BALLYMONEY RFC YOUTH ACADEMY U18’s OVERPOWER COLERAINE RFC U18’s
Saturday 3rd October.
After a very long, hard pre-season schedule, and following a successful season in U14,U16 & U18’s the TOON lads gained promotion up to section 2 in the ulster carpets league, Ballymoney Rfc youth Academy were handed the fixture list for the upcoming 2015/16 season and top of that list was the old enemy Coleraine Rfc.
With the U18’s lads from the Toon not having the best record in recent years down at rugby avenue the coaches knew they had their hands full to turn this disappointing run of results around.
The game was kicked off by Coleraine into the hands of Ballymoney’s no.7 Danial Brennan who passed to Stevie Culbertson at outhalf, he drilled a kick back into the Coleraine 5m line for the first line out of the day.
Coleraine having the bigger pack tested the Ballymoney defence for the first ten minutes, sending their big runners at the Toon lads defence but not making much ground nor much of an impression when they tried their luck out the backs, the Ballymoney lads were holding firm. Coleraine knocked the ball forward after a huge hit on their no.8 by Lewis wilkinson the Ballymoney big lock.
From the resulting scrum the Toons no.8 Graham Donnelly picked and went hard at Coleraine, he linked with scrumhalf lee Culbertson who turned Coleraine’s winger inside out and passed to his winger Matthew bell. If not for a great covering tackle by Coleraine’s fullback Ballymoney would have scored in the corner.
Ballymoney’s lads seemed to be dwelling on a missed chance to put the first points on the board when Coleraine struck with their own chance, a footing slip in the Toons defence opened the door and Coleraine needed no second invitation to touch down for the opening try (unconverted)
From the restart it was easy to see that Ballymoney were on the warpath as the hits were getting harder,the defensive line speed was smothering Coleraine and the pressure paid off when coleraine kicked into the hands of Ballymoney and Ulster U18’s Jack Doak at fullback coming onto the ball flat out , he drew in the defence, passed to lee Culbertson he in turn drew a player in and passed to James Orr who quickly moved the ball to Matthew Bell for a very classy Try in the corner. (Unconverted)
Score 5-5 30 minutes played
Just before halftime as the Toon were down a man receiving treatment on the sideline coleraine crossed the line again, with the referee in clear view to notice the ball clearly dropped over the line decided (unbelievably) to award the Try to give coleraine the lead going into halftime 12-5 in favour of the home side.
After the break Ballymoney felt aggrieved that they went into the break hard done by but went about showing what this side are all about. Winning their own scrums and a few of Coleraine’s, the lightning fast Ballymoney and Ulster U18’s scrumhalf lee Culbertson took his chance at a stolen ball at a coleraine scrum, with coleraine on the back foot he took on Coleraine’s big outhalf sold him an outrages dummy, side stepped him and scored a typical lee try between the posts which he converted himself to bring the scores back level at 12-12 with 15 minutes left on the clock.
Unfortunately Ballymoney watched their outstanding flanker Danial Brennan taken from the pitch with an ankle injury in an ambulance after being dropped at a lineout.
The Toon coaches rang the changes from their strong squad which saw the introduction of Philip Beattie at hooker and Adam Quinn at loose head moving the versatile Adam Coulter from hooker to openside flanker. At this late point in a fiercely contested game, coleraine couldn’t cope with the fresh legs in the front row and from that point on the Ballymoney lads were opening up holes and stretching coleraine’s defence to breaking point with the backs running lines and the forwards overpowering Coleraine’s big pack the Toon’s outhalf set up a beautiful set play which saw Ballymoney’s other Ulster 18’s player Graham Donnelly run in Ballymoney’s 3rd Try (converted l.Culbertson) to see the lads from the Toon take the win and put and end to Coleraine’s dominance in resent encounters. Match finished 19-12.
Man of the match was shared between James Orr and Lewis wilkinson. Well done lads
Ballymoney RFC Youth Academy would like to thank the coaches and players of Coleraine RFCC for the warm welcome to rugby avenue and for the refreshments afterwards.
Also a speedy recovery to Danial Brennan on his injury.
Next week sees Ballymoney take on Monaghan at home at the kilraughts rd. which will be another big test for this young side.
Your support would mean a lot to the lads so why not come out and enjoy the match.
KO. 11am Saturday 10th October
