Report Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Preliminary Round Antrim Grammar School v Strabane Academy, by Barney McGonigle

Report Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Preliminary Round

There was one Danske Bank Preliminary Round game, as well as one friendly game, played midweek in the lead up to a full list of fixtures on Saturday 6th December.

Pic Credits
Strabane Academy Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Strabane-Academy/239044742840822?fref=ts
Antrim Grammar facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Antrim-Grammar-School/590624330954579?fref=ts

The Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup 2014/5 competition got underway when Antrim Grammar School hosted Strabane Academy at the Steeple Road venue on Wednesday 3rd December. The Antrim Grammar School team won the game by 26-7 but the Strabane Academy team made their hosts work hard for the win. Antrim Grammar School took a 5-0 lead when Adam Johnston crossed for an unconverted try midway through the first half. The Strabane Academy team played with vigour, determination and no little skill and were enjoying the occasion. They came close to scoring on a number of occasions but resolute Antrim Grammar School defence kept them out. Just before the break, the Antrim team extended their lead to 12-0 when they took advantage of the Strabane team losing a player to the sin bin. The home side created an overlap situation which was finished off with a second try from Adam Johnston. Sam Gordon successfully added the conversion to see his team into a relatively comfortable 12-0 lead at half time.
The Strabane Academy team came out to start the second half very strongly. They were not in any way phased by the occasion and took advantage of some indifferent Antrim defence. Jonny O’Flaherty, a live wire scrum half, got in behind the Antrim defence before he cleverly off loaded to Rory Kelly. Rory then found Reece Nelson, running a great support line and, despite the best efforts of the Antrim Grammar School defence, it was Reece who touched down for the try. Thomas O’Flaherty added the extras to reduce the deficit to 12-7. Both teams attacked positively at every opportunity but there were no further points until the final quarter of the game. A tiring Strabane Academy defence was exposed on two occasions. The Antrim Grammar School team took advantage of the couple of lapses in concentration and ran in for two tries. Robert Mawhinney and the impressive JJ McKee were awarded the tries, both of which Sam Gordon converted, to see the Antrim Grammar School team into a 26-7 lead. The Strabane team came back strongly and displayed a great determination to play positive rugby. The kept the ball in hand from a number of penalty opportunities in the final minutes of the game. They came close to scoring a try but could not manage to cross the whitewash. At the final whistle it was the Antrim Grammar School that celebrated their hard earned, but well-deserved 26-7 victory. However, the Strabane Academy team will have been delighted with their performance. After an absence of six seasons from the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup the team announced the return of Strabane Academy to the competition with a very positive display and the players can look forward, with confidence, to playing in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy competition on January 24th. Antrim Grammar School will take a lot of confidence and experience from this game as they prepare to travel to play Banbridge Academy in the 1st Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup on January 10th 2015.