner.
The comeback was then completed late on when Luke Russell once again, this time assisting Johnathan Aiken who made it 5-4 with the strike sending his side into second in the league table.
Photo: Front Row Union
