Rainey to strong for Lurgan
Lurgan 10
Rainey Old Boys II 19
Lurgan welcomed Rainey Old Boys 2nd XV to Pollock Park last Saturday for their first game in the new Conference league. A league designed to give the senior clubs second string side’s better competitive rugby.
The home side made several changes to the side with four players making their debuts for the 1st XV. In the forwards prop David Whittaker, hooker Graham Wickie and flanker Gavin Barr all made their debuts with winger Chris Cassidy making up the quartet. In the centre there was a return to the 1st XV for Craig Harrison who filled in for injured Scott Gardiner and the rest of the Graham Currie captained side had a familiar look to it.
Rainey took the lead after four minutes when there out half grubbered through a kick and they won the race to the ball to score a try which was converted to give the Magherafelt side an early 7 – nil lead.
On 12 minutes, Rainey who were good at using their forwards in midfield eventually broke Lurgans line but good defence saw their player drop the ball in the act of trying to score under the posts.
Five minutes later the first real possession for Lurgan came, and the backs ran a great move off a lineout on their own 10 meter line, Richard Clarke came into the line well and broke through with Chris Cassidy in support, the ball was chipped ahead, but recovered by Rainey’s winger on his own five meter line but Lurgan got there in numbers and turned him over. From resulting ruck, Stephen Nolan tried a cross-field kick to the far wing which Jonny Kingham just failed to gather. This was the best piece of play so far by the home side.
With a quarter of the game gone a clean catch at the line out, saw Lurgan maul 20 meters into Rainey’s 22, the ball was passed to Nolan who put Kingham through a gap, but the later was tackled just short of the line, Rainey conceded a penalty which Nolan converted to make it 7-3.
The visitors scored two more tries before the half hour with the first coming on 26 minutes following a number of phases Lurgan ran out of defenders as Rainey scored in the corner for an unconverted try. Three minutes later Lurgan could not get their hands on the ball and at times were guilty of over committing at ruck time leaving gaps for Rainey to exploit and eventually they went in for a try in the same corner this time being converted.
There was no further score before the break as the visitors lead 19 – 3 as the Lurgan coaches had a few stern words for their players during the interval.
On 60 minutes a good throw from Graham Wickie at a line out saw Lurgan drive forward through Gavin Barr. The ball was spun to Nolan who dummied and ghosted in under the posts for a well worked score with the same player adding the extra’s to make it 19 – 10 in Rainey’s favour.
The second half was proving much better from Lurgan playing most of the game in the opposition half which resulted in having to do less defending.
With 10 minutes to go Rainey conceded a penalty on the left and Stephen Nolan’s effort rebounded of the upright and back into play. A good chase from Lurgan saw them regather possession and following a number of phases Lurgan eventually got penalized by the referee for holding on and their chance was gone at setting up a grandstand finish against a ratted Rainey side.
This was a cracking second half effort from the Lurgan men considering the changes in personal to the team and there will be plenty of positives to take into this weekends fixture at Civil Service. If Lurgan can get out of first gear from the start of future matches and put in 80 minutes hard work and graft there will be few teams that will be able to cope with them.
Team: R Clarke, C Cassidy, C Wamsley, C Harrison, J Kingham; S Nolan, C Jenks; D Whittaker, G Wickie, G Currie, A Robinson, C Mallon, G Barr, M Campbell, K McBride.
League points and Wolfhound Cup up for grabs
Lurgan return to Kukri Qualifying three A action this Saturday with a trip to Stormont to play Civil Service. Having won comfortably (32-8) in the Gordon West cup match last month the Pollock Park men will be confident of gaining two more league points.
Saturday’s match will also see the side’s contest for Jim Allens’s Wolfhoud Cup which Lurgan currently hold.
For the record the Wolfhound Cup is now in it’s 29th year and the Pollock Park side have 17 wins to Civil Services’ 10 wins with the side’s having drawn one match which was back in 2008 when they drew 20 – 20.
Saturday’s Fixtures: Kukri Qulaifying three A: Civil Service vs Lurgan, at Stormont, kick off 2:30pm. Magners Junior League section five: Lurgan II vs Newry II, at Pollock Park, kick off 2:30pm.
