Two for Gilmore as Mens Sixths Beat Bangor Fifths

By J Patterson

The sixth eleven had the luxury last Saturday of playing a team devoid of Senior League first eleven players. Bangor fifths, featuring the vintage form of Peter Dornan, were the visitors to Nendrum College and contributed to a game played in the best of spirits throughout. The sixths, most of whom are still only 15 or 16, are gradually developing into a team capable of holding their own in club hockey. Johnny Proctor opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a poacher’s goal scored from close in following a short corner but it was the skill of Josh Gilmore who virtually settled the result of the game with two individual goals in the 17th and 20th minutes.

With three substitutes rolling on and off, the format of the team became disjointed at times in the second half and they missed a number of chances to add to the score. Bangor eventually pulled a goal back in the 57th minute when most of the home back four were caught upfield pressing for more goals. Discipline at the back is the next key lesson to be learned for this young team but on the positive side Kai Jenkins, in his first game in adult hockey, showed some clever touches and his linking play with Josh Gilmore and Bryan Grieg had Bangor struggling throughout.