Dramatic Denbighshire Draw!

Gavin Redfern-Jones reports from Denbigh........

To draw the curtain on the 2023/24 season, Bangor 1876 made the trip down to Central Park. Awaiting them would be fellow promoted side Denbigh Town, a team looking to get back to winning ways following a narrow defeat at the hands of Flint Town United. A victory for Bangor means they would close off their season with three consecutive away wins.

Denbigh's first real opportunity came in the third minute when captain Paul Fleming slid to get on the end of a low cross from the right byline by Sion Jones, but his effort was directed wide of the right post.

Denbigh scored the opening goal on the 23rd minute. Following a throw-in on the left wing, Fleming squared the ball to loanee Joshua Lock just outside the box. After taking a moment to weigh up his options, his right-footed shot found the top-right corner to give Denbigh the lead.

Denbigh nearly doubled their lead 5 minutes later when Nathan Browns' through-ball in the middle of the park found its way to Owen Davies just outside the box. On breaking into the penalty area, he lined up an effort towards goal, but his shot was was blocked just in time by Iolo Hughes.

With 3 minutes of regular time remaining, Denbigh doubled their lead when Owen Davies' speculative effort from the halfway line caught Bangor stopper Carl Jones off his line. He could not retreat in time as the ball dropped under the bar for Denbighs' second.

Nathan Brown almost added a third in added time when he pounced on Iolo Hughes' header back to keeper Jones. The winger slipped in to nick the ball and take it round to the right of the goalkeeper. With a narrow angle to score from, his effort from near the right byline rolled agonisingly wide of the left post.

The referee blew for half-time and Denbigh headed into the break wih a two-goal cushion.

Half-time: DENBIGH TOWN 2 - 0 BANGOR 1876

Bangor almost pulled a goal back two minutes after the restart. Dale Davies' pass from the left channel found winger Liam Morris behind opposing fullback Ben Lockley. Morris' pullback across the face of goal could only roll behind his striker Corrig McGonigle.

10 minutes later, McGonigle drew a save from Denbigh keeper Aaron Jones with a low effort following good give-and-go play between Harry Galeotti and Dale Davies. The latter left the ball for McGomigle as it broke into the Denbigh penalty area, but his first time shot was dealt with by the Denbigh Town stopper.

Half-way through the second half, Denbigh looked to hit Bangor on the counter. Following a Bangor corner, Davies looked to be through on goal as he drove through the middle of the park, but just as he broke into the box, midfielder Mason Blackwell-Jones tracked back and was able to put the Denbigh man off balance enough that his effort was tame and wide of the right post.

With 8 minutes of the match remaining, Blackwell-Jones was again involved, thid time to help Bangor pull a goal back. His chipped though ball on the quarter-turn was part of a wonderful give-and-go move with winger Morris. With Denbigh keeper Jones coming out of his goal to try and smother the ball, Morris dragged the ball to his left and was able to roll the ball into the net from a tight angle near the left byline to give Bangor hope in the closing stages of the game.

Not a minute later, centre-back Iolo Hughes almost brought Bangor level. His header at the far-post from McGonigles' right corner directed the ball back towards the face of goal, only to miss the right-post by a matter of inches.

Deep into added time, Joe Culshaws' free kick from the left side of the half-way line was directed towards the right side of the penalty box. The ball was headed back across the face of goal where an umarked Morris was on hand to volley in the equaliser from close range.

The referee blew for full-time and the late comeback from Bangor meant both sides shared a point each.

Full-time: DENBIGH TOWN 2 - 2 BANGOR 1876