WIRRAL teenager Mike Burke, who has yet to start a match for Bangor City, became an instant hero, when he was hurled into the fray as a late sub and featured in three goals. The 17-year-old, called off the bench on 65 minutes, headed City's equaliser within 60 seconds, added the next goal on 80 minutes and set up the third for team-mate Alex Hay on 90. City manager Peter Davenport, credited with an inspirational substitution, said: "Sometimes these moves come off and sometimes they don't. This one was spectacular. "The lad was over the moon afterwards, understandably. "I was driving him home to the Wirral and could not get his head through the car door, we had to open the sunroof and stick his head out there". Burke was snapped up by Davenport in the summer as a likely prospect, after trials at Ashville, and has played for Bangor's under- 21s, having only the odd 10 minutes as a sub for the senior side. The exchanges with Aberystwyth were lacklustre for almost an hour, as both teams failed to prise open the opposing defences - resorting to innocuous,, long-range attempts. Suddenly, the Mid-Wales Seasiders managed the breakthrough on 56 minutes from Tim Hicks, who netted from close range, after a left-wing cross. Bangor's involvement of Burke had immediate effect, as the youngster provided a looping header over keeper Richard Morgan, following Martyn Beattie's deep left centre on 66 minutes. Clayton Blackmore's corner, with 10 minutes left, offered Burke the chance to head his second goal and, with the final whistle due, the super sub slipped a through-pass for Hay to hit the third. BANGOR CITY: Price, Blackmore, Beattie, K Jones, O'Neill, Walsh (Ogilvey, 46 minutes), Maxwell, Priest, P Roberts, Hay, Friel (Burke, 65). Subs: Martin, Davenport. ABERYSTWYTH TOWN: R Morgan, Evans, Burrows, Thomas (D James, 87), S James, Meredith (M Roberts, 69), G Hughes, B Morgan, S Roberts, Hicks, Coates. Sub: Driscoll. |
