YOUTH TEAM

Date	Venue	Opponents	Type	Comments/Result
8^th September	Home	Bethesda	League	Postponed
22^nd September	Away	Abergele	League	WON 8 - 20
29^th September	Home	Flint	Friendly	WON 38- 21
4^th September	Home	Coleg Glynllifon	Friendly	WON 51- 10
13^th October	Away	Bro Ffestiniog	League	LOST 15 - 13
23^rd October	Home	Colwyn Bay	Friendly	WON 63- 0
27^th October	Home	Llangefni	League	LOST 0 - 10
10^th November	Away	Colwyn Bay	League	LOST 24 - 14
17^th November	Home	Pwllheli	League	LOST 5 - 29
8^th December	Away	Bethesda	League	LOST 29 - 5
22^nd December	Home	Abergele	League	Postponed
12^th January	Home	Bala	Friendly	LOST 5 - 27
19^th January	Home	Bro Ffestiniog	League	Postponed
26^th January	Away	Llangefni	League	WON 10 - 12
7^th February	Home	Abergele	League	WON 17 - 10
23^rd February	Home	Colwyn Bay	League	Postponed
11^th March	Away	Pwllheli	League	LOST 41 - 0
8^th April	Home	Bro Ffestiniog	League	LOST 25 - 33
21^st April	Home	Bethesda	League	LOST 0 - 34

Scorer	Tries	Penalties	Conversions	Drop Goals	Total
SEAN WILLIAMS	3	3	1		42
CRAIG ROBERTS	1	1	1		10
PENALTY TRIES	1				5
JOE BROGDEN	7				35
GWION BOWEN	1				5
MEURIG THOMAS	2				10
CRAIG PRITCHARD	4		1		22
NATHAN DAWSON	2				10
RUBEN ELLIOT	1				5
WIL WITHEY	2				10
DAN BATTY	2				10
JOE STARLING	2				10
OLEU PEYRASSE	2				10
BEN ROBERTS	1				5
KERION MURPHY	1				5
ALEX HALL	2				10
NICK BLYTH	1				5
JACK LATHAM	2				10
JACK OWENS	1				5
TOM JONES	4				20
MATHEW MONAGHAN	1				5
JONNI HUGHES	1		1		7
DARREN BRACE	1		1		7

Bangor ended the season with a loss that did not reflect how well they have played earlier in the season. Although they probably had more than 50% of the territorial advantage they couldn't get over the try line and leaked six tries. Bethesda were sharper and faster to the break down and regularly turned Bangor over in the tackle. They looked like they wanted to win much more than the home side who on times couldn't put in any tackles. Ben Roberts and Joe Brogden stood out for Bangor with tackles and speedy runs at the visitors. Wil Withey and Tom Jones put in some good work in the pack. Some of these lads will be going on to play for the senior team next season and the youth squad as a whole must be thanked for keeping the senior game alive at Bangor this season. Next season will see some very good younger players coming into the youth team and things can only get better.

This was an exciting game in which both sides created many scoring chances and either side might have scored more points. Bangor showed their rustiness through lack of games and went behind early on through a muddle giving a soft try to the visitors. Bangor struck back with a try from No.8 Tom Jones who had a storming game and the conversion from captain Sean Williams put them in the lead for the only time during the game. Some slack tackles and slow support enabled Bro to turn Bangor over and launch a series of attacks leading to two more tries and a conversion. Bangor had their chances mauling their way over the line but unable to get the ball down. A penalty from Sean Williams was all they add before half time.

Bangor put in some extra effort in the second half and following a storming run from Tom Jones, outside half Darren Brace crossed for a try. Bro soon restored the balance taking a tap penalty they broke the defence all to easy for a converted try. Bangor responded with more forward pressure a prop Jack Owens ran through a ruck of players for a well deserved try. When Tom Jones scored another power try Bangor were back to just a single point behind and William's conversion would have given them the lead but the ball struck the upright to the dismay of the home team. With the game almost over Bro took the play into Bangor territory from the restart and drove over for another try to end the game as clear winners.

Bangor travelled with just a bare 15 players following last minute withdrawals and had to put players in unfamiliar positions. The lack of fixtures in the last 4 weeks showed as they were blown away in the roaring gale by a powerful well drilled Pwllheli team but they played a lot better than the score line suggests. Bangor had territorial advantage for much of the first half and their forwards threatened the home team line for some time following the kick off but failed to get any points. The first time the home team got the ball to their centre he powered through a weak defence and ran 60 m to score a converted try. Their second try came after a series of tap penalties and after that Bangor lost heart and allowed in three more first half tries with the home team producing some well rehearsed moves with their large powerful forwards doing the initial damage.

The score line would have been worse but Bangor did manage some good hard tackles while missing some some easier ones. They kept the home team at bay for much of the second half and the home team let them selves down with silly undisciplined and unnecessary foul play and only scored two more tries.

The visitors from along the coast gave Bangor a scare with a good performance that had them leading through most of the game but Bangor persisted and came out on top just before the final whistle was blown.

Abergele used the wind at their backs intelligently and frequently turned Bangor over at the break down. They took an early lead with a penalty and followed this up with a converted try that also resulted from one of Bangor's many infringements. Given a free kick at the scrum they took a quick tap and crossed the try line. Bangor tried to play open rugby but speculative long passes kept going astray in the wind and they lost a lot of good possession. Bangor brought on second row forward Tom Jones to add his weight to that of Nathan Dawson and he immediately made an impact driving through the loose and came within an inch of touching down on one occasion. With a bit more ball to play with Bangor finally got the ball out to winger Joe Brogden who found space to go in at the corner and bring the score back to 5 - 10 at the interval.

In the second half Bangor used the wind to pen the visitors into the corner for long periods helped by frequent line out steals by Oleu Peyrasse and good drives from the forwards. Jack Owens was outstanding for a young forward who stepped up from the the lower age group for his first match at this level. Stubborn resistance and many penalty kicks allowed the visitors to maintain their lead until the last quarter. Outside half Jonni Hughes crossed the try line with a break through the middle but his conversion just missed the posts and the score stayed level right to the last minute when captain Sean Williams crossed in the centre. Hughs' conversion was followed by the final whistle.

Bangor found their form at last with a close victory over arch rivals Llangefni in a hotly contested game. Bangor put the home team on the back foot from the kick off, surprising them with their keenness to attack and after a few bouts of play outside half Mathew Monaghan found a gap in the defence and went over for an unconverted try. Llangefni gathered their composure and just about got on top of their visitors for the rest of the first half and scored two tries. The first came from No. 12 Meilir Roberts rounding off a session of pressure play with a try in the corner. The second try came after Bangor twice knocked on and the home team took double advantage to go from one end of the field to the other with No.13 Alun Roberts touching down.

Bangor got the best of the second half starting with renewed vigour, their big forwards put in the hard work that was missing in previous games. Gwion Bowen Tom Jones and Nathan Dawson in particular used their weight well in the scrums and mauls. Bangor managed a long bout of pressure on the home try line and were only prevented from crossing the line by repeated offences but finally they forced their way over after pick up and drives from from Craig Roberts, Wil Withey and finally Oleu Peyrasses who got the ball to the try line. The touchline conversion from captain Sean Williams was to prove decisive as the two teams slugged it out for the remainder of the game. Llangefni turned the screw in the later stages helped by a series of penalties but fierce tackling kept them out until the final whistle.

With some of their youth playing with the senior team at Menai Bridge, Bala had to borrow a few players from Bangor and the game was played with uncontested scrums and no wing forwards which was much to Bangor's disadvantage. Bangor failed to compete in the line outs and were regularly turned over when they did get the ball. Bala exploited poor tackling from Bangor and a better determination to win. Bangor took all the first half to find some form after a long break not having played since December 8^th. Bala ran in 3 tries in the first half. Bangor came close on one occasion when outside half Darren Brace chipped overhead and just failed to beat the defence to the touch down. Bala added another two tries in the second half but Bangor did manage a response with a try from winger Joe Brogden. Oleu Peyrasse came close to scoring with a good run down the touchline. Let's hope this game gave them some much needed match practice before they play their next league game.

Meurig Hughes runs into his own team. Darren Brace just misses touching down. Bangor win a lineout

Bethesda proved too strong for Bangor in an entertaining game played in wet, windy and muddy conditions. Bangor played with great spirit and held their own for much of the game and came near to scoring first with a penalty that just went wide. A try almost followed soon after when Winger Dan Batty kicked ahead and outside half Darren Brace was pushed off the ball as he went to drop on it. Some might have awarded a penalty try but the referee thought otherwise. After that the older and heavier pack of the home team put the Bangor line under pressure until they forced their way for a try and the home kicker was in form to add the 2 points. A disastrous restart by Bangor allowed the home team to gather kick off and let their No.6 run straight back through the centre field to score another converted try.

Turning round 14 - 0 down but with the wind in their favour, Bangor still had hopes of getting back in the game but poor tackling allowed the Bethesda winger to run in after good back play for an unconverted try. Bangor at last got on the score sheet with a fine try that started with Nathan Owen braking through from the forwards and then taken on by Gwion Bowen who slipped it to Alex Hall who just got in at the corner. After that Bangor got the wrong side of the referee who handed out two yellow cards but none for the home side. helped by some indifferent tackles, Bethesda ran in two more tries in the late stage of the game.

Bangor's coaches expressed satisfaction with the team in the first year of full league participation and expect them to improve with experience against teams like Bethesda.

A weakened Bangor side put in a lacklustre performance and only showed glimpses of the play that they can produce. Bangor did score first after a series of penalties put them near the visitors try line and scrum half Meurig Thomas tapped the ball and went over. Pwllheli had a prop sent off soon after and the game went to uncontested scrums. Whether this benefited anyone or not, the visitors took command with the strong wind at their backs and their back division made the most of some half hearted tackling to run in 4 tries with two conversions.

Bangor were more resilient in the second half with the wind behind them and outside half Darren Brace put in a few useful kicks. The only try came from the Pwllheli outside half. In the closing spell Bangor started to perform and Oleu Peyrasse twice broke off the back of the scrum and tries should have resulted from both but the ball went astray on the try line on both occasions.

This was a great reversal of fortunes losing to the team they had thumped 63 - 0 in a friendly only 2 weeks previously. Bangor withstood early pressure from the Bay and then took command for a good spell. First a knock on denied them a try following a good back move but then winger Joe Brogden was fed the ball by Craig Pritchard and squeezed in at the corner for the opening try followed by a great conversion from Seon Williams. The home team then started to show their superiority in the set pieces and loose play so Bangor did not get much ball to play with after that and were put on the defensive. Colwyn Bay opened their account with a fine try from their centre who carved his way through the middle and then converted his own try. Bangor were always in the game and showed this when they struck back with another try from Joe Brogden after scrambling the ball somehow across the field from a lineout. Williams conversion was good and half time came with Bangor leading 14 - 7.

The game was lost in the second half with Bangor starved of the ball and the scrums disrupted, especially by the home team's scrum half who managed to spoil every ball Bangor heeled. The bay soon equalised the score breaking the defence for a converted try. They soon went ahead for the first time when their No.8 picked up and broke through for a great try that went unconverted. The final blow came when they sent a reverse pass from a scrum to the blind side and caught Bangor off guard and ran in the final unconverted try. Bangor did finish strong and could have scored again but for some handling errors.

15 Peter Foment, 14, Joe Brogden, 134 Craig Pritchard, 12 Sion Williams, 11 Dan Batty, 10 Darren Brace, 9 Meurig Thomas, 1 Nathan Owen, 2 Wil Withey, 3 Craig Roberts, 4 Nathan Dawson, 5 Joe Starling, 6 Kierion Murphy, 7 Oleau Peyrasse, 8 Gwioin Bowen, Subs. Ben Roberts, Kane Bentley and Tom Jones.

Bangor failed to find their mid week form and went down in a largely uninspiring game. The visitors dominated possession and Bangor's speedy back division were denied good chances to run the ball. They showed what they were capable of doing early on when left winger Joe Brogden broke out of defence and appeared to be flying down the touchline but when he cut inside he found his self isolated and just failed to touch down under the posts. After 20 minutes Llangefni took the lead with Declan Griffiths mauling his way over the line and a conversion from Carwyn Milburn. Ironically both these players were products of the Bangor Junior section.

Bangor went on the offensive at the start of the second half but their attacks were halted by sound defence. Llangefni increased their lead with a penalty and then penned Bangor in their own 22 m area for long spells. Bangor to their credit tried running the ball out from their line but found it hard going. Outside half Nick Blyth got clear on one occasion supported by Craig Pritchard but were chased down by resolute defenders. Llangefni came close to scoring again but with both sides defending so well the game ended disappointingly for Bangor.

Bangor seem able to field a strong team for mid week games and completely overwhelmed their visitors with a great display of supporting rugby and team effort. Colwyn Bay were no slouches and looked fast with the ball in hand but frequently dropped it. Bangor were always quick to the break down and soon they were gaining most of the possession and turning the screw.

The first try was created by scrum half Meurig Thomas who was ever alert to the opportunity and broke away from a scrum and although he didn't make the try line, forward Kieran Murphy was on hand to complete the job. The next try came after some swift back play and centre Craig Pritchard got over. It was the turn of the front row men next with Alex Hall forcing his way through for a try converted by Sean Williams. Dan Batty rounded off the next back move when the ball was passed along the back line to him on the wing. Then it was the turn of the front row again with hooker Tom Jones crashing over and Williams converted.

There was no relaxing in the second half and Bangor kept on dishing out the same play. Forward Nathan Dawson picked up a lineout ball knocked down by the visitors and crashed over the line. Flanker Jack Latham crossed next for a try converted by Williams. Substitute outside half Nick Blyth soon made his presence felt with some electrifying pace through the middle to score and made the next try with a superb break finished off by substitute prop Will Withey. Jack Latham scored again following a tremendous round of combination play. Tom Jones rounded off the game wrestling his way over the try line for the final score.

In their second league outing of the season Bangor took on high flyers Bro Ffestiniog and came back strong in the closing minutes to almost pull off a surprise. Bro had the heavier and more experienced players and this made the difference. Bangor were guilty of fumbling the ball and throwing wild passes and would have scored an early try had the scoring pass gone into the winger's hands. Bro scored the first try following some panicky fly kicking from Bangor inside their own 22 metre area resulting in Karl Fozzet scrambling over in the corner for an unconverted try. Bangor stayed in touch with an excellent penalty kick from Sean Williams who re-discovered his form on the day. Good touch kicking from outside Half Darren Brace helped Bangor out of trouble but Bro increased their lead after robbing Bangor of the ball and Lee Wyatt took it over for another unconverted try.

The home side carried on the momentum in the second half taking the ball from the back of the scrum Terry Lay beat off some poor tackling to score a great individual try. At this stage Bangor started to show some grit and encouraged by a speedy break out of defence by full back Ben Roberts and winger Joe Brogden they were rewarded with a penalty. Captain Sean Williams slotted in another perfect kick. With the game in the closing minutes, centre Craig Pritchard broke out of defence with a 75 metre dash and was pulled down on the line by desperate defenders. The referee ruled that he had bee held up over the line and Bangor got a 5 metre scrum and sent the ball out to the centre of the field. Forward Joe Starling arrived to clean up and picked his way through the defence to crash over. The final conversion from Williams brought the visitors to within two points but the game was over and Bangor in the end were well pleased with their performance.

15 Ben Roberts. 14 Dan Batty, 13 Craig Pritchard, 12 Sean Williams, 11 Joe Brogden, 10 Darren Brace, 9 Meurig Thomas, 1 Tom Jones, 2 Wil Withey, 3 Craig Roberts, 4 Nathan Dawson, 5 Joe Starling, 6 Alex hall, 7 Keiren Murphy, 8 Gwion Bowen, 16 Peter Foment, 17 Matt Gough.

Bangor fielded what must be close to their best 15 players in this floodlit friendly and they put in a dazzling performance in front of a respectable crowd at Cae Milltir. Clearly their coaching and training showed results producing great pace and skills in all departments. They hustled their visitors off the ball and took all the 50/50 chances. Good close support and offloading in the tackle allowed quick recycling and quality passing in the backs all contributed to a storming start. The first try came from a good bout of supporting play and back row forward Ruben Elliot got the touch down. Centre Sean Williams converted. Left wing Joe Brogden continued to show his dazzling pace catching a penalty clearance and running in down the touchline. Hooker Wil Withey was next to round off a move in close support of fellow front row man Craig Roberts. This was soon followed by a try from centre Craig Pritchard and then it was the turn of right wing Dan Batty to cross receiving a great pass from Craig Pritchard. Forward Joe Starling continued the scoring with a try converted by Pritchard. Second row Oleu Peyrasse was next to touch down and full back Ben Roberts got the last try following a good all round performance. Outside half Darren Brace completed the scoring with a conversion.

In the latter stages Bangor made some changes which seemed to make them lose their shape and their game went down as the students picked up theirs and were rewarded with two late tries.

The game was a friendly with younger players included in the teams. Bangor were put under early pressure with the visitors penning them into their own half and coming up with the first try when their biggest forward Mitch Martin forced his way over under the posts leaving an easy conversion for outside half Dan Stokes. Bangor gradually started to put some shape to their game it was the turn of their large second row forward Gwion Bowen to force his way over for an unconverted try. This was quickly followed up by a try from scrum half Meurig Thomas who intercepted a pass at the back of the scrum on the 5 metre line. Well on top at this stage Bangor were disallowed a try but came straight back from the 22 metre drop out sending the ball out to winger Joe Brogden who went in then out and scored under the posts. Sean Williams converted . Bangor scored again with a well worked move and Joe Brogden made the ground and handed on to outside half Craig Pritchard.

Starting the second half with a lead 22 - 7 Bangor started in the same form and soon Centre Sean Williams crossed for a try but then taking their foot off the gas they let Flint right back into the game. First Dan Stokes ran in a good back try and converted it. Then their forwards made a big drive for the line and their No.8 got the ball down for another converted try. Bangor regained their form and struck back in strength in the remaining quarter. Nathan Dawson powered over receiving the ball when standing off the ruck. The game was sealed when Joe Brogden brole out of defence and ran 75 metres for a try under the post.

1. Bangor contest the linout. 2. Joe Brogden scored the first try 3. Craig Pritchard gets thing moving. 4. Sean Williams about to cross for a try.

The youth team launched their league campaign with a bruising win over Abergele. Abergele took an early lead with a well struck penalty after Bangor used their hands in a ruck. It took the Cae Milltir squad a while to get going but gradually they worked their way into the home team's half and winning a scrum against the head they moved the ball to the blind side and centre Sean Williams crossed for a try. Although Bangor came close again with some rucks on the try line Abergele held firm and going into the second half the game could have gone either way. Bangor picked up the pace in the second half and became a bit more expansive in their play and centre Craig Roberts crossed for a try following some good handling. Bangor were then awarded a penalty try when winger Joe Brogden was brought down with a high tackle and Sean Williams added the two points. Bangor's full back Peter Foment saved a break away try with a do or die tackle and ended up going to hospital with suspected concussion. Prop Wil Withey appeared to score soon after picking up and driving over the line but the referee had already blown his whistle for a Penalty and Williams added the three points. The game was marred by an eruption of fighting and in the closing stages Bangor faded a little allowing Abergele to score a deserved try through their blind side wing.

Venue