RAINEY GO FIVE POINTS CLEAR
A 33-19 scoreline would suggest a fairly comfortable victory,but it was certainly not the case at a cold and dark Shaw’s Bridge where Rainey Old Boys were unable to dispose of the challenge of a plucky Instonians side which so nearly forced a draw,but saw a losing bonus point slip from their grasp.Rainey looked home and hosed at several stages of the game,but they failed to put the game to bed by putting themselves under unnecessary pressure and in the process subjecting their supporters to torture in the closing minutes.
At the start of the AIL programme,Rainey hoped to be in a top four position after the first seven games,so they will be very happy to be five points clear of the chasing pack.They are,however,fully aware that there is a long way to go,with a number of potential banana skins along the way.
With wind advantage,Instonians made all the early running.Out-half Mullany missed a penalty,but then caused havoc in the Rainey rearguard with a little kick through.From a five metre scrum,they used the narrow side for Mc Keen to cross in the corner.Rainey finally got a touch of the ball when O’Connor put them in an advanced position and a good scrum gave them the platform to work an opening for centre Mc Clelland to score at the posts.Instonians replied with a penalty,but Rainey struck again after 16 minutes with a superb try.Clarke made good ground on the right before finding No.8 Mc Gowan on his inside and O’Connor arrived in support to finish off the move and again add the extras.This was his seventh try of the AIL campaign.They remained in the Inst half with some impressive play until a long touch kick forced them back.Mullany missed a kickable penalty before Simpson and Heaney took Rainey forward again,but a spell of heavy pressure failed to produce a score and late in the half a drop goal left them only 14-11 ahead.With the prospect of wind advantage to follow,it was still a good position to be in.
A long kick from Martin was just what the doctor ordered on the resumption and some great scrummaging brought them a try from captain O’Kane with a yellow card for an Instonians prop thrown in for good measure.But,instead of closing out the game,Rainey proceeded to make a stream of careless mistakes which encouraged the opposition who crept closer with a penalty.A wayward pass on halfway from McMurray spoiled a clear chance for Rainey who were shocked by an Instonians try after 62 minutes.O’Connor did well to stop scrum -half Andress when he evaded several tackles,but a patient approach resulted in a try.The conversion attempt rebounded off an upright.The experience of Simon Hawe was called upon as Rainey went about regaining the lead.Prop O’Kane secured a bonus point with his second try which was almost a carbon copy of his first.O’Connor converted.
Rainey had a close call when a charged down kick put them in trouble.O’Connor was just off target with two long range kicks at goal before he badly miscued a kick out of hand which had his team defending desperately in the dying minutes.Instonians looked sure to score when Mullany threw out a long pass to the wing,but Campbell soared to intercept and run the length of the field,much to the delight,not to mention relief,of the Rainey contingent.
TEAM : M.O’Connor,A.Clarke,M.Mc Clelland,D.Mc Murray,R.Lamberton,G.Martin,S.Simpson,N.Amos,S.Sufferin,P.Boyle,M.Shiels,A.Harbinson,P.Mc Gowan,P.Heaney.
REPLACEMENTS : T.Barker ( Boyle 40 ) T.Burns ( Heaney 54 ) S.Rutledge ( Amos 62 ) A.Campbell ( Clarke 62 ) S.Hawe ( Harbinson 62)
Division 2 B results : Boyne 14 v 12 Armagh Connemara 3 v 22 Sunday’s Well Naas 14 v 6 Thomond Navan 18 v 15 Nenagh Barnhall 44 v 22 Suttonians Skerries 23 v 6 Ards
Rainey’s next AIL match is on Jan.19 – home to BOYNE.
ACADEMY 2 3 v 50 RAINEY O.B. 2
Young centre Jamie Burrows was the best player on view as Rainey O.B. 2 defeated Junior 4 opponents Academy 2 by 50-3 in a friendly at Roughfort.The Mallusk side showed great spirit throughout despite the score and made Rainey work hard.They started well and opened the scoring,but Rainey kept the ball in hand when an Academy kick fell just short for former Ulster Youth player Burrows,a bright prospect,to grab the first of his three tries.
Rainey scored eight tries in all,the others coming from T.Mc Glaughlin 2,Cassidy 2 and David Dawson,whose return from injury will boost the senior squad.Full-back Dillon landed four conversions,with centre Mc Glaughlin completing the scoring.
RAINEY O.B. 3 67-7 BALLYNAHINCH 5
Rainey O.B.3 put themselves back in the promotion hunt with an emphatic 67-7 home win over challengers Ballynahinch 5.
Veteran Geoffrey Ewing,one of the best flankers ever to play for the club,showed the way up front as an industrious pack provided the platform.Behind the scrum,out-half Irvine pulled the strings to release a strong-running backline which had too much pace for the visitors.Paudie O’Neill helped himself to four tries,with Mc Bride and Donnelly each grabbing a brace.Campton,Johnston and C.Patterson got one each to make it eleven tries,with Moran kicking twelve points.
RAINEY O.B.4 36-12 INISHOWEN
After a tight opening quarter,during which the visiting Inishowen side missed three kicks at goal,Rainey O.B. 4 gradually gained the upper hand to pull clear for a good 36-12 win against the Carndonagh-based challengers in the Mc Cambley Cup.Mc Elhone 2,Mc Bride 2,Mc Alynn and birthday boy Mc Goldrick claimed tries,with Martin adding three conversions.Rainey led 17-5 at the break.
The Mullholland brothers again starred in the lineout,with Moore managing to steal ball on the opposition’s throw as well as putting his side on the front foot on numerous occasions.
FIXTURES – 15 Dec.
2nd XV v VIRGINIA away
3rd XV v OMAGH 2 Crawford Cup away
4th XV v VIRGINIA 2 home
