Hi °C | Lo °C Battling Bangor last night pressed the self-destruct button at a blustery Seaview.
Defensive pair, Brian Hylands and Johnathan Watterson, both blasted the ball into their own net late in the first half to gift the Shore Road team a County Antrim Shield semi-final slot.
Crues manager, Stephen Baxter, wanted a response following his team’s dreadful league result at Dungannon on Saturday, but his boys struggled make an impact.
To make matters worse, the Crues had David Magowan dismissed only 90 seconds after replacing Aidan Watson in the second half. Thomas Lambe pulled a goal back for the visitors, but they failed to make their advantage count.
Crues striker David Rainey missed an easy chance in the first minute, before big Jordan Owens somehow failed to get a touch on Gareth McKeown’s teasing cross.
Hylands’ howler four minutes before the interval eased the home fans’ frustration. Stephen McBride whipped in a free kick from the left, but Owens’ header crashed off the crossbar, striking the unfortunate defender before rebounding into the net.
Bangor had appeals for a penalty kick turned away by Hugh Carvill when Watterson’s header, from a Gareth Scates corner, appeared to strike the arm of Josh Robinson.
Watterson was then involved in a bizarre incident at the other end seconds before the break when Heatley’s speculative shot looked to be drifting wide until it clipped the heel of the defender and the ball trickled over the line.
The Crues should have killed off the visitors only seconds into the second half with Rainey shamefully volleying over from 12 yards.
Wasteful Crusaders were punished when Lambe met a Ryan McLaughlin corner and his header arrowed into the top corner.
Magowan was then dismissed following a late lunge on Chris Shimmon, leaving the Crues to sweat out the final 18 minutes.
Crusaders: Drummond, McKeown, McBride, Gibson, Robinson, Caddell (O’Hanlon 61), Watson (Magowan 70), Snoddy, Owens, Rainey, Heatley. Subs not used: McClean, Adamson, Mitchell.
Bangor: Dickey, Long, Watterson (Justin 56), Youle, Hylands, Scates (Mann 56), Middleton (McLaughlin 56), Wright, Morrow, Shimmon, Lambe. Subs not used: Cahill, O’Kane.
Referee: Hugh Carvill (Belfast).
