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22nd October 2007 - Phil Blanche, Western Mail
Powell turning Bangor into premier force
Bangor City followed up last week’s impressive victory at table-topping Llanelli with another solid performance at the Remax Stadium. There are signs that new manager Neville Powell’s team are gathering momentum and could be a force to be reckoned with this season. “We are starting to gel, but there’s a long road ahead,” Powell admitted. “Two successive clean sheets and four points against tough southern opposition shows we are heading in the right direction. I felt we were desperately unlucky not to get all three points as, after a shaky start, we had the better of the exchanges and the chances.” On his move from Connah’s Quay, Powell said, “Bangor is a club with massive potential. I know that as I played here for 10 years. “Following three bad years, it will take time to get us to where we want to be, but an improvement on last season’s ninth place finish would be a start.” Port Talbot, unbeaten at home, had early chances but the Chad Bond-Martin Rose strike combination lacked precision with the final delivery. Lee John was also a threat but Citizens’ keeper Paul Smith was unflappable. Les Davies had a good chance early in the second half for the visitors, but Liam McCreesh headed off the line and Andy Stott still should have done better with two clear cut opportunities. A point satisfied Steelmen boss Tony Pennock. “Bangor are a good side and I expect them to finish in the top five or six, so I’m not too disappointed,” he said. “I thought our performance was good and we had enough chances in the opening 20 minutes to seal it. But we kept only our second clean sheet of the season, we have taken 11 points from five unbeaten matches and are still unbeaten at home.”
22nd October 2007 - Daily Post
Match Report
Bangor City’s Nev Powell was extremely pleased with his team’s point from what had been a potentially hazardous assignment at Port Talbot. against opponents boasting a seven match unbeaten run. City have invariably fared well at the Remax Stadium, being defeated only once in eight visits – and were close to notching a fifth win there. Livewire forward Ashley Stott could have achieved a hat-trick but missed out while one-on-one with home keeper Kristian Rogers. Powell said: "Ashley scored a couple of goals the previous weekend at Llanelli, which won us the game, and so he is forgiven. I thought Les Davies was the best player on the pitch and yet no clear-cut chances went his way. As for the defence, who kept a clean-sheet for the fourth time in five games, they have conceded just one goal in the last three, which involved top sides Rhyl, Llanelli and Port Talbot. That earns them a lot of credit and again they were very solid." Now undefeated in six games, for three wins and three draws, City believed they were in for a dream start when home defender Matt Rees appeared to handle but referee Wayne Tregonning was unimpressed. With Sion Edwards embarking on several speedy runs down the left wing, Davies responded by firing over from 35 yards and Stott got closer to the target only for Rogers to save. City’s Paul Smith was called into action to deny Lee John late in the first half and Mike Walsh cleared the line from a Rees header near the end but they were isolated escapes.
21st October 2007 - www.welsh-premier.com
Keepers rule at the Remax
Both sides had chances to win this scoreless affair at the Remax Stadium which puts Port Talbot in eighth position and maintained Bangor's rise up the table. In the end, both keepers came out with the most credit, City's Paul Smith doing well to deny Chad Bond after 24 minutes when Leigh de Vulgt had opened up the defence with a run. Smith then blocked a sharp effort from Lee John while, when Bangor ventured forward, they found home stopper Kris Rogers in good form to halt Ashley Stott from a Sion Edwards pass. Chances were few and far between as the game wore on, although Stott could have won it for City in injury-time only for his shot to clear the bar.
21st October 2007 - Wales on Sunday
Match Report
There are grim nil-nils, and there are good ones, and Port Talbot manager Tony Pennock felt that this was one of the better ones. Of course, goalkeepers like to keep a clean sheet, and the same is true of new managers, so it is no great surprise that he took pleasure from it. He said: “I thought Bangor were a solid, well-organised side, and we are making progress now. It was an entertaining game, and our defence looked very solid.” Pennock made only one change, Chad Bond up front instead of Ceri Morgan. Port Talbot’s pacy front-runners, Bond and Lee John, had chances to take the lead in the first half, as both were put clear for “one-on-one” chances, but one went wide and one was smothered. In the second half, neither side could quite fashion a clear-cut opportunity, as the defences stayed solid.
20th October 2007 - www.citizens-choice.co.uk
Match Report
The sixth unbeaten match for Bangor who gained a share of the spoils at the Remax Stadium. Manager Nev Powell recalled Sion Edwards on the left wing and was able to find a space on the bench for Mel McGinness who has served his lengthy ban. Bangor might have had an early penalty when Marc Limbert's cross was clearly handled by Talbot centrehalf Matthew Rees, but Referee Tregonning waved play on. Midway through the half Lee DeVulgt was yellow carded for a foul on Kieran Killackey who again enjoyed a busy afternoon in the Bangor midfield. The end to end nature of the first half was summed up moments later. A Bangor freekick was cleared upfield, Chad Bond forced a good save from Paul Smith, the ball in turn reached front runner Les Davies whose long range effort cleared the home crossbar. City went close again when Sion Edwards shot on goal but Lee Surman cleared off the line. On the half hour Ashley Stott again worked the goalkeeper after Les Davies had directed Sion Edwards clearance into this path. This time former Wrexham stopper Kristian Rogers was on hand to save. On the stroke of half time Port Talbot went close as the dangerous Lee John fired on target but City goalkeeper Paul Smith saved well. Moments later the whistle went for half time with both sides thinking they might have been ahead. Soon after the restart Bangor went close once more. A corner delivered by Sion Edwards was headed goalwards by Lee Webber but Liam McCreesh was on the line to hack clear. On the hour Les Davies headed over from Marc Limbert's inviting cross. Minutes later Port Talbot had the ball in the net but the "goal" was disallowed. Liam McCreesh crosses from the right but Martin Rose fouled Paul Smith has he won the header. Five minutes later the official yellow carded Marc Limbert yet awarded him a freekick for a foul! Into the closing twenty minutes and Dylan Blain blasted on goal but saw his shot deflected over the bar off team mate Lee Surman. City fashioned two chances. First Sion Edwards crossed from the left to Ashley Stott who shot at the goalkeeper from six yards. Then Lee Webber sent in a freekick which the impressive Les Davies headed off target. Into injury time the home side might have snatched the points. Substitute Kerry Morgan, who had replaced McCreesh with some fifteen minutes remaining, fired wide. Centrehalf Matthew Rees' header was cleared off the line by Mike Walsh before Lee Webber skimmed his own crossbar with his follow up clearance. In the very final moments Marc Limber crossed but Ashley Stott could only graze the crossbar. So honours even at the final whistle and a sixth game unbeaten for Nev Powell's side which is clearly moving in the right direction.
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