'There's no way he meant it!': Bangor boss Lee Feeney praises 'massive character' after fine Premiership form continues
Bangor continued their impressive return to life in the Premiership after picking up a 3-0 win over Glenavon at Mourneview Park.
Former Lurgan Blues player Tiarnan Mulvenna put the Seasiders in front before a long-range effort from Reece Neale – which appeared to be an attempted cross rather than shot – sailed over goalkeeper Mark Byrne.
Jack O’Mahony put icing on the cake with his first touch after coming off the bench while Bangor also celebrated a first clean sheet of the season.
Here’s what manager Lee Feeney had to say after the match:
THOUGHTS ON THE MATCH?
"Before the game and all week, the game's sort of been playing on my mind because we were going into the unknown.
"You don't know what you're going to get from Glenavon with David McDaid and Niall Quinn coming in, they could have rejuvenated the changing room, they could have brought newfound energy, so we had to prepare for what was going to come our way.
"I felt it took us 15 minutes to get into it, I felt they put us under pressure, they could have scored one or two, but I was really pleased that they didn't and that we were able to react the right way after that.”
SECOND GOAL FEEL IMPORTANT?
"I didn’t feel so much like they were going to score, but they could have scored, they've got a lot of ability there on that pitch, they've got a lot of good players.
"I was just relieved to give ourselves that wee cushion because I felt one of our strengths is out of possession and defending, and I felt we were sort of in control, but you know in football one mistake, one bit of luck, one bit of class could have turned the game on its head, so it was relief after the second goal.”
ON THE GOAL – SOME STRIKE FROM REECE NEALE?
"I seen it perfectly, and there's no way he meant it!
"He showed immense desire, running with the ball to get in front of the marker, running with the ball and if he meant it, fair play to him, because it was an exceptional goal and it was a more important goal for us.”
REECE HAS REALLY THRIVED IN THE PREMIERSHIP?
"Reece was one of my first signings I think, way back four, five years ago, and I knew he was a player who was hungry to play in the Premiership.
"I tried to promise him, it took me months to get him over the line, it took me longer than that to try and get him signed, and I had to persuade him that someday he would be in the Premiership, so I'm delighted to be able to offer him that and to have him as one of my players.
"He’s a massive character. When he's not around, you miss him, he's really positive, has a great, great attitude, all the players love him, so I'm delighted for him.
"I think that's two goals he's got now in three or four games, so that's good. I'm delighted for him because he works so hard on the defensive side of the game, but as I said, the desire he showed for that goal there just epitomises him.”
FIRST CLEAN SHEET A HUGE POSITIVE?
"That's something that's really been annoying us because we have been conceding some silly, silly goals, but a clean sheet just gives us that belief that we can do it, so we've set standards now.”
WHAT’S POSSIBLE THIS SEASON?
"It's going to get harder for us. We've set our targets, we'll keep it in house, but we know we have to earn every point we get.
"Every tackle, every pass, every player that plays here, there's no passengers, we can't afford to have passengers. Where other teams can, we can't, we need 11 players working their socks off and I think they're doing that.”