Dougherty brace inspires ’Stute

Truth to tell, there wasn’t much between the teams in a low-key first 45 minutes with neither set of forwards able to trouble two confident defences, but visitors Institute made the breakthrough on 74 minutes when bustling forward Ricky-Lee Dougherty neatly slid home, before he added a second on 81 minutes and Michael McCrudden put the icing on the ’Stute cake on 83 minutes.

Institute suffered a blow after just four minutes when winger Darren McCauley had to be replaced by Dean Carlyle after he limped off following a heavy tackle from midfielder Andy Morrow.

The first real chance, of what was to become a lacklustre first half fell to Bangor’s Gareth McLaughlin, but the winger’s close range header on 20 minutes was saved by Marty Gallagher.

On 30 minutes ’Stute substitute Carlyle pierced the home defence with a well timed through ball to Dougherty, but home keeper Andy Dickey did well to block the striker’s effort.

Just before the break a Declan McKeever defence-splitting pass released Dougherty, but his left foot drive from ten yards flew just past the post into the side-netting.

Frankie Wilson’s side almost took the lead early after the break when left back Mark Whitford found McLaughlin on the flank, the winger crossed low into the middle, but striker David Wright just failed to get his foot to the low ball.

Just after the hour mark ’Stute midfielder Aaron Walsh found Dougherty on the right who crossed for McKeever coming through on the left, but he was thwarted by home keeper Dickey who ran out to hook the ball away for a throw-in.

On 74 minutes the first goal, which was well-executed, as the tricky Carlyle found Dougherty who neatly slipped the ball into the goal from an acute angle on the right from just inside the box.

The second goal came on 81 minutes as Dougherty ran onto McKeever’s low cross from the left to fire home low from 15 yards.

Just 90 seconds later came the visitors’ third goal as, following a half-cleared corner, Stephen Parkhouse on the left passed inside to McCrudden who made no mistake firing home his second goal in as many games.

Right at the death McLaughlin hit an in-swinging cross from the right, this time Bangor substitute Chris Shimmon’s six yard header carried too much power for the keeper, but the ball rebounded off the face of the crossbar.

Bangor: Dickey, Beattie, Whitford, O’Kane, Hylands, Scates, McLaughlin, Long, Morrow, Wright, Murray. Subs: Shimmon for O’Kane (59); Lambe for Whitford (62); Armstrong for Scates (66); Watterson & Carson (not used).

Institute: Gallagher, Roddy, Curran, Crown, Jarvis; McCauley, Walsh, McKeever; McCrudden, Parkhouse, Dougherty. Subs: Carlyle for McCauley (12); Coyle for Parkhouse (84); Hegarty for Dougherty (87); McCreadie & Taylor (not used).

Referee: Cecil Floyd (Carryduff).