Clogher Valley 27 Bangor 8
In a key game against third placed Bangor, Valley had to again reorganise with Sharkey and Primrose not available. However Best and Orr returned. Within 12 minutes Valley had essentially won the game with a superb four try bonus point.
Playing up the slope and in a downpour Valley attacked from the first scrum, awarded when the Bangor kick off went straight to touch. Valley drove Bangor back with little difficulty, a feature of the game throughout. Though Bangor cleared the ball the continued pressure from the Valley defence eventually forced a 5 metre scrum. Valley again drove Bangor over their own goal line and Treiner touched down for a 5-0 lead after 3 minutes.
From the restart Valley drove forward and a resultant penalty was kicked to touch. A good catch and drive saw prop Moore dive over untouched and a 10-0 lead for Valley after 5 minutes.
Valley returned the restart with a ranging kick from man of the match outhalf Armstrong. Bangor made a hash of the line out and second row Treanor was on hand to pick up the loose ball and score another Valley try and a 15-0 lead after 7 minutes.
Bangor were in turmoil and struggling to get any possession. From their first ruck won they moved the ball wide to their dangerous winger Widdowson. However their passing was laboured and Valley winger Donaldson intercepted and ran 70 metres for Valleys fourth and bonus point try after 12 minutes. Armstrong converted and Valley led 22-0.
Valley started to relax a little and Bangor started to play better but Valley defence was unforgiving. Eventually Bangor kicked a penalty for a 22-3 score after 17 minutes.
The rest of the first half consisted of Bangor attacking but making little progress. In one incident Valley full back Stott took a high ball under his own posts and then set of on a run evading several Bangor tackles for a 40 metre gain. Valley should have scored again just before half time when encamped on the Bangor line but a penalty brought play to an end.
The second half continued as the first with Valley dominating scrums and lineouts and pressurising Bangor into mistake every time they had the ball. From one of these on 52 minutes Valley turned over the Bangor ball deep in their own half. Scrum half Best went blind and released the supporting Armstrong who scythed though the poor Bangor defence on a 40 metre run. Though stopped he was able to release Best for another Valley try and a 27-3 lead.
Valley then relieved the pressure on Bangor by giving away a series of sloppy penalties. From one of these Bangor kicked to touch and then scored with their own catch and drive for a consolation score after 63 minutes.
Another dash by Stott again had the large crowd cheering but Valley were playing now with little control or momentum. They continued to give away penalties and eventually the referee yellow carded a player with 8 minutes left and the game then petered out tamely.
This was an excellent result for Valley which maintains the pressure on league leaders Instonians. On Saturday they make the journey to Ballyclare for another must win fixture and their fifth game in fourteen days. The injury list continues to lengthen. However it seems that whatever changes Valley are forced to make in personnel or positional the players adapt, fit in immediately and the Valley systems, and results, are the same.
