Gavin Lee Redfern-Jones reports on a high-scoring friendly

For their final pre-season game before the 2024-25 competitive season begins, CPD Bangor 1876 took part in a mid-week friendly against neighbouring side Menai Bridge Tigers, themselves preparing for a season in the third tier of Welsh football.

Bangor were without their forward ace Corrig McGonigle for the evening, but Dale Davies had a very productive appearance in his stead. He sent the first warning sign to the Tigers just short of the tenth minute when Dion Jones's floated diagonal pass found Cai Powell-Roberts on the first of his many marauding runs up the right wing throughout the game. The full-back attempted to pick out Davies in the box with a low delivery and despite the forward’s efforts to meet the ball on the slide at the near post, he could only guide the ball wide of the right post.

But a second invitation for Davies would appear just minutes later. Stepping into the attacking half with the ball at his feet, centre-back Jake Ellison was able to pick out Powell-Roberts with an exquisite outside-of-the-boot pass with his right foot. The right-back was again able to pick out Davies in the centre of the penalty box, this time unmarked, and the former Chirk forward was able to finish just inside the right post with a standing header.

As the twentieth minute approached, Powell-Roberts would continue to cause Menai Bridge problems. After receiving the ball from Tom Mahoney, his cross into the box was just beyond Davies's reach, but winger Liam Morris improvised with an acrobatic volley at the far post, which would sail just over the crossbar.

Morris was involved again just before the half-hour mark when his high-press would hurry the Menai Bridge defence into making a sloppy pass that left-back Dan Cox was able to intercept inside the attacking half. Spotting Mason Blackwell-Jones's run across the line of defence, the full-back was able to slip the midfielder into the box with a slide rule pass. Blackwell-Jones's shot rolled across the face of goal but was saved by Tigers stopper Ben Heald.

With ten minutes remaining in the first half, Morris found himself with the ball just inside the attacking half and rolled the ball into the feet of Dale Davies, unmarked on the edge of the penalty box with his back towards goal. The forward had time to swivel and face the goal before finishing with a low, right-footed shot that went past the goalkeeper to his right and into the net for Bangor's second goal of the evening.

Davies would complete his hat-trick five minutes later. A one-two pass with Morris saw Powell-Roberts again in the familiar position on the right-wing to deliver a cross, which Davies was able to finish on the volley with no defender nearby to challenge.

Just as the first half was coming to a close, Davies found himself in space with the ball at his feet and unleashed a low piledriver from 25 yards that was perfectly placed in the bottom-left corner for his fourth goal of the evening.

The referee blew the whistle for half-time and Bangor went into the break with a comfortable four-goal cushion.

HALF-TIME: BANGOR 1876 4 - 0 MENAI BRIDGE TIGERS

Liam Morris would get himself on the scoring act on the 58th minute. After he dispossessed a Menai Bridge defender on the right touch-line just inside the attacking half, the winger from Llanfairpwll drove into the penalty box and cut across the retreating defender’s path to open up the shooting angle and steadied himself before finishing calmly to the right of the Menai Bridge goalkeeper, giving Bangor their fifth goal.

On the 66th minute, Trialist A collected the ball at the far side after a corner on the right delivered from Harry Galeotti had eluded Bangor's target men in the box. The Trialist cut outwards onto his right foot which resulted in an inswinging cross-come-shot aimed towards the far post. Tigers stopper Heald was unable to claim the ball cleanly, gifting Trailist his goal for the evening and extending Bangor's lead to six goals.

Bangor would soon make it a seven-goal lead some 5 minutes later. A high press from Blackwell-Jones on the opposition's left byline resulted in the attempted clearance being blocked and fell kindly to Morris on the edge of the box. The winger was unchallenged and had time to pick his spot before finishing low to the left of the goalkeeper for his second goal of the game.

With quarter of an hour remaining, Menai Bridge would pull themselves a goal back via their main man Callum Graves when he was able to slip in behind Bangor's defensive line on the end of a deep free-kick after centre-back Iolo Hughes slipped and was unable to recover in time.

Bangor would restore their seven-goal lead 5 minutes from full-time. After battling for the ball on the end of a long kick by Bangor stopper Carl Jones, Blackwell-Jones was able to chase down and win the loose second ball on the right-wing. With the defender standing in his way and with no obvious avenue for attack, the midfielder opted to use his short option, where Liam Morris was standing on the inside-right channel just outside of the box. Morris displayed patience before rolling the ball into the path of full-back Powell-Roberts who had made a darting, overlapping run. Despite having a very tight angle to work with, Powell-Roberts was able to fire a shot which flew like an arrow into the top-left corner, giving the opposing keeper no chance.

As the final minute approached, the Menai Bridge defence would again yield possession deep within their own half following a high press from Blackwell-Jones. Winger Morris was in vicinity to pick up the loose ball, and with a drop of the shoulder was able to get past the last line of defence and into the box by going to the defender’s right before his right-footed shot rolled across the face of goal and into the back of the net for his hat-trick, Bangors' ninth and final goal of the evening.

The referee blew the whistle to draw an end to the friendly contest and Bangor will head into Friday's Nathaniel MG Cup First Round game against Ruthin Town with heightened confidence following a comfortable win.

FULL-TIME: BANGOR 1876 9 - 1 MENAI BRIDGE TIGERS

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Menai Bridge Tigers for providing the opposition in our final pre-season friendly and wish them well for the season ahead. Our next game is away to Ruthin in the Nathaniel MG Cup at 7.45pm on Friday 19 July. We begin on our JD Cymru North campaign a week later on Friday 26 July when we are away to Colwyn Bay in a match that also kicks off at 7.45pm.

Thank you to Rhodri Williams for providing the photo with this match report.